Osprey National Championship 2026 at Mount's Bay Sailing Club - Recap
by Paddy Lewis 9 Sep 20:22 BST
3-6 September 2026
Coming home past St Michael's Mount on Day 4 - Osprey Nationals at Mount's Bay © Kevin Francis
Fog, sunshine, shifty wind, broken trailers and enough Cornish pasties to feed a small navy. The 2026 Osprey National Championship had all the ingredients of a classic Mount's Bay SC Nationals, but as ever it was the people as much as the racing that made the week so special.
As National Championship venues go, Mount's Bay is not one for easing people gently into things, particularly if you sail on a lake 90% of the time where waves aren't a thing.
For those who don't travel with their boats to championships, it's in the far corner of Cornwall and, if you've never been, you have missed out. It is the most spectacular place to sail, stunning to look at, and inhabited by some of the country's greatest characters, which is what makes the club one of the best in the country, in my view, but I could be biased.
Forty-two Ospreys made the pilgrimage this year, joined by a beautifully restored Mk II Osprey from Normandy. Back in 1066, the English were nervous of boats arriving from Normandy, but not with Osprey 505, built in 1964 and brought across by Alexis and Dave Ackers, returning to Mount's Bay more than sixty years after it first sailed there - great to have it back at the Nationals.
Looking around the dinghy park before racing began, it was obvious this was a very strong fleet, as we have had for many years. Current champions, former champions, future champions, and a few people simply hoping they could still remember how to rig their boats all lined up together.
Day One: Gorillas in the Mizzle
The Championship began exactly as Cornwall intended. There appeared to be wind. There appeared to be visibility. There appeared to be a reasonable chance of getting several races completed.
As it turned out, all three assumptions were optimistic.
We launched into what Kevin Francis accurately described as "gorillas in the mizzle" and by the end of the first race many competitors were no longer entirely sure whether they were competing in a National Championship or simply following the nearest sail shape in the mist ahead of them in the hope that somebody else knew where they were going.
Matt Rainback and Phil Angrave quickly demonstrated that they had not travelled all the way from Poole to admire the scenery and took the opening race, with Terry Curtis and Peter Greig second. Mike Priddle and I somehow managed a third, largely achieved by Mike doing all the difficult bits whilst I concentrated on offering encouragement from the back of the boat.
The race committee wisely decided that one race in conditions resembling sailing inside a cloud was excitement enough for one day and sent us all ashore for a Cornish pasty!
Day Two: Fifty Shades of Grey
The mist disappeared overnight and the wind changed direction, deciding to arrive from the west over the hills instead of as a nice clean breeze from the south.
For anyone unfamiliar with offshore winds at Mount's Bay, imagine putting forty-two Ospreys into a washing machine permanently set to random.
Pressure arrived unexpectedly.
Pressure disappeared unexpectedly.
The shifts made almost no sense whatsoever.
One minute you felt like you were performing like an Olympian and the next more like a novice.
Three races were completed in conditions that rewarded hitting the right side of the track, punished guesswork and generally kept everyone on their toes.
One of the performances of the day came from Simon Brewer and Alistair Ramsden, who led impressively around the top mark before being ambushed by a spinnaker sheet under the boat. One moment they looked like race winners; the next they looked like participants in a how-not-to-drop-your-kite training video.
Meanwhile, as is always the case with sailors, the boat park was proving almost as entertaining as the racecourse.
One trailer required a bearing transplant.
One motorhome required emergency brake surgery.
Several boats needed emergency repairs.
A trapeze fitting unexpectedly retired from active duty, leaving Tim Bowden to demonstrate an impressive gymnastic manoeuvre rarely seen outside Olympic diving competitions.
The Osprey fleet has always excelled at emergency engineering, and this event was no different.
Given enough cable ties, Sikaflex and other mysterious special glues, almost anything can be repaired.
By the end of the day DJ Edwards and Mikey Greig had moved into the overall lead ahead of Matt Rainback and Phil Angrave, with Terry Curtis and Peter Greig remaining firmly in contention.
Another highlight of day two was a visit from everyone's favourite wetsuit manufacturer, Mr Mike Pickering, now retired from the world of rubber for sailing. Rumour has it he has been experimenting with other activities involving rubber clothing. No Kenny, it's surfing!
Day Three: Sunshine at Last
For the first time all week, competitors woke to sunshine.
This unexpected development caused scenes of confusion throughout the dinghy park as sailors attempted to pivot outfits from drysuits in some cases (Arthur Butler) to running shorts and a T-shirt, which were favoured by Anna and Rosie Watkins.
I always wonder what the passing non-sailor thinks when they walk past the dinghy park, which tends to resemble an industrial-scale laundrette being operated by a bunch of half-naked old men of varying shapes and sizes - it must be quite shocking. Later that evening it was quite shocking seeing Nick Willis wandering around the bar half-naked like a sailing strippergram; apparently someone had nicked his bag, which contained his shirt.
With the wind very light, there was a postponement ashore until a gentle south-easterly filled in and allowed two excellent races to be completed.
The fleet again lacked discipline on the start line, resulting in a general recall. At the second attempt everyone started cleanly and split across the racecourse in the usual fashion. Those arriving at the windward mark from somewhere near Penzance appeared to have made better decisions than those approaching from the opposite side.
The moment of the day belonged to Alex and Nick Willis, who produced an outstanding performance to win the second race of the day. Afterwards, Nick proudly informed anyone within earshot that the last National Championship race he had won was back in 1996. He also claims the title of the oldest crew ever to win a race at the Nationals.
Elsewhere in the fleet:
Kenny Brown briefly discovered the advantages of having the entire racecourse to himself after failing to notice that everybody else had finished as he set off on a third lap.
Tom Chadfield and Peter Slater thoughtfully provided a capsize demonstration.
Richard Marshall applied sufficient blue zinc cream to become visible from space - remember, he is a pantomime drag artist (see my report from Hayling Island!).
Oscar Chess and David Downs continued their excellent form, leading to widespread rumours that they had discovered a Cornish performance-enhancing substance available from Steven George, who was conspicuously absent with the Disco boat - where are you?
By the end of the day Matt Rainback and Phil Angrave had regained the overall lead, but with one day remaining there was still plenty to play for.
Day Four: The Final Chapter
The final morning dawned and many teams formed huddles to carry out increasingly complicated calculations involving discards, points and combinations of results to work out which team was going to lift the team cup.
Sailors become remarkably good accountants on the last day of a championship.
Everybody knew what result they needed.
Nobody knew whether they were actually going to achieve it.
Phil and Matt, the championship leaders, knew consistency would be enough if they could stay out of trouble. Matt was so confident he headed out before breakfast for an hour of winging in the bay. Phil was delighted to see him back on shore without injuring himself on the board's T-foil, which in my experience is easily done.
As with every National Championship, the final day was a mixture of intense concentration on the water and increasing levels of exhaustion ashore. Whatever individual ambitions remained, everyone launched for the final time knowing that in a fleet of this quality every place would need to be earned.
One race was sailed in a strongish fresh breeze and big waves at the start, dropping to 5 knots with a big swell by the end, which was confusing for us lake sailors. Those who could make good use of the swell made big gains on the reaches and the run - we all wish we could sail in these conditions every week because it brings in another dimension we all love.
More Than Just Results
As always, the results tell only part of the story.
What stood out throughout the week was the tremendous strength and depth of the fleet. Current champions, former champions, younger sailors and seasoned veterans all found themselves sharing the racecourse, boat park and bar. The sense of community in the Osprey fleet has always been strong, but this year felt particularly special at Mount's Bay Sailing Club.
At one end of the age spectrum were young sailors developing rapidly in one of the finest dinghies ever designed. At the other was Willy Crichton, who, only weeks away from his eighty-third birthday, remained one of the great characters of the championship and a reminder that experience still counts for a great deal in an Osprey.
Looking back, the Championship had everything you could want:
- Fog.
- Sunshine.
- Waves.
- No wind.
- Wind.
- Broken trailers.
- Broken motorhomes.
- Questionable decision-making.
- Outstanding racing.
- And enough Cornish pasties being consumed to keep Philps shareholders awake at night.
Most importantly, it reminded us once again why the class remains so strong.
- Yes, the boats are fantastic.
- Yes, the racing is superb.
- But it is the people who keep everyone coming back.
Our thanks go to Mount's Bay Sailing Club, the race team, volunteers and supporters who delivered a superb Championship, and to Craftinsure, Hartley Boats, Robline, Seasure, Clamcleat, Allen and Fernhurst Books for their continued support of the class throughout the year.
Now all that remains is repairing things for some, replacing the things we lost, and explaining to our spouses why attending yet another Osprey event at Blithfield in October is essential for the continuation of mankind!