Royal Solent Yacht Club Contessa Regatta 2026

by Claire Hallett 3 Jul 15:59 BST 26-28 June 2026

Over thirty Contessa yachts came to Yarmouth last weekend from all over the south coast and further afield for the fourth annual RSYC Contessa Regatta.

A welcoming drinks reception in the sunshine, courtesy of sponsor Louis Jadot, launched proceedings on Friday afternoon on the Club's lawn.

This was a special year for the Contessas and regatta sponsor Jeremy Rogers Boat Builders, as it marked the 60th anniversary since they designed and began building these legendary yachts. To honour the occasion, Jeremy Rogers generously presented a personalised bottle of their new bespoke Contessa Gin to each boat taking part.

Racing started on Saturday morning with the wind still deciding whether or not to turn up. Fortunately, there was just enough to race, and the sailors battled through light air conditions to complete three closely fought races and put points on the board for the four classes of Contessa: 26, 28, 32 and 35.

The Solent decided to bring a great deal more wind on Sunday. With wind against tide, a different skill set was required and the leader board bounced around as much as the yachts on the rollers with a further two races completed by lunchtime.

In keeping with the Corinthian spirit, the Solent Quest Treasure Hunt was launched last year for the sailors who were not racing but wanted to be out on the water. Using the same start lines, yachts had to complete a treasure hunt in the fastest time, navigating between clues. This year's winner was SAAVEDRA who very kindly hosted the ONDINE crew who had sailed their Contessa all the way from Holland.

Jeremy Rogers' photographer, Tim Jeffreys, superbly captured the action on the water and summed up the weekend perfectly: "It was a fabulous occasion! The team at the Royal Solent are so professional and welcoming, it's always a pleasure to attend any event there. So many beautiful yachts, obviously cherished by their owners and crew, it was a struggle to know where to look next. A wonderful regatta!"

These regattas cannot happen without the support and enthusiasm from our sponsors. The RSYC extends a huge thank you to Jeremy Rogers for providing their passion, bespoke Contessa Gin, the Rum Punch Party, caps, mugs and so much more; Louis Jadot for providing beautiful wine for the reception and prizes; Hall Hunter for providing the automated MarkSetBots and delicious berries for the Club suppers.

Thank you to Fiona Rogers for presenting the prizes and congratulations to the winners:

Class 26 SAMPHIRE OF HURST
Class 28 ARCTIC FOX
Class 32 MERAK II
Class 35 MARCH HARE
Overall Winner: SAMPHIRE OF HURST

We look forward to welcoming the Contessa fleet back next year from 11 - 13 June 2027.