The RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2026 saw over 9,000 people visit Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre in the UK over the weekend of 21st & 22nd February to take in the feast of boats on display. There is a plethora of dinghy sailing classes in the UK, which is both a blessing and a curse for the sport, with some allowing restricted development over the years and others being almost completely open in design. Strict One Design classes have no change at all, whilst a few decide to make evolutionary changes, which can help the longevity of equipment, or make the boat easier to sail, without making existing boats uncompetitive. There were more classes celebrating significant anniversaries at the show than those we talked to, but a combination of time and availability led us the ones we feature here. Classes we speak to in this video are: - The B14 celebrating its 40th Anniversary - The Solo celebrating its 70th Anniversary - The Shearwater celebrating its 70th Anniversary - The Kestrel celebrating its 70th Anniversary - The Merlin Rocket celebrating its 80th Anniversary - The Firefly celebrating its 80th Anniversary - The National 12 celebrating its 90th Anniversary - The Norfolk Punt celebrating its 100th Anniversary Why is the number of dinghy classes both a blessing and a curse? The choice means there is something for everyone out there, but also means there is less 'One Design' racing at clubs and more racing using either the Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) or Great Lakes handicap systems. Take a look at https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/class/ to find out more about these classes, with many reports and photos, as well as links to the class association websites. Thumbnail photo (c) Paul Wyeth #sailing #dinghy #dinghysailing

Marlow's Fusion+ control lines are a evolution of the Excel Fusion line, with a wider core and refined cover, making it easier to splice and smoother to handle. Mark Jardine spoke with the British Sailing Team's Hannah Bristow and James Taylor to find out more, and how they'll be using Fusion+ on their 470 class dinghy. #sailing #rope #470 #dinghy

Harken UK's David Brown shows us round some of the features of the new Harken ILCA / Laser kicker / vang system at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2026. The ILCA kicker / vang has come a long way from the original 3:1 purchase system, and this new kicker includes Harken Zircon blocks, Harken's most efficient, low-friction, and high-load small boat racing blocks, and various other design features to reduce friction and increase ease of use. #sailing #vang #kicker #ILCA #laser

We've seen how Cyclops load sensors are being used more and more by some of the top dinghy and keelboat sailors and campaigns, but it's actually the Weekend Warriors who could benefit most from them! Mark Jardine chatted with Adam Cockrill from Cyclops during the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show to find out why this is the case, and was horrified to find that some people are using them to measure how hard they are hiking! #cyclops #dinghy #weekendwarrior

It's the 80th Anniversary of the Merlin Rocket, and as a development class they come up with some pretty innovative ideas... and then proceed to give them wacky names! We take a look at Tom Low's new Rockatross design called 'Amuse-Bouche' and learn what Stuffers and Snodgers are, and how the complex one string rig controls mean you can rake the rig fore and aft, even when under full rig load.

Rooster have been a staple of the dinghy scene since 1999, and have attended the Dinghy Show every year since 2001. This was the 25th time they'd physically exhibited (the 2021 show was virtual), so Mark Jardine chatted with Steve Cockerill to find out about the journey, and the newly-updated iconic Aquafleece which was launched at the 2026 show. Want to find out more about Steve and the Rooster journey? Read my two-part interview from 2016: https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/193115/From-Cockerill-to-Rooster-part-1 and https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/193116/From-Cockerill-to-Rooster-part-2 #sailing #dinghy #roosterkit

Mark Jardine chatted with ILCA Olympian Micky Beckett at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2026 about why he sails the Switch One Design foiling dinghy when he's not campaigning for the LA 2028 Olympics. The foiler is a strict one design dinghy, and many of the British Sailing Team ILCA Squad now have a Switch, and are regularly racing that as well.

Mark Jardine chats with Allen's Ben Harden about the blocks and fittings on Midas, the stunning Hadron H2 which won the Concours d'Elegance at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2026, including XHL blocks, dogbones, deck bushes, a ratchet block, and custom rudder stock.

We speak to Marlow's Jack Ginty to find out what makes Fusion+ different and how it can help you with your sailing. #sailing #dinghy #rope #rigging

The Concours d'Elegance at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2026 has been won by Richard Le Mare's Hadron H2 'Midas'. In what was a truly exceptional line-up of dinghies, the H2 stood head and shoulders above the competition with a liberal sprinkling of gold and, almost unbelievably 312 diamonds, painstakingly hand-set at the aft of the centreboard case, into the shape of the H2 insignia. See the full judging video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcYWhSNnSr8 Read the report at https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/293842/Le-Mare-has-the-Midas-touch #sailing #dinghy #diamonds #gold

The Clipper Round the World Race is what many regard as true ocean racing. Exposed to the elements on deck in traditionally shaped displacement yachts. Ten identical 70 foot yachts are taking part with 20 professionals – two on each yacht – while the rest of the crew are amateurs who have chosen to take part, sometimes to complete a single leg, while others are completing the full circumnavigation. It’s a true test of endurance; 40,000 nautical miles enduring anything and everything Mother Nature can throw at you. Founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first solo non-stop circumnavigator, the Clipper Race began in 1996. Since then, over 6,000 crew from 60+ nations have participated in this global challenge. Becoming an ocean racer demands rigorous training. Every crew member, regardless of experience, completes four levels of Clipper Race training to tackle the world's most challenging conditions. We take a look at the race so far after Stage 6, hear from Oli Irvine, skipper of GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital), the overall leader of the race, and also Dylan Kotze, skipper of Warrant who won Stage 6 into Subic Bay, The Philippines. We then talk to Max Rivers, Deputy Race Director, about the race so far, the logistical challenges, and the excitement building for the future of the Clipper Race with the new RX 72-foot fleet of yachts being build for the next edition. You can track the fleet via https://clipperroundtheworld.geovoile.com/2025/tracker/

Gitana 18 is the trimaran which has been designed and built to take the great offshore records, including the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe, to another world. The crowds were out in force on Saturday 14th February 2026 to catch a glimpse of this incredible machine as it was wheeled out of the yard and towards the awaiting crane to put her into the water. The innovations are massive on this yacht, and it has the potential to take the Ultim class to a whole new level of speed, so the anticipation of seeing the yacht sailing in the next few weeks, once they’ve added and tested the rest of the systems, is huge. At 32 metres long and 23 metres wide, Ultim trimarans always look extraordinary, but there is something other-worldly about Gitana 18. The aerodynamics have been taken to the next level and the graphics, which will look even more striking with the rig, are fantastic. The 38-metre-tall mast was then gently escorted along the dock and stepped in the yacht, marking a milestone in this three-year project. The main foils have to be fitted while the yacht is in the water and are just one of the processes that needs to be completed as she’s carefully commissioned. We then take a look at a fantastic animation which shows us how the yacht will work in its different modes, and hear from Charles Caudrelier, Skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild Gitana 18 Ultim. Thumbnail photo (c) Adrien Nivet - PolaRYSE - GITANA S.A. #sailing #trimaran #ultim #julesverne

There was a major crash on Day 1 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix which resulted in two sailors being injured and taken to hospital. The incident happened soon after the start of the third race, with the fleet reaching on starboard tack at up to 93 kilometres per hour, which is just over 50 knots, as they converged towards the first rounding mark. Both New Zealand and France had started near the leeward end of the line, with the sailors reporting that the wind was both shifty and very gusty. New Zealand was initially positioned to windward of the French boat, but then went into a sideways slide ahead of the French, spinning to windward with the boat nosediving and continuing to spin into the wind. The port hull of the New Zealand team rose up going into the slide. The French had very little time to react with their port hull impacting with the New Zealand starboard hull near the shroud. The French team reacted very quickly to cross the boat and check on the New Zealand team. The onboard footage from both boats is horrifying, seeing how the port hull bow of the French boat carved through the New Zealand starboard hull, and it looks like the slight movement DS Team France’s helm Quentin Delapierre made to windward could have saved this from being a tragedy. All our thoughts are with the injured sailors and we hope they make a swift and full recovery. Thumbnail photo (c) Simon Bruty for SailGP #sailgp #sailing

At boot this year I was very much looking for things which brighten up a cold and wet January. The Boards hall was vibrant with plenty of activity going on the pool, including wing foil competition, and here pump foil racing. I loved the bright colours of everything and the energy, which was attracting a young audience into life on the water. The Sailing Yacht halls were dominated by white gelcoat, and looking at the bottom of hulls for the majority of the time didn't seem the best way to show them off. The Woy 26 daysailer really caught my eye. This beautiful wooden planing open dayboat looks like a lot of fun and received a Special Mention from the judges in the Best Specialist Yacht category of the European Yacht of the Year Awards. The boat combines a modern hull with traditional materials and had a striking finish, including a long carbon bowsprit for the asymmetric spinnaker. The combination of old and new here was stunning. The Allen range of fittings is colourful, and they're moving up the sizes, so we took a look at some of their new fittings, while the Baltic Safety Products in the clothing hall were also nice and bright. If you’re looking to race offshore on a budget, then the ALMA Class Globe 580 could be for you. Billed as a ‘one design’ ocean racing mini yacht, you can build the 5.8 metre long boat at home from a pre-cut CNC kit. 15 sailors chose to do exactly that and, racing solo, have completed 24,000 miles of the total 28,000 in the McIntyre Mini Globe Race. Barton had their nifty boom strut on a beautiful Tofinou 9.7 yacht, so I took a closer look at that, and the Clipper stand was nice and busy with people enquiring about the new RX 72 foot yacht, and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston delivered a great talk to a packed audience. The Bundeswehr had a camouflaged windsurfer, wing foil and yacht on show, while Sea Sure's new Rig Gauge Pro has been flying off the shelves, and they've also decided to go up the wire size range to cater for bigger yachts. Finally Birdyfish have brought out the IODA, which is a smaller version of their colourful foiling dinghy.

There was both celebration and relief for skipper Alexia Barrier and her crew as they crossed the finish line near Ushant after completing their lap of the globe on Monday 26th January in 57 days, 21 hours and 20 minutes. There were signs of the damage everywhere, with the starboard daggerboard strapped heavily, and the port helm position spray screen missing. The team have been through the wars, and the problems with the mainsail hook, which so almost stopped their voyage as they approached the Cape of Good Hope, being the most major in terms of performance. The mainsail eventually gave out in the North Atlantic, leaving them to sail the final 1000 miles with just the head of that sail hoisted on the boom and then their range of headsails. The conditions off Ushant were still horrendous for their arrival, with high seas left over from Storm Ingrid, and the team came in at pace, even with the reduced sail area. The team have proved incredibly resilient, despite all of the technical setbacks they’ve endured, and completing this first all-female non-stop circumnavigation sets the benchmark for challenges to come. The IDEC Sport trimaran they were on was the same on which Francis Joyon set the previous Jules Verne Trophy record, but that was nine years ago, and the legendary yacht is showing its age, and the team’s decision to slow down at the Azores to miss the worst of Storm Ingrid was, without doubt, the only sensible choice to achieve their goal of reaching the finish line. We take a look at the route they took, and also hear from Dee Caffari as to what their circumnavigation means. #sailing #roundtheworld #worldfirst

Thomas Coville and his team on Sodebo Ultim 3 has smashed the Jules Verne Trophy Record set by Francis Joyon and his team on IDEC Sport. The record was held for a day under nine years. After navigating their way through Storm Ingrid to cross the Bay of Biscay, the team finish in the darkness on the morning of Sunday 25th January. IDEC Sport's time in 2016/17 was 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. Sodebo Ultim 3's in 2025/26 was 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds. Thumbnail photo (c) Jérémie Lecaudey #julesverne #sailing #worldrecord #ultim

Thomas Coville and his time on Sodebo Ultim 3 have just 1,100 nautical miles to go to finish their Jules Verne Trophy record attempt, but Storm Ingrid is standing in their way, with 55 knot winds and waves up to 38 feet high. We take a look at the team on board, the wind picture, their routing options, and the waves they are likely to face as they reach from the Azores to Map of Cape Finisterre, then across the notorious Bay of Biscay towards the finish line between Ushant and the Lizard Point. As a reminder, to set a new record they must finish before 8.31pm (French time) on Sunday 25th January. Meanwhile, the problems continued for the all-female team on The Famous Project CIC when their mainsail split in half. The two teams are now remarkably close to each other to the east of the Azores. *Track the boats* Sodebo Ultim 3 - https://sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com/ The Famous Project CIC - https://trimaran-idec.geovoile.com/julesverne/2025/viewer/ Thumbnail photo (c) Jérémie Lecaudey #stormimogen #ultim #julesverne #sailing

After 36 days and 17 hours at sea, Thomas Coville and his team on the trimaran Sodebo Ultim 3 have just 2,000 nautical miles to go on their Jules Verne Trophy record attempt, but the conditions ahead they will have to face in the North Atlantic are the strongest winds and the biggest seas of their entire circumnavigation. The time to beat, set by Francis Joyon on IDEC Sport in 2016/17, is 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds, meaning they have to cross the finish line between Ushant and the Lizard Point before 8.31pm (French time) on Sunday 25th January. We bring you the latest video from on board, the forecast and where they currently are. The Famous Project CIC trimaran is also in the North Atlantic, and have faced a number of issues on board. Dee Caffari gives us an updates as to how they've been dealing with the breakages. *Track the boats* Sodebo Ultim 3 - https://sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com/ The Famous Project CIC - https://trimaran-idec.geovoile.com/julesverne/2025/viewer/ Thumbnail photo (c) Jérémie Lecaudey #sailing #ultim #julesverne

Seldén is presenting the world premiere of the E40rev, a reversible electric winch operating in two directions and with two speeds, at boot Düsseldorf 2026. I met up with Seldén's Mats-Uno Fredrikson to take a look and see its features, including the simple two-button operation, and how it works with their SEL-Bus sytem. The show is taking place between 17th and 25th January and the Seldén stand can be found in Hall 10 on Stand E21. #sailing #yachting #winch

This Monday, January 19th, at 4:20 AM (French time), Thomas Coville, Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle, and Nicolas Troussel on Sodebo Ultim 3 crossed the equator and are back in the northern hemisphere. After 34 days, 7 hours, and 19 minutes at sea, they still maintain a lead of 20 hours and 49 minutes over the record held by IDEC Sport, who crossed it in 35 days, 4 hours, and 9 minutes in 2017. But the North Atlantic, the final leg, promises to be a new challenge with its share of difficulties, particularly rounding the Azores High to the east. Then, they will likely have to navigate rough seas off the coast of Spain and in the Bay of Biscay due to a powerful low-pressure system crossing the Atlantic. To break the record, the crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 must cross the line before 8:31 pm on Sunday, January 25th and cover the last 3,279 miles to the finish line between Ushant and Lizard Point! You can track their progress at https://sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com/ #sailing #ultim #julesverne