RS700 Inland Championship 2026 at Grafham Water Sailing Club

RS700 Inland Championship at Grafham © Paul Sanwell / OPP

With a forecast of very light wind to no wind at all, it was with low expectations that the RS700 sailors arrived at Grafham for the 2026 Inland Championships.

With the sun shining we gathered on the lawn outside the club and gazed over the still water along with the other RS class sailors. We busied ourselves catching up with friends and rigging our boats. The usual inspection of other people's boats to check for new bimbles, as is the norm in the 700 fleet, led to pointing out the frailties that may lead to catastrophes on the water and a flurry of work on overdue maintenance tasks, with little optimism of a sail and wondering what time the race officer would can all expectations of sailing and the bar would open.

Despite the forecast and to everyone's surprise a solid 6-10 knot SW established itself and AP was lowered initiating a rush to change, take our boats down to the very low water's edge and launch through the Grafham sludge.

Space on the short line was at a premium with the 700s starting with the 500s. At the gun Robbie Bell (Snettisham SC) and Grafham local 'Pistol' Pete Purkiss, shot off the line to battle it out up the first beat, while the others were slower to get their start tactics and had to fight through the 500s for clean air. Robbie led at the windward mark closely followed by Pete, with Paul Warren (Oxford SC) emerging from the chasing pack in third.

As expected for an Inlands, the conditions were fluky with shifts and gusts keeping the racing interesting up and down wind. Robbie kept his lead for the next lap, chased hard by Pete until both were hit by a strong gust at the windward mark causing Robbie to capsize and pass the lead to Pete, who sailed off with the kite up and a broad grin to take a bullet in the first race. Paul, Matt Carter (Lancing SC) and Colin Dacey (Snettisham SC) fought it out for third with Colin finding every shift and gust (which turned out to be a theme of the regatta) to come in third.

The second race started with the fleet back up to speed on starting tactics and mostly all on the line at the gun. Colin, a little early to the line, bore away into an unsuspecting 500 and had to do a turn before joining the rest of the fleet on the hunt for the windward mark. Snakes and ladders ensued with holes appearing in the wind and shifts becoming more pronounced.

Matt Carter lead from Robbie Bell and stayed in the lead for two laps establishing a solid lead before sailing into a hole on the last beat. Colin, who danced his way up every shift and into every puff, sailed up the shore past everyone to take the lead and sail downwind to take the win. Matt recovered just ahead of Robbie to take 2nd, with Robbie keeping Pete at bay to take 3rd.

We all retired to the bar with hard luck tales of what might have been (except Colin) and enjoyed a few games of dinghy drive (think beetle drive but sailing), an amazing meal and a few beers.

RS700 Inland Championship at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

The forecast for the next day was pretty accurate, so despite sitting around for the first couple of hours wondering if we would get any more races in, the wind filled in from the South and we launched in 6-8 knots with the possibility of 3 more races.

The wind was lighter and flukier that the previous day. The race officer set the fleet off and we battled it out upwind and downwind, with multiple place changes across the whole fleet as shifts and gusts made and broke hopes and dreams on every leg. Colin and Pete managed to figure out a way through to come out on top with Colin, who had amazing pace up and down wind all regatta, taking his second win of the championships. Robbie following behind Pete to take third.

By the second race of the day, we all knew what to expect and that the conditions provided the chance for massive gains and losses to be made at any time, keeping the racing tense. Matt Carter established a good lead over Pete and Robbie and stayed ahead for two laps.

On the last beat, Colin who had been pushed right at the leeward gate while the rest of the fleet stayed left, avoided the lull in the middle of the course and sailed in his own wind to the windward mark ahead of everyone, sailing on to take another bullet. Pete found some wind along the shore to come around in 2nd, leaving Matt and Robbie searching for zephyrs and watching in horror. Matt recovered to go around in third ahead of Paul, who had also found some private wind and took fourth from Robbie.

The final race saw Matt take an early lead off the start followed hard by Robbie. A battle ensued up and down wind for three laps with very close racing entwinned with the 500s and 400s, making tactics and decision-making challenging. Matt managed to hold Robbie off, despite being chased hard. Robbie managed to catch Matt on starboard just before the leeward gate but had to gybe off when Matt gybed on top of him sending Robbie into two 400s, which slowed him enough for Matt to gybe back and take the win. Robbie crossed in 2nd with RS Sailing's own Guy Rivington, who had brought his 700 the previous day, coming in 3rd for his best result of the regatta.

The close racing over the 5 races saw Colin come out on top as the new Inland Champion followed by Pete in 2nd and Matt beating Robbie to 3rd on count back. I don't think anyone had expected to get 5 races in when we first arrived but in the end the event was a huge success with close challenging racing, aided by excellent race management and we all left feeling very well looked after by the club and having enjoyed a fabulous weekend.

RS700 Inland Championship at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

The Inlands was the culmination of the RS700 Rooster Tour. Congratulations to Pete Purkiss whose 2nd place at Grafham meant he beat Matt Conner (QMSC) to take the Tour win. Thank you to Rooster Sailing for the continued support for the Tour.

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