Abersoch Dinghy Week 2026 at South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club
by Mike Crompton 9 Aug 21:28 BST
26-31 July 2026
Abersoch Dinghy Week 2026 delivered everything we love about this event: big fleets, big winds, big socials, and only a sprinkling of rain that we will continue to describe as "character-building". The bay gave us the full menu of conditions, and the sailors rose to it with enthusiasm, skill, and the occasional dramatic capsize.
Racing and Conditions
Seven fleets took to the water across the week, each enjoying a proper mix of light airs, punchy breezes, and the sort of shifts that make race officers stare at the sky and mutter.
PRO Phil Snewin and the Pura Vida team ran the racing with trademark calmness and competence superbly supported by Pete Best and crew who laid marks with precision and alacrity. Well done team.
The Budworth finishing team were once again the unsung heroes — fast, accurate, and capable of reading handwriting that should be in a museum of abstract art.
Many many thanks to Amanda Greaves for all her hard work... not a single query all week...
Full results are marked "ADW" at www.scyc.co.uk/sailwave_results
A New Trophy - Overall Dinghy Week Champion
This year saw the introduction of a brand-new trophy designed to recognise the best overall sailor across all seven fleets.
The scoring took into account:
Number of boats in each fleet (big fleets = big achievement)
Number of race wins (consistency rewarded)
And the inaugural winner was:
Hamish Gledhill - ILCA Class Champion
Hamish delivered a string of firsts in the ILCA fleet, securing the top spot with style.
He took the microphone at prize-giving and offered warm thanks to the volunteers, race team, and fellow sailors — proving he's as gracious off the water as he is fast on it.
SigneT National Championships
The SigneT class held their National Championships within the framework of Dinghy Week — and it was a resounding success.
Their fleet brought colour, enthusiasm, and excellent racing to the event.
If your fleet would like to run your Championships during Dinghy Week, please do get in touch — we'd love to host you.
The Crewsaver Team Prize is awarded to three boats from different fleets with the aggregate lowest scores. This year the SCYC team of Nathan Pritchard Jones in an Aero 4, Charles and Sarah Downes in a RS 2000 and Andy Wilkins in an Aero 5 were victorious which we think is the first time in years that the home club have been victorious.
Great support from Rudyard lake Sailing Club, Delph SC, a trio of Blazes from Burghfield Sailing Club and many more made this years event very special.
The Coached regatta fleet is made of juniors racing on an inshore course that this year boasted 11 competitors for an interesting and informative week. Coach Annabelle from the RYA was once again excellent and well supported Jerry Ibberson.
Volunteers - The Beating Heart of the Week
Over 50 volunteers powered the event, from tally desk heroes to beach marshals to safety crews who somehow stayed cheerful even during the "slightly moist" moments.
Without them, Dinghy Week would be a lovely idea and absolutely impossible in practice.
Thank you — you're the reason this event works.
Socials and Shore-Side Chaos
The socials were packed, loud, and full of energy.
Bongo Bingo proved once again that it is here to stay — a perfect blend of music, bingo, confusion, and shouting.
The energetic dancing on Thursday evening was once again extreme and the band were superb.
Euphorika posted this message on their Facebook page: "As Craig Revel Horwood would say... A-ma-zing!!!! You guys know how to party!!!
"We had such an awesome night as South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club last night.
"We can't wait to go back in August for Keelboat week! Huge thanks to Dave, Mike, Charlotte and all the lovely staff (particularly the crew who helped with the gear in)."
Sponsors and Prize Giving
Huge thanks to our supporters:
- Abersoch Boatyard - with owner Nigel Bourne presenting the prizes and keeping the crowd entertained.
- Gill, English Braids, and Orca Bay - your support keeps the event running smoothly and the sailors looking sharp.
Next Year
Mark your calendars:
Abersoch Dinghy Week 2027 runs from 25 July to 30 July.
Expect sunshine, wind, and the usual blend of organised mayhem.
Final Word
Dinghy Week 2026 was everything we love about Abersoch: competitive racing, brilliant people, and a social scene that could power the national grid.
Thank you to every sailor, volunteer, sponsor, and supporter.
See you in 2027 — same bay, same chaos, even bigger smiles.
Full results are marked "ADW" at www.scyc.co.uk/sailwave_results