Sailors battled the elements and partied in style as the Royal Solent hosted a record-breaking weekend.
The 17th Taittinger RSYC Regatta lit up the Western Solent from 4th to 6th July, as nearly 200 boats descended on Yarmouth for a weekend of hard-fought racing, high-tech innovation and spectacular shoreside celebrations.
Despite tough weather conditions, the Royal Solent Yacht Club pulled off one of its most successful regattas to date, with competitors, sponsors and visitors hailing it a highlight of the UK sailing calendar.
The weekend began with the ever-popular Champagne Taittinger Reception, where crews enjoyed Taittinger Brut Réserve in the sunshine and raised over £600 for the RNLI. But it was on the water where the regatta made headlines. For the first time in the Western Solent, robotic race marks – MarkSetBots – were used to set courses with pinpoint precision, thanks to support from sponsors Hall Hunter and FourthCape Ltd. The GPS-controlled buoys, easily moved via tablet, proved a hit with both race officers and crews.
Back on land, the entertainment was turned up to eleven. A new Friday Rock Concert at The Towers drew huge crowds with performances from the Blue Water Giants, Derek Sandy, and Wight Hot Pipes. Saturday’s iconic Towers Party smashed previous attendance records and featured six live acts, with both nights ending in a jaw-dropping fireworks display. The events raised significant funds for Cure Parkinson’s and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
At Sunday’s prize giving, 3 lucky competitors walked away with major prizes: a Honda outboard engine from Wight Marine, a week-long alpine escape at the Edelweiss & Gurgl Hotel, and a Champagne tour in Reims courtesy of Taittinger. Champagne cap sales also raised over £1,000 for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.
The regatta’s overall winner was David Franks’ J112e Leon, which dominated its class and claimed the coveted Jeroboam of Champagne Taittinger.
Competitors travelled from far and wide to take part, including the crew of Illegal, who towed their boat from Ireland non-stop for 21 hours. “It’s just that much fun,” said Jamie Allen of River Yar Boatyard, who helped get the boat race-ready.
The Taittinger RSYC Regatta returns next year from 24th to 26th July 2026. If this year’s anything to go by, sailors and spectators alike won’t want to miss it.
