Triumph and sparkle at the Taittinger Regatta 2026 at Royal Solent Yacht Club
by Royal Solent Yacht Club 27 Jul 17:01 BST
25-26 July 2026
IRC Classes and Contessa 32s mix it up in a thrilling close quarters race - Taittinger Royal Solent YC Regatta © Tim Jeffreys Photography
A clean sweep for Giles Chipperfield and his crew on Escape, a J70, was just the job to secure the overall win at the 2026 Taitttinger RSYC Regatta
Racing in the NHC (National Handicap for Cruisers) class Giles put their win down to the stiff breeze that typified much of the weekend. "We love the windy weather", he says, "and the courses were just right for us".
Another yacht loving the wind was J/105 Jin Tonic. Explaining the secret to their win in the 17-strong IRC Class 2 owner/helm Andy Roberts said simply "We just put up our big kite and flew!"
The wind gods smiled on the weekend of 25-26 July for the fleet of 177 yachts competing across eleven classes. The legendary 'Tatty', organised by the Royal Solent Yacht Club in Yarmouth is one of the most popular racing events in the UK. A mix of enormously closely fought competition over west Solent courses, and a spectacular shoreside social scene combined to attract entries from local, national and international crews.
Split between the Black Group - for IRC classes and Contessa 32s and the White Group, for NHC (National Handicap for Cruisers), Folkboat and XOD classes, separate committee boats hosted the two Groups, each using the Solent tides, conditions and ready-made racing marks to their best advantage.
Saturday unfolded with both wind and sea almost calm as the yachts made their way out of Yarmouth Harbour, to head towards their start areas, spread across the mainland shore. A short postponement - but everyone knew there was wind on its way and from a stable direction, and racing soon got under way. Through the day a stiff breeze built up into the mid-twenties, and from there on did not let up until the end of the regatta the following day. Typical Solent racing then, leaving the dock in shorts and t-shirts and returning in wet oilskins!
The second day, Sunday, opened with some rather dramatic but short lived weather, a very rare rainstorm in this drought plagued summer, bringing big wind strengths and swinging directions which forced the race committees to postpone the starts of the third and final race of the series. Sunshine resumed and the brisk wind quickly settled in for the day testing some and providing lively racing, which pushed the need for good crew work to the top of the agenda in order to stay in the lead.
Charlie Davies of winning Folkboat Raev, helmed by Jack Davies, summed it up. "We've been sailing with the same crew, including family, for over 10 years and we work well together. We like a blow. We are local Yarmouth sailors so we know the racecourse. But we've never won here before so our hard work has paid off!" The Folkboats are a tightly contested class well used to racing in a tight fleet, attracting 20 boats to the event.
Another formidable family winner was Ben Rogers, triumphing on Solan Goose in the Contessa 32 class. "Our ten crew are all family!" he reports. While Solan Goose was built in 1997, the Jeremy Rogers-built Contessas are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. Meanwhile new boats are still coming off the production line. He says "Racing was incredibly close on our course this weekend. We won despite being taken over the line on the third race and having to go back - but by a stroke of luck we picked up a shift which set us on our way."
Black Group Race Officer Phil Hagen set courses to suit each class but over a similar area. His planning created a wonderful spectacle in the first race which at one point, at Solent Bank mark, saw all the IRC yachts coming together for some great close quarters action. "Sailing together but not converging" he says of the skilfully laid courses. "It would be easy just to set windward leewards, but while we use some moveable marks, it's good to make the best of what the Solent offers and give the yachts something more to think about."
The Black Group committee uses a handy robotic MarkSetBot outer distance mark which is remotely controlled to easily change the start line length according to the class size. Technology also extends to the handy app which shows courses and information for competitors.
The White Group courses also provided plenty of variation to test the skills of the NHC and smaller classes. Race Officer Mark Hall explained: On Saturday we saw a bit of wind flicking around on the mainland shore during the first race, so we brought the fleets south for the second race. Sunday's race 3 was blowy so we kept to the relative shelter of Bouldnor Bay." There, racing was lively but controlled for the majority of these regular tight-knit racing classes.
The well-honed XODs weren't put off making Sunday's windy crossing to the Island. Many, like other competing yachts as well, came out from Lymington to start each day's racing.
Classic and state of the art yachts shone in every class. Abi Hutchinson with her all-girl crew sailed her elegant 1968-built Sparkman & Stephens Swan 36 AnnaMai into second place in IRC Class 4.
The J/111s and J/109s also sailed in their own classes, with respective overall wins for Tony Mack's McFly and Arjen van Leeuwen's Joule.
With three races completed the results were in. In addition to Jin Tonic's victory in IRC Division 2 the Black Group saw Division wins for Nigel Biggs' Beneteau First Class 50 Checkmate XX in Class 1 and Chris & Vanessa Choules' With Alacrity, a Sigma 38, in IRC Division 3. Another vintage Swan 36, George Tetley's Carte Blanche took the top slot in NHC B.
Nigel Biggs and his Dublin based crew were delighted with their first-time Taittinger Regatta victory. "We mix up our crew of old friends from Ireland, and young newcomers too." The boat is based in Hamble for the summer season of events. "We've enjoyed some really close tussles with Luna (Tim Webb's Swan 45 which took second in class) over the weekend. Checkmate is a cruiser racer but we've worked hard to optimise the boat for this type of racing." Of their trip to the UK Nigel says "We like to go to different events. Taittinger has been an outstanding regatta - the race team and Royal Solent YC have done an excellent job. We will be back next year!"
Not least deserved was IRC Division 4's winner Craig Dymock sailing his International H Boat Wight Wedding, the lowest rated yacht in the 18-strong class. Craig told us "Wight Wedding was built in 1979 and won the Round the Island Race in 2000. She is a pedigree." He adds "This is the first time I've raced my own boat at Taittinger although it's been an absolute fixture for me for many years."
The long-standing partnership between the Royal Solent Yacht Club and Taittinger has been instrumental in shaping the regatta's character, infusing it with the sense of elegance and celebration that sets it apart. The Taittinger RSYC Regatta is more than just a series of races; it's a full-fledged social event that celebrates the sport of sailing in style. Thus, the lively and welcoming atmosphere kicked off once again on Friday evening with the iconic Taittinger Champagne Reception on the lawns of the Royal Solent Yacht Club.
On Saturday some 600 sailors and guests headed across to the club's next-door neighbour, an imposing 18th Century castle, The Towers. Indian curry from Spice in Cowes and plenty of liquid refreshment eased guests into the music and dancing. Amongst the line-up of several bands were Herman's Hermits, belting out some of their old 60s numbers. A fireworks display lit up the Solent and funds were raised for Cure Parkinsons and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
For the grand finale, an impressive range of silverware was presented, plus a bottle of Taittinger Champagne for all class winners. Overall winner Escape received a jeroboam of Taittinger Champagne.
Along with the winners' prizes there were also draws to win a stay in the Edelweiss & Gurgl Hotel in the Austrian Alps, a Eurostar trip to take a tour of the Taittinger Champagne Cellars and a Highfield Stand-Up Paddle Board provided by Wight Marine.
The summer heatwave continues but still managed to provide the winds for a spectacular event. This 2026 edition of the Taittinger RSYC Regatta can truly be summed up as a 'champagne sailing' event in every way!
Thanks go to the event's title sponsor Champagne Taittinger and supporting sponsors River Yar Boatyard, Wight Marine, Edelweiss & Gurgl Hotel and Yarmouth Harbour.
Results at: halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com/Result/Public/94189
The next Taittinger RSYC Regatta 2027 will take place from 16 - 18 July 2027.