This year’s overall winners at the 23rd British Classic Week were Spirit 52 Happy Forever and West Solent One Design Enchanted. Based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, British Classic Week welcomed 52 classic and modern classic yachts for a week of racing, socialising, and camaraderie.
Hosted by the British Classic Yacht Club (BCYC), with race management by Peter Saxton and the Royal Yacht Squadron team, the annual regatta saw stunning sailing conditions across the five-race series.
BCYC Regatta Chairman Giovanni Belgrano commented, “It was a spectacular week, arguably our best to date. Five consecutive days of champagne sailing – I cannot remember better regatta conditions. The weather, the quality of the racing, and the calibre of the classic and modern classic yachts was outstanding.”
The week began with a feeder pursuit race from the Royal Solent Yacht Club Taittinger Regatta in Yarmouth to British Classic Week in Cowes, which was won by Stella yacht Timoa. The regatta series began on Monday with round the cans racing sponsored by Spirit Yachts – of which there were seven at this year’s event, ranging from a Spirit R30 up to a Spirit C72.
Tuesday saw Classes 1, 2 and 3 take on the east-about Around the Island Race sponsored by Global Forecaster, while Classes 4 and 5 sailed a long inshore course in the Solent. Tidal conditions and a challenging ‘wind hole’ at St Catherine’s made the Around Island a race of two halves, but after a long day’s racing it was 10M Class Cutter Bojar that triumphed overall.
On Wednesday, the female and youth helm pursuit race, sponsored by Awlgrip and Marineware, took the fleet around the cans and into a tactical finish. At the race time limit, 22-year-old Victoria Theaker on Timoa took the overall win.
This year, the regatta attracted more young sailors than ever, including a family crew with five under 25s onboard Sparkman & Stephens Swan 40 Aleana, and youngest crew awards going to teenagers racing on Lak II, Flight of Durgan, Sioma, and Arctic Skua.
Inshore racing sponsored by OneSails GBR on Thursday was followed by the final day’s round the cans race sponsored by Pantaenius Sail and Motor Yacht Insurance in the eastern Solent.
Owner of West Solent One Design Enchanted, winner of Class 4 and the Overall Small Yacht of the Week trophy, Claire Locke, commented, “This was our third year of competing at British Classic Week and it has been absolutely brilliant. We have had peachy sailing conditions, and we are so pleased the work we have put into the boat over the last three years has paid off. Not only that, but it was also incredible to have four West Solent One Designs racing together – a fantastic moment for the class.”
This year’s fleet included 1894 Thames Rater Dorothy (owned by Olympic sailor Ossie Stewart), gaff cutter Peggy Bawn (also 1894), and the iconic 36m Summers & Payne gaff ketch Cariad, built in 1896.
Navigator on Cariad and former skipper of the famous Fife yacht Mariquita, Jim Thom, said, “This has been one of the best regattas I have ever attended. The event organisation and race management have been excellent.”
Giovanni Belgrano added, “We are a regatta organised by sailors for sailors. We are not professional event managers, but we know better than most what makes for a memorable regatta experience. We will keep pushing to improve and to continue to attract the best classic yachts and sailors out there.”
Further race and shoreside support came from Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Classic Marine, TOIO clothing, Broadfield Law, Bainbridge International, Classic Boat magazine, and Hattiers Rum. The regatta continued its partnership with Tall Ships Youth Trust with fundraising throughout the week.
At the end of the regatta, Christian Oldendorff’s Spirit 52 Happy Forever won Class 1 and the BCYC Yacht of the Week trophy. Staysail schooner Viveka, owned by Keith Mills (British entrepreneur and deputy chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) won Class 2 overall. Class 3 was won by Laurent Giles designed sloop Whooper. Claire Locke in Enchanted triumphed in Class 4 and took the BCYC Small Yacht of the Week trophy. Class 5 was won by Andrew Gilmour in Timoa, who took four class wins out of five races. Thames Rater Dorothy won the Gaffer Class overall.
For the full set of results, click here. The dates for next year’s British Classic Week are 20th – 25th July 2026.
