Hadron H2 National Championship at Keyhaven Yacht Club - Preview
by Keith Callaghan 8 Sep 15:37 BST
11-13 September 2026
Tim Garvin – current leader in the H2 Travellers Trophy Series © Keith Callaghan
The tenth National Championship of the Hadron H2 class, hosted by Keyhaven YC, will take place over three days, starting this Friday. The forecast, for light to moderate winds, with perhaps a little more on the final day, suggests that there might be quite a few helms among the more than twenty-one entries who will fancy their chances.
At last year's event, held at WPNSA, Richard Leftley and Richard Le Mare had a very close struggle for the top place in generally moderate to strong winds. Richard Leftley finished only 3 metres ahead of Richard Le Mare in two races and the final difference was just one point.
But there are several other strong candidates for the top place. Current leader in the 2026 Travellers Trophy series, with two wins and two seconds in the six events to date, is Tim Garvin, back into an H2 after a foray into the International Canoe Class. Tim Blackmore, newcomer to the H2 but with a fine reputation in other classes, will also be a significant challenger. Dave Barker has been a little out of practice lately but the weather will suit his lighter weight and he is more than capable of being near the top. But all the above will be keeping a close watch on Gavin Fleming, third in last year's Nationals and currently one point behind Tim Garvin in the Travellers Series.
Our favourite PRO, 'The Line is Mine' Dougal Henshall, will be keeping a firm grip on the fleet and is the ideal person to manage the rather challenging circumstances of wind and tide that are common at Keyhaven.