Looking Ahead to the 2026 Salcombe Yawl Season

Published 16:38 on 17 Jan 2026

The 2025 season proved to be an outstanding year, delivering some truly excellent and closely fought racing across all fleets. Competition was strong from start to finish, with plenty of memorable moments on the water that showcased both skill and sportsmanship throughout the club.

As we look ahead to the 2026 season at Salcombe Yacht Club, anticipation is already building—particularly within the ever-growing yawl fleet. Over recent years the fleet has expanded significantly, welcoming many new owners and, with them, an increasingly competitive edge. All indications suggest that 2026 will be no different. Winter has seen a flurry of activity, with owners investing in upgrades and overhauls, new sails on order, and—no doubt—the occasional hot-shot helm being drafted in to sharpen the hunt for silverware.

With the help of AI (and as a bit of fun), we now have the 2026 Salcombe Yawl seedlings list. Take a look to see who ranked in the top six of each fleet. As you'll see, achieving a top-six finish in either fleet will be no mean feat and an excellent result.

Things are shaping up to be another highly competitive and exciting season ahead.

2026 Salcombe Yawl Seeding List

Derived from 2025 Performance Data

This ranking is calculated using a Weighted High-Point System. It aggregates results from nine major events, applying multipliers based on event prestige (Regattas x2.0, Open Meetings x1.5, Club Series x1.0).

Master Seeding Standings

Seed	Sailor	Primary Fleet	Boat Name (No.)	Seeding Index
1	Will Henderson	Red	168	158.2
2	John Burn	Red	170	132.8
3	Paul Rayson	Red	178	122.7
4	Phil King	Red	183	121.5
5	John Meadowcroft	Red	175	112.1
6	Andrew Squire	Red	166	98.2
1	Rob Henderson	Blue	92	144.7
2	Dan Bridger	Blue	98	121.1
3	Simon Dawes	Blue	150	119.5
4	Mike Knowles	Blue	15	118.9
5	Mark Waterhouse	Blue	17	108.6
6	James Greenhill	Blue	138	96.4

Event Data Included

• Salcombe Town Regatta (Multiplier: 2.0)
• SYC Salcombe Gin Regatta (Multiplier: 2.0)
• Late May Open Meeting (Multiplier: 1.5)
• Early May Open Meeting (Multiplier: 1.5)
• September Open Meeting (Multiplier: 1.5)
• Summer Series (Multiplier: 1.0)
• Midweek Series Three (Multiplier: 1.0)

Seeding Logic Summary

• Performance vs. Fleet Size: Points are awarded based on the percentage of the fleet beaten, ensuring a 1st place in a 20-boat fleet is weighted more heavily than a 1st place in a 5-boat fleet.
• Weighting: Major event (Regattas) carry double the weight of weekly club racing to reward performance under pressure and against larger fleets.
• Aggregation: Results are averaged across all events entered to identify the most consistent top-tier performers.

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By John Burn

Photos Lucy Burn