Fast Racing and Sinking Pontoons at the JOG Stoneways Poole Weekend
by Cat Platts 15 Sep 13:28 BST
12-13 September 2026
The Stoneways Poole Weekend delivered another memorable chapter in the JOG Coastal Series, with 55 boats signed up for two days of racing between Cowes and Poole.
Near peak spring tides, conditions ranging from light airs to more than 20 knots, and a packed Saturday night in Poole gave competitors plenty to contend with both on and off the water.
Saturday, Cowes to Poole
Saturday morning presented the Race Committee with an immediate challenge. With an exceptionally strong tide running and very little wind at the scheduled start time, racing was briefly postponed to allow the breeze to establish and give the fleet a fighting chance of making progress against the tide.
Once the wind arrived, the fleet was away.
The opening stages took competitors east from the start before rounding a mark and turning back west for the passage out of the Solent. By the time the fleet reached Hurst, conditions had changed considerably. The breeze continued to build into the low twenties, producing a fast, windy and increasingly bumpy exit into Christchurch Bay.
From Hurst, the fleet charged west across Poole Bay towards Peveril Ledge buoy. With the stronger breeze now well established, there was some excellent sailing across the bay before boats rounded at Peveril and enjoyed a fast power reach towards Poole and the finish at the Stoneways Marine mark.
The majority of the fleet crossed the line between 15:30 and 17:00 before heading into Poole Quay Boat Haven, where the marina team did a remarkable job of accommodating the large JOG fleet.
Attention then quickly turned from racing to the 18:00 dock party.
Crews gathered on the pontoons for well-earned drinks from local Purbeck Brewery and to celebrate the day's racing. Such was the turnout that one pontoon found itself briefly underwater, with crews from across the fleet catching up after a lively day on the water.
Sunday, Poole to Cowes
Sunday brought more settled conditions for the return race, with around eight knots of breeze at the start, increasing to a steady 12-14 knots as the day progressed.
From the start at Stoneways, boats faced a short upwind leg to Stoneways Marine before turning downwind for the long run home.
What followed was an excellent downwind race across Poole Bay, through Hurst and back into the Solent. The fleet continued beyond Cowes before rounding the final turning mark and setting up for one last short upwind leg, this time with the tide, to the finish.
After Saturday's stronger and more physical conditions, Sunday presented a very different challenge, with plenty of tactical decisions and opportunities for gains throughout the fleet.
Across the two days, the Stoneways Poole Weekend offered just about everything, from huge tides and light airs to building breeze, lumpy seas, fast reaching and long downwind sailing, alongside the close competition and sociable atmosphere that are hallmarks of JOG racing.
Weekend winners:
Saturday, Cowes to Poole
IRC Class 1: Dusty P, Richard Patrick
IRC Class 2: RORC Griffin, Jesssica Jarman and Henry Redmond
IRC Class 3 & IRC OVerall: Javelin, Richard Newsom
IRC Class 4: Sailfish, Oli Hawkins
Double Handed: Rockit, Chris Hanson
Women's Sailing Series: With Alacrity, Chris and Vanessa Choules
Generation JOG Henri-Lloyd winner: Elaine Again
Sunday, Poole to Cowes
IRC Class 1: Dusty P, Richard Patrick
IRC Class 2: Unruly, Charles Bull
IRC Class 3: Nightjar, Lulu Wallis
IRC Class 4 & IRC Overall: Stan the boat, Toby Gorman
Double Handed: Joyride, Ed Rogers
Women's Sailing Series: With Alacrity, Chris and Vanessa Choules
Full results can be found at myjog.jog.org.uk/results
A huge thank you goes to Stoneways Marine for sponsoring the weekend and helping to make another successful JOG race weekend possible.
Thanks also go to Poole Quay Boat Haven, whose team did an exceptional job of fitting the JOG fleet into the marina and looking after boats as they arrived throughout Saturday afternoon, and to Parkstone Yacht Club for providing its committee boat, which was invaluable for the finish of Saturday's Cowes to Poole race and the start of the return race on Sunday.
One final race weekend
There is now just one Coastal Series weekend remaining in the 2026 JOG season, with the fleet heading out for one final hurrah on 26 and 27 September. Entries remain open here.
After that, attention turns to the JOG Awards Evening at the Harbour Hotel Southampton on 31 October, when crews will come together to celebrate the 2026 season. With the year's trophies and awards to present, dinner, drinks and dancing into the night, there will be plenty to celebrate after another memorable season of JOG racing. Find out more here.