2026 is the 181st Dartmouth Royal Regatta and we are looking forward to a busy week and hoping that this year the weather will be kinder to us. We are hosting the UK IRC National Championship and J109 Nationals as part of the yacht series and it will be a great event both on and off the water. The week includes dinghy racing on the River Dart and yacht racing out in Start Bay. We will be filming from drones and photography boats so that you will be able to see both video and stills action from out on the water at the club or when in town. Previously we have used the MarkSetBot remote control marks on the Outer and Middle courses and this year we are introducing them on the Inner course as well. The “Bots” help improve the accuracy of the racing while lowering our environmental impact by reducing fuel usage and not damaging the seabed.

There is also plenty going on in Dartmouth both during the day and in the evening with live music, crabbing competition and other fun events to keep the family amused . The week is rounded off by the spectacular firework display on Saturday evening.

The Regatta is one of the oldest in the UK being first held in 1822. Royal Assent from H.M. Queen Victoria was received in 1856 and it has been a premier event in the yachting calendar ever since. Set in some of the most picturesque coastline in the British Isles, the natural harbour of the River Dart and the wide expanse of Start Bay bring competitors from all over the UK to take part in these outstanding yacht and dinghy racing events. Our charter stipulates that the Regatta must include the last Friday in August and in 2026 the Sailing Week will run from Saturday 22nd through to Sunday 30th August.

Racing starts on Saturday 22nd with the Moore Kingston Smith Dinghy Regatta at Dittisham Sailing Club up river from Dartmouth with prizegiving on Tuesday 25th and the Junior Rockfish Regatta held at the Royal Dart Yacht Club in Kingswear from Saturday 22nd to Monday 24th with prize giving after racing on the Monday afternoon. Both venues are ideal for watching the racing so please come along and support the competitors. Yacht racing gets underway on Wednesday the 26th with the traditional Savills Passage Race from Torbay to bring competitors around to Dartmouth. Yacht racing in Start Bay takes place from Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th including the IRC National Championship and J109 Nationals with the ever popular Salcombe Gin and Tonic deliveries to the racers as they return to harbour.

We are very aware that there are sailing families who like to take part in a competition but don’t want the hurly burly of racing starts so we have our “White Sail Event” on the Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th of August. This is complemented by the Gaffers Regatta held at the same time.

All of this ambitious programme of racing and sailing would not be possible without the generous support of the many local and national businesses which sponsor the events. We appreciate the commitment these companies make which enable us to offer our competitors professionally run racing and great prizes. Please check our sponsors page and mention us if you use their services.

Our Regatta is run by volunteers from the three clubs who jointly manage the whole series of events and all of the considerable logistics of setting up and administering the programme. We thank them all – look out for them in Regatta week wearing polo shirts with the Dartmouth Royal Regatta Sailing Week logo and please show your appreciation when you see them.

Finally on behalf of all of us on the Joint Regatta Sailing Committee, we look forward to welcoming back all of our competitors and wish them the best of luck and close racing.

Peter Boote

Chairman, JRSC Dartmouth Royal Regatta Sailing Week