The Colander Cup 2026 - A Reflection from the Perspective of a Keelboat Enthusiast

Prizes - The Colander Cup 2026 © FM Sailing

A Late Reflection on the FM Sailing Colander Cup - from the Perspective of a Keelboat Enthusiast

The 9th of May saw the second running of the FM Sailing Colander Cup. From the moment you entered the gates of Northampton Sailing Club, the buzz of the event was unmistakable. The drive down to the keelboat launching area offered plenty of opportunities for rubbernecking and taking in the wonderfully eclectic fleet that had assembled.

There was everything from an army of sub-£300 Picos to two 49ers whose combined value was still less than the £313.51 price cap. It was immediately clear that this year's edition was going to be even bigger and better than the inaugural Colander Cup 2025.

Spidermen racing a £150 boat - The Colander Cup 2026 - photo © FM Sailing

The day began with race officer Miles Odell briefing the 33 boats while competitors tucked into breakfast rolls. Looking out across the lake, the conditions appeared deceptively pleasant: a light 5-8 knots of breeze and bright sunshine. The only real question was whether it was already too warm for wellies in a keelboat.

Once afloat, the fleet went straight into four sprint races. In most of them, the 49ers promptly disappeared into the distance, although Race 4 produced one of the day's highlights: a spectacular triple capsize from Ian and Brynster that ultimately secured them the coveted Win or Swim Trophy.

Hunter Tracer keelboat - The Colander Cup 2026 - photo © FM Sailing

The four sprint races each produced different winners, underlining just how competitive £300 sailing can be. The GP14 of Rory Odell and Jack Cammann took Race 1. Having narrowly missed out on victory last year, they arrived as one of the pre-event favourites.

The fleet, however, had no intention of making things easy for them. In Race 2, Gary and Mark showed that their keel was apparently mounted on wheels, taking a convincing win ahead of Emma and Holly in the Laser 3000.

The Colander Cup 2026 - photo © FM Sailing

Race 3 reinforced the Lark's reputation as a strong choice for the cheap-boat challenge, with Clair and Graham sailing superbly to win ahead of the Hunter Tracer. Gary and Mark then sailed another blinder in Race 4, securing a second victory and another triumph for Team Keels on Wheels. At this point, a special mention must go to the captain of Team Keels on Wheels. Hunter, at only five years old, successfully coached his crew to two race victories during the morning races.

With such a mixed bag of results, the double-points long-distance race once again became the decider for the overall Cup. The Le Mans start proved particularly entertaining for Team Keels on Wheels, with Mark resorting to flippers and armbands to swim out to their moored boat. In the end, however, the GP14 of Rory and Jack came out on top. After last year's jib-sheet disaster, they returned to finish the job, claiming overall victory and the £313.51 cash prize.

Rory Odell and Jack Cammann win The Colander Cup 2026 - photo © FM Sailing

In what is becoming a welcome tradition, Rory and Jack donated half of their winnings to the RNLI before putting the other half behind the bar to keep sailors adequately hydrated during the post-racing pizza party.

The Colander Cup continues to prove that great racing is not about expensive equipment. A fleet of wildly different boats, plenty of close competition, a healthy dose of humour, and a fantastic social atmosphere combined to make another memorable day on the water.

The Colander Cup 2026 - photo © FM Sailing

For the second edition of the Cup, a fancy dress element was introduced, leading to an eclectic mix of pirates, spidermen, admirals, and many more... the winners of the inaugural "Dress to Distress" prize were the Enterprise pairing of Mark Swallow & Nicola Craig who went all out as Smurfs, blue Ent, blue sails, blue outfits, blue van.

Another honourable mention goes to Anna Fenton-Jones, winner of the Cowboy of the Cup. As ex-commodore of Plymouth University Sailing Club, Anna was a living embodiment if the principle "it's not what you know, it's who you know" being towed around at various stages in her chartered pico. I'm told she's booked herself onto a learn2sail course in preparation for next year's event...

Participation is everything - The Colander Cup 2026 - photo © FM Sailing

If the 2026 edition is anything to go by, the event looks set to become a firm fixture on the sailing calendar.

Preliminary date for next year's Colander Cup - 8th May 2027. We're already seeing Colander-worthy boats appearing on the market, and once again, FM Sailing have made the decision to increase the boat budget and prize money in line with inflation, so next year you've got a gobsmacking £322.92 to play with!

For a full flavour of what you missed, or to relive the day, check out Lee's video from Be Less Last, which perfectly captures the racing, the atmosphere and the prize-giving.

www.fmsailing.co.uk/colander-cup

Overall Results:

Prizes - The Colander Cup 2026 - photo © FM Sailing