Knight Frank Champagne Challenge at Exe Sailing Club - Preview

Exe Sailing Club Champagne Challenge © Tom Hurley / Devon Digital

Excitement building in South Devon for Knight Frank Champagne Challenge yacht race

The annual Champagne Challenge yacht race from Exmouth to Brixham, organised by Exe Sailing Club (ESC), will take place on Saturday 5 September 2026. It will again be sponsored by global real estate consultancy, Knight Frank.

The race is an open event for yachts owned or skippered by a member of any RYA affiliated sailing club based in Devon and is free to enter. Entries close at midnight on 1 September. Entrants are responsible for berthing costs at Brixham. There is a post-race evening meal at Brixham YC, costing £18 per head. For full details please visit exe-sailing-club.org/open-events/champagne-challenge-2026.

The race is an enormously popular annual event that has provided an end of season celebration since 1993. That year was particularly difficult for sailors on the south coast of Devon. Bad weather caused many regular races to be cancelled so a small group of ESC members decided to organise one final race for the year from Exmouth to Dartmouth. The aim was mainly to bring together as many boats and sailors as possible for a fun, social, end of season sailing event.

Poor weather forced the organisers to move the finish to Brixham in 1994. The race has been run over that same course every year since, apart from 2020. The original objectives have remained the same, with the emphasis on enjoying a social event alongside the friendly competition.

Race organiser and Cruiser Captain at Exe Sailing Club, Nick Martin, said "The Knight Frank Champagne Challenge has always been recognised as a terrific celebration and huge fun for everybody who takes part. I'm delighted that Knight Frank has agreed to continue their sponsorship of the race and look forward to greeting boats from all over Devon."