Robert Watson Memorial Trophy 2026

The Robert Watson Memorial Trophy provided another competitive round of the Cowes National Series, with five races producing plenty of close racing and a number of standout performances across the fleet.

The first day of the event unfortunately had to be cancelled, with the fleet waiting on the shore, hopeful of the breeze filling in sometime during the early afternoon, however, the race committee made the correct call in cancelling the day. The wind did eventually fill in early evening, and the fleet managed to head out for some organised training, great to see!

The second day was more hopeful, with just an hour's AP displayed to wait for the wind to fill in. The fleet then headed out to the race course in a 8-10 knot SE breeze. Champagne conditions to say the least.

Tango took the overall victory in impressive fashion, opening the regatta with three race wins from the first four races. Their scores of 1, 1, 2, 1 put them firmly in control going into the final race, and despite a fifth-place finish in Race 5, they were able to discard the result and finish on just 5 net points.

Louise Racing put together another strong performance to finish second overall on 9 net points. A win in Race 3, combined with three second- or third-place finishes, secured the team the Youth title.

Exabyte completed the overall podium, finishing third with 15 net points. After a pair of seventh-place finishes to start the regatta, they improved throughout the event, including a second in Race 4 and a race win in the final race.

The battle for the remaining top positions was particularly close. Palaver finished fourth overall on 18 net points, overcoming an OCS in Race 4 to claim the Corinthian title. Their second-place finish in Race 2 and fourth in the final race proved crucial in securing the Corinthian victory.

The event provided another valuable round of racing in the 2026 Cowes National Series, with the fleet continuing to battle for series honours as the season progresses. Exabyte take the lead on 13 points, joint with Louise Racing, Mano sit third on 15th points, just taking bronze with Ariel on level points. Who will close out the top 3 at the final event of the season at the Saida Cup. Stay tuned.

Regatta Photos: Timothy Eccles

Series Results: https://etchellsukfleet.co.uk/raci.../champion-of-champions/