A Cold Start to the 2026 Sailing Season
Some things change… and some things most definitely don’t.
The 2026 sailing season began in the sort of cold that makes you question your life choices. Gloves on. Woolly hat firmly pulled down. That lovely Thames breeze cutting straight through every layer you optimistically thought would be enough.
And yet—this year we had technology on our side.
A shiny new electronic burgee. Apparent wind speed. Wind direction. Proper data. The sort of thing that should turn you into a tactical genius.
It didn’t.
The Reality Check
We started mid-fleet in the last two races. In the first race we started last and stayed there.
Mid fleet - a promising start, you might think.
By the end of the first beat? Reality had arrived. Quickly.
By the first mark, the race leader had not only reached it… he’d completed an entire lap and was coming back to overtake us. At a rough estimate, he was travelling at about three times our speed—which is impressive, given we were technically also sailing.
Cold, Slow… and Still Going
Three races. Bitterly cold. Fingers slowly losing function despite gloves.
We battled on.
The rest of the fleet? They completed three laps.
We completed… two.
And to their credit, every other crew waited patiently for us to finish before the next race could begin. There’s something wonderfully British about that—quiet endurance mixed with mild sympathy.
As soon as we crossed the line, we simply rounded the mark and went straight into the next race.
No rest. No reflection. Just more “opportunity”.
Consistency Is Key (Apparently)
Results for the day:
- Race 1: Last
- Race 2: Last
- Race 3: Last
Three out of three.
Now that is consistency.
We did, however, manage one small victory—crossing the line just ahead of another boat in one race. A fleeting moment of glory, quickly overshadowed by being… a lap behind.
Technology vs Reality
So, did the electronic burgee help?
In theory—yes.
In practice—absolutely not.
It turns out that knowing the wind direction and speed is one thing…
Actually doing something useful with that information is quite another.
Will the New Handicap System Save Us?
There’s talk of a new handicap system this season.
Will it help us climb the rankings?
I admire the optimism.
But unless it factors in:
- Cold fingers
- Slow tacking
- Occasional confusion
- Mooring in the middle of the race (we were blown onto the bank)
- And a slight tendency to sail in the wrong place
…I suspect the answer is no.
Final Thoughts
A freezing start.
Three races.
Three last places.
One very clever piece of kit… doing absolutely nothing to improve our position.
And yet…
We’re back on the water.
Still learning.
Still laughing.
And already looking forward to the next race—where, with a bit of luck…
…we might only be second last.
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