And we are off!!

Published 22:06 on 1 Feb 2026

2026 racing is underway. 13 singlehanders hit the water today Sunday February 1st, with the first two races of the Brass Monkey Open Series. Maybe the double-handlers are still hibernating, or waiting for the last 40 coats of varnish to dry?  The weather was a bit underwhelming, but the racing was as tight as ever as club members mixed it with helms from visiting clubs. With Commodore Jeremy Cooper on duty, acting as safety boat crew for the day, the podium was shared between four of the racers, with wins for Mark Nield in his Laser and Eric Haselden in his Supernova. Steve Pooley made the podium with his K1, continuing his success from last year, and Dave Thomas managed a third place in race 2.

The race also marked the debut for one of the recent cohort of powerboat course graduates club secretary Vicki Hall who took the helm of the safety boat. Her main reflection on the day was just how little wind, yet how cold it was! Jeremy celebrated her debut by attaching an L plate to the outboard motor… Onshore was race officer Simon Dolman supported by assistant race officer Julie Dolman.

Brass Monkey Open Series - 1st Feb 2026 - 

Race 1: 1. Mark Nield (Laser), 2. Eric Haselden (Supernova), 3. Steve Pooley (K1)

Race 2: 1. Eric Haselden (Supernova), 2. Steve Pooley (K1), 3. Dave Thomas (Solo)

Overall after 2 races: 1. Eric Haselden (Supernova) 3pts, 2. Mark Nield (Laser) 5pts, 3. Steve Pooley (K1) 5pts.  

Photos Julie Dolman

Last updated 09:09 on 2 February 2026