Swallow National Championships Return to Sea View Yacht Club
Published 11:09 on 9 Jul 2026
Sea View Yacht Club was delighted to welcome the Swallow Class National Championships on 4th and 5th July, marking the class's long-awaited return to Seaview after almost three decades.
Fourteen Swallows made the traditional passage from Itchenor on Friday afternoon to compete in the opening passage race to the Isle of Wight. Osprey (S95), helmed by James Hartley, took the honours, closely followed by Buccaneer (S66), setting the tone for an excellent weekend of racing.
Saturday delivered near-perfect sailing conditions, with warm sunshine and a steady Force 34 westerly providing challenging but rewarding racing on the waters to the west of Seaview. The fleet enjoyed three closely contested races over windward-leeward courses, with several different boats featuring prominently throughout the day. Svala (S89), Marengo (S82), Blue Tit (S80), Archon (S74), Gwahir (S93) and Spreadeagle (S85) all recorded strong performances, underlining the depth of competition within the class.
Off the water, competitors, families and supporters enjoyed Sea View Yacht Club's hospitality at the Championship Dinner, taking in spectacular Solent views on a warm summer evening—a fitting backdrop to one of the highlights of the Swallow calendar.
Sunday brought another day of tactical racing as shifting north-westerly winds tested crews throughout the final two championship races. Svala (S89), Osprey (S95), Buccaneer (S66) and Solitude (S67) all featured strongly before the fleet enjoyed a spirited passage home to Itchenor in a fresh south-westerly breeze.
Championship Results
- National Champions: Marengo (S82) Carolyn Brigg, Oliver Sloper & David Sloper
- Runners-up: Buccaneer (S66) Charles Peacock, Andy Gasser & Mike Ewart-Smith
- Third Place: Gwahir (S93) Mike Wigmore, Charles Hyatt & Keith Bliss
Sea View Yacht Club extends its congratulations to all competitors and thanks the Swallow Class Association, Chairman James Hartley, the organising team and every competitor for making the weekend such an enjoyable occasion.
James Crofts, Club Secretary at Sea View Yacht Club, said:
"What a marvellous sight it was to see a fleet of Swallows racing in the sunshine on Seaview waters. We sincerely hope it won't be another 28 years before we have the pleasure of welcoming the class back to Sea View Yacht Club.
We're proud to be able to provide first-class racing and hospitality for visiting fleets of all types. Whether classes are looking to race their own boats or make use of our fleet of Club-owned Mermaid keelboats, we'd be delighted to hear from class secretaries, captains and sailing organisations interested in bringing future championships or regattas to Seaview."
