Phantom Sailing - The Shape of 2026
by Andrew Pyett 17 Feb 03:44 PST
Phantoms at Plymouth © Paul Gibbins Photography
The Phantom fleet rolls into 2026 and something fast is approaching over the horizon - the class shifts up a gear for a full throttle year of friendly training, regional rivalries, inland showdowns and a National Championship that already promises to be one for the ages - but first the BIG NEWS: Speed has a new shape!
The New Ovington Boats Phantom
The Ovington Boats new deck designed Phantom will be launching at this year's RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show. The hull remains identical to every Phantom before it, preserving class parity - while everything above the gunwale has been re imagined and modernised for performance and sail ability.
A slicker deck with crisper ergonomics, the new design carries a clean, open transom that's all about freedom: clean-cut, easy access. Shallow or deep cockpit options are now available from build, with flexible control positioning and a multitude of other options, from knee friendly cockpit and side deck padding to integrated and streamlined compass mounting.
The cockpit is tidied for today's racing - smarter drainage, simpler systems - the boat feels instantly familiar yet even better to sail.
In short: same legendary Phantom hull, next generation execution.
The Racing Regional Calendar - Where the Action Is
Across the country, five regional circuits - North, Midlands, East, South East and South West will once again become the heartbeat of Phantom sailing. Local legends will be made, and as ever, each region will bring its own flavour to the fight. Here's a sneak peak on the action...
In the North, sailors will trek between the dramatic hillsides of Yorkshire Dales, the tactical racetrack of Hollingworth Lake, and the big water challenge of Bassenthwaite and Windermere. Expect plenty of hard charging downwind legs and a crop of new sailors looking to disrupt the established order.
The Midlands will see another bumper turnout, with Northampton, Grafham, Shustoke and Burton all lined up to deliver typically close, no nonsense racing. This region rarely disappoints - and with four events counting from seven, the leaderboard is bound to stay alive until the very last tack.
East Coast sailors return to Ardleigh, Stone, Burnham and the ever popular Creeksea, where the ebb and flow rewards precision and cool heads. There's always a punchy mix of experience and raw pace here!
In the South East, the fleets at Chichester, Bough Beech and Lee on the Solent will once again produce high tempo racing in tidal venues. This region often provides the sharpest early season form indicator - and 2026 should be no different.
And in the South West, the fleet heads to some of the most scenic, breezy and beautifully exposed courses in the country - from Chew Valley's rolling hills to Castle Cove and the long travel allure of Torpoint. When the gradient wind meets the coastline swell, the South West events can be nothing short of spectacular.
Find all events in the calendar here www.phantomclass.org.uk/this-years-events
The Optimum Time Inland Championships - All Eyes on the Famous Grafham Water
The jewel of the early season, the Inland Championships at Grafham Water, sits perfectly placed to shake up the national conversation before the run in to summer.
Massive, open water. Steady breeze. Long legs and proper championship courses. It's the moment where winter rust is blasted off and the sharpest sailors begin to separate themselves from the pack. With the Midlands Super Series woven into the same weekend, expect a monster turnout and a fiercely contested leaderboard.
The Craftinsure Super Series - Flat out all year
With the Super Series now running Inlands to Inlands, the pressure is on from the very first gun to the very last finish. No soft openers, no hiding places - just big fleet starts. Early season form at Yorkshire Dales sets the tone, Stone in the East, on to the Inlands at Grafham - then the tour barrels through the regions, Castle Cove, Northampton and Lee-On-The-Solent, and on to the National Championships - bank points wherever you can!
If you've been waiting for the perfect year to step up, this is it: the legendary Phantom fleet, fantastic venues, and a season long event!
Regional Training Days — Five Events, One Shared Path to Getting Faster
If the Super Series is where reputations are made, the five Regional Training Days are where sailors of every level quietly build the foundations that make those reputations possible. True to the Phantom fleet's famously friendly ethos, these sessions are less about hierarchy and more about developing together. From day one boat owners finding their feet to seasoned national champions, everyone gains, everyone contributes, and everyone leaves faster than they arrived.
On land, boats are set, rig tweaks explored and set ups compared in that open, collaborative style the class is known for. Out on the water, sailors are coached through drills and short course scenarios, learning not just how to go quicker but why the changes matter. And afterwards—often (always) back in the bar with a pint and a notebook - the honest reviews begin: "what worked, what didn't, and what we'll all try next time."
It's training without ego, progression without pressure - just a fleet moving forward together.
Five regions, five chances to level up, and a class that refuses to let anyone get left behind.
The Big One - The P&B Phantom National Championships, Tenby, Wales
And then comes the main event: the 2026 P&B Phantom National Championships, hosted 3-6 September by Tenby Sailing Club, possibly the most beautiful championship venue on the UK circuit.
Cradled by golden beaches and clear waters, Tenby offers the perfect storm of glamour and challenge. Swell rolling up the Bristol Channel, Champagne sparkle sea states on a sunny day, tactical cliffs and headlands, and the kind of hospitality that turns a championship into a holiday. It's no exaggeration to say the Nationals in Tenby could be massive - in numbers, quality, and atmosphere.
With twenty one events feeding into the build up, the form book will be wide open. Tight racing, big launches off the line, and full send downwind legs are virtually guaranteed. For many sailors, this will be the event of the year.
www.phantomclass.org.uk