Opening Regatta 2026, Day 1

What a surprise! The forecast of a 1-knot breeze southeast of Lamma Island, on Saturday, the 26th of September, was fortunately wrong. How does 6-7 knots sound from the southwest – all day? Add to that clear blue skies and flat water and the first day of the Aberdeen Boat Club’s Opening Regatta 2026 got off to a great start.

What’s more, having set short, sharp windward / leewards, race officer, Alex Johnston, easily managed to get in three races for the 10-strong IRC fleet and the 12 boats in PHS.

Tai Chi, a Cape 31, won the first race of IRC Division 1 , and the second, but not the third. That honour went to Wild Card. The plucky little Impala, Saturday Again, won IRC 2 in the first race but the second and third races went to Henning Mueller on Zesst.

In the competitive PHS divisions, Kiasu! took Race 1 in the A division and Raymond Yip of Harpseal emerged victorious in the B division. In Race 2, though, the sailing skills of Thomas Wong and crew saw DBX2 seal victory in Division A while, in Race 3, Kingsman by Simplicity filled the top slot. Harpseal again won the second race in  PHS B but decided to retire in Race 3. ABC boat, Rising Sun, scored a 1st in PHS B.

With predictions for Day 2 being 7-10 knots, sailors went home wondering what conditions would be like on the water? Worse . . . or better!

Opening Regatta 2026, Day 2

Fair winds, blue skies, and two days of keen competition made the Opening Regatta 2026 one of the best ever. Four races sailed, four races to count and not a single protest among the 24 entries.

On Sunday, the IRC and PHS fleets sailed an islands course for the fourth and final race of the regatta, reaching, tacking and running in the expansive West Lamma Channel before finishing southeast of Lamma Island, and making it in time for a lively prize-giving at the Aberdeen Boat Club’s Middle Island clubhouse.

Victory in Race 4, IRC Division 1, went to Nick Burns’ Witchcraft. Juice claimed a deserved 1st place in Division 2 while PHS A was won by the 44-foot X-Yacht, DBX2. Harpseal claimed a bullet in PHS B and multihull ace, Benoit Lesaffre, piloted Carbon Credit to a solo victory in PHS C!

Overall, Tai Chi won IRC Division 1 over Nightshift by 1 point. Zesst comfortably prevailed in IRC 2. Not only did Thomas Wong and crew of DBX2 win Race 4, but they also lifted the overall trophy in PHS A. 2nd in the same division went to Kiasu!. The ever-consistent Rising Sun scored three 2nd places and a 1st to pick up Overall honours in PHS Division.

After the presentation and photos, the hungry sailors tucked in to a buffet of curry, spaghetti, bangers and more – yummy!