RS400 Southern Championship at Warsash Sailing Club

6-7 June 2026

Yachts & Yachting write up by Chris Eames 16 Jun

Warsash Sailing Club welcomed the RS400 fleet to the Hamble for this year’s Southern Championship, and if ever a weekend captured the full range of what RS400 sailing is about — from shore-based camaraderie to testing on-the-water racing — this was it.

Saturday: When the Wind Wins

With a forecast that left no room for doubt, the race team made the wise call to cancel Saturday’s racing in advance rather than send the fleet out into conditions that would have been a step too far even for this famously robust fleet. The decision freed up the day for what the RS400 class arguably does better than anyone: enjoying itself ashore.

Club games, a hiking bench challenge, a BBQ, and a live saxophone player providing the soundtrack to the evening ensured that no one went home wishing they’d stayed at home.

Sunday: Four Races, Plenty of Breeze

Sunday still delivered a healthy dose of wind, but the race team rose to the occasion and sent the fleet out for four well-run races in close to champagne conditions: a south-westerly 15-20 knot breeze and a short sharp chop. With 33 boats on the startline, the competition throughout the fleet was fierce from gun to finish.

Credit to the fleet for keeping things clean off the line — the race officer’s warning at the briefing was clearly taken seriously, and the starts were notably well-behaved throughout the day perhaps helped by a tide pushing the fleet off the line for much of the day. Once the boats were racing, however, it was a different story: the downwind legs were fast, furious, and unforgiving, with the breeze sending boats hunting for big gains at the cost of the odd spectacular capsize. All part of the fun.

At the sharp end, it was Sam Knight and Chris Bownes from Lyme Regis Sailing Club who produced the performance of the weekend. Three race victories allowed them to head for shore a race early to give Bownes’ back a well-earned rest. A thoroughly deserved Southern Championship title for the heavy wind specialists.

Second place went to Tom Halhead and Paul Hilliar from Llandegfedd Sailing Club (5 points nett), who were the class of the fleet in Races 1, 2 and 4 with two wins and a first to count. Their championship, however, will be remembered as much for cruel misfortune as for brilliance: in Race 3, running well inside the top three, Halhead cut the corner of the windward mark a bit too fine, catching the anchor chain on his rudder and snapping the rudder downhaul. This caused the rudder to immediately fly up; the following pack did well to avoid a pile-up as Halhead tried to regain control of a rudder-less boat.

Christopher and Rachel Eames from Chew Valley SC completed the podium in third on 7 points. Behind the top three, Hamish Gledhill and Ross Southwell (West Riding SC) were a solid fourth on 11 points, with the home club’s Ian Walker and Robin Kirby fifth.

It was also great to see such a strong fleet drawn from right across the country, with clubs represented from north to south. A particular mention to the northern contingent who made the trip south in numbers — a real testament to the strength and depth of the class.

Thank You, Warsash

A huge thank you to Warsash Sailing Club, the race team, and every volunteer who made the weekend happen. Running a 71-boat event across three fleets — 33 RS400s, 30 RS200s, and 8 RS600s — in those conditions is no small undertaking, and the quality of the racing reflected the quality of the organisation. It’s a club that knows how to look after a fleet. Thanks also to our Southern and National Tour sponsors, Sailing Chandlery and Rooster.

The RS400 Southern Tour continues — keep an eye on the calendar, entry for the next event at Parkstone YC, 18/19 July will be open soon. See you on the water.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1st	1504	Sam Knight	Chris Bownes	Lyme Regis Sailing club	1	1	1	(DNS)	3
2nd	1535	Paul Hilliar	Paul Hilliar	Llandegfedd Ssailing Club	2	2	(DNF)	1	5
3rd	1528	Christopher Eames	Rachel Eames	Chew Valley SC	3	‑5	2	2	7
4th	1511	Hamish Gledhill	Ross Southwell	West Riding Sailing Club	4	4	‑6	3	11
5th	1444	Ian Walker	Robin Kirby	Warsash SC	7	3	3	‑11	13
6th	1377	Neil Bevington	Alan Skeens	Warsash & Lee‑on‑Solent	10	‑11	5	4	19
7th	1532	Stephen Norbury	Edward Norbury	Warsash SC	‑20	8	7	5	20
8th	1557	Paul Smalley	Anna Smalley	CVLSC	5	‑17	9	10	24
9th	1489	Andy Le Grice	William Le Grice	Warsash SC	9	6	‑11	9	24
10th	1502	Jon Heissig	Nicky Griffin	Llangorse SC	14	7	4	(DNC)	25
11th	1408	Mike Calvert	Sophie Harris	Emsworth SC	8	9	‑10	8	25
12th	1981	Howard Farbrother	Louise Hosken	Lymington Town	12	10	8	(DNS)	30
13th	1424	Ciaran Hurney	Matthew Crowder	Parkstone YC	‑22	14	12	6	32
14th	1401	Alastair Rimmer	Oliver Brown	Bassenthwaite sailing club	11	12	13	(RET)	36
15th	1385	Vincent Hayter	James Hayter	Warsash SC	16	(DNC)	16	7	39
16th	1556	Andy Powell	chris rolfe	Warsash SC	‑17	15	15	12	42
17th	1101	Richard Hargreaves	Sarah Binstead	Stewartby	21	‑22	14	14	49
18th	1435	Matt Sheahan	Ellie Sheahan	Warsash SC	‑23	19	17	15	51
19th	514	Dan Wealthy	Merryn Wealthy	Warsash SC	‑25	20	19	13	52
20th	1429	Jonathan Bailey	Matthew Bailey	Shoreham SC	15	18	20	(DNC)	53
21st	1516	Andrew Blundell	Maddie Blundell	Warsash SC	13	13	(RET)	DNC	60
22nd	1432	James Alsop	Simon Edwards	Queen Mary SC	‑24	23	21	16	60
23rd	1387	James Noel	Becky Moss	Warsash SC	‑30	21	22	17	60
24th	1007	Roger Marino	Peter Brent	Warsash SC	27	16	18	(RET)	61
25th	1181	Julian Colls	Martin Eyre	Warsash SC	28	(DNF)	23	18	69
26th	1460	Dave Exley	Dee Osmond	Leigh and Lowton SC	6	(DNF)	RET	DNC	74
27th	1481	Robin Russell	Warren Anna	Warsash SC	18	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	86
28th	976	Roger Cerrato	Kyle Wood	Warsash SC	19	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	87
29th	1487	Andrew Bray	Claire Darch	LOSSC	29	24	(RET)	DNC	87
30th	1558	Bruce Mills	Andtea Jarman	Warsash SC	26	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	94
31st	683	Matthew Bell	Richard Bell	Oxford Sailing Club	(DNC)	DNS	DNC	DNC	102
31st	1462	James Brown	Dan Hawkes	Warsash SC	(DNF)	DNC	DNC	DNC	102
31st	1189	Steve Restall	Katie Walworth	Downs SC	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	102