Shirley Robertson Leads Man's Best Friend to Etchells Women's Championship Title
The Etchells UK Women's Championships – Ice Bucket Regatta delivered six competitive races over the weekend, with close racing throughout the fleet and plenty of position changes keeping the championship alive until the final race. The event was hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club in conjunction with the Cowes Combined Clubs Association series. Both days of racing hosted a world of shifty and tricky conditions from the North-NorthEast, which made the event anyone’s to grab and compete for.
At the front of the fleet, Man's Best Friend, helmed by Shirley Robertson, proved the class of the field. Five race victories and a second-place finish gave the team a commanding overall win on 5 net points, with their discarded second place underlining an exceptionally consistent series. Shirley narrowly missed out on the top spot in the 2025 event, but managed to convincingly claim the 2026 Women’s Championship title.
The battle for the remaining podium places was much tighter. Louise Racing, helmed by Matilda Evans, recovered from a third-place finish in the opening race with four top-two finishes before signing off the regatta with victory in the final race. Their consistency secured second overall on 10 net points, while also earning them both the Youth and Corinthian Women's Championship titles.
Completing the podium was Mano, with Victoria Theaker at the helm. An early race win in Race 3 kept them firmly in contention throughout the weekend, and despite a couple of higher-scoring races, they finished third overall on 16 points, also taking second place in the Corinthian division.
The Ice Bucket Regatta once again showcased the strength and depth of women's sailing within the Etchells fleet, with competitive racing across the field and an excellent atmosphere both on and off the water. Congratulations to all competitors, and especially to Shirley Robertson and the Man's Best Friend team, the 2026 Etchells UK Women's Champions. Next up, Cowes Week!
