Twickenham Yacht Club

Summer regatta sailing ⛵️ ☀️

Well done to all those who won a prize & took part at the TYC Summer Regatta! ☀️ ⛵️

⛵️ Lifeboat Week 2026 – Wednesday & Thursday Race Round-Up ⛵️

What a couple of evenings we've had on the Thames for Lifeboat Week 2026, with plenty of close racing, changing fortunes and, of course, the ever-unpredictable Twickenham wind!

Wednesday's race saw a competitive fleet take to the water, with sailors battling not only each other but also the shifting breeze. As always, the pursuit race format kept things interesting, with handicaps creating plenty of opportunities for position changes throughout the evening. Strong performances across the fleet meant the overall standings remained incredibly tight heading into the final two races of the week.

Thursday evening brought the penultimate race of Lifeboat Week and, true to form, our stretch of the Thames ignored much of the forecast. The race course was shortened, and first away was the brave little Otter Blue Bottle, expertly helmed by James D, with a huge 15-minute advantage over the rest of the fleet.

For a while it looked promising, but the fickle Twickenham breeze had other ideas. Struggling to reach the first windward mark below Eel Pie Island, Blue Bottle watched much of its hard-earned head start disappear before eventually finding enough wind to continue downstream. By then, the chasing boats were benefiting from a steadier breeze and beginning to close in.

At the end of the first lap, Ian Hurst's Solo had taken the lead, with Serhii's Solo close behind. Club Commodore James Lee and Clare, sailing the flagship N12, were well placed in third, while Nick Titley and Alistair Edwards continued to chase hard despite their larger starting handicaps.

As the 8.30pm finish approached, the racing tightened. Ian and Serhii fought hard for supremacy in their Solos, but James and Clare steadily worked their way into the lead and extended their advantage enough to secure victory on the night. Serhii claimed second place, Ian finished third, and behind them Alistair eventually got the better of Nick in their own closely fought battle.

Blue Bottle may have brought up the rear, but as always sailed with determination and earned itself an extra three minutes for Friday's start.

With the handicaps doing exactly what they were designed to do, everything was left hanging in the balance going into the final race. Three boats still had a realistic chance of taking overall honours, setting up a fantastic finale to Lifeboat Week 2026.

🚤 Thank you to everyone who has sailed, volunteered, supported and spectated throughout the week. One final race to go!

the beginning of lifeboat week 2026 ⛵️
raising funds for 🚤 🌊

First race of the season ⛵️

Want to try sailing but don’t know where to start? ⛵

Our Open Sailing Sessions are relaxed, supportive and open to NON-MEMBERS.

Whether you're learning to crew or helm, we’ll help you build confidence on the river.

You could be sailing one of these dinghies:
Toppers • Solos • Lasers • Quests • Enterprises • National 12s

🦺 Buoyancy aids provided
⚓ We rig and launch together
☕ Debrief & refreshments afterwards

⏱ 2–3 hours session (half day)

Sat 11 April | Sat 23 May | Sat 11 July | Sat 25 July | Sat 26 Sept

Come and get on the water.  Book now via QR Code or TYC website.  Link in bio ⬆️

         

TYC harbour users not afraid to get muddy in this year's working parties ! 🛥

🚤✨ Day Skipper Theory at Twickenham Yacht Club ✨🚤

A few places remain on our Day Skipper Theory course starting Thursday 2nd October at the Twickenham Yacht Club Clubhouse!

This 24-week evening course (40 hours of teaching, plus two exam papers) will equip you with the knowledge to safely navigate around familiar waters by day. You’ll also gain a basic understanding of lights to introduce you to night cruising.

📚 Course topics include:
⚓ Basics of seamanship
🧭 Coastal navigation and pilotage
📐 Chartwork & electronic charts
📍 Position fixing & plotting a course to steer
🌦️ Weather forecasting & meteorology
🌊 Tides
🚦 Collision regulations
🛥️ Construction, parts & equipment of a cruising boat
🆘 Emergency & safety procedures (distress calls, flares, harnesses, lifejackets & liferafts)

📅 When: Thursday evenings, starting 2nd October
📍 Where: Twickenham Yacht Club, Riverside, Twickenham, TW1 3DL
💻More information: https://www.twickenhamyc.co.uk/yachtmaster-theory
✉️ Email here to book: [email protected]

⏳ Don’t miss your chance to join – places are limited!