Reflections on the 2026 IOM Worlds and all the links below to the event media
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
Delivering the commentary for this event proved to be rewarding and a valuable experience watching the best in the world. In a way I am glad that I was last man standing.
The Week Datchet became the Centre of the IOM World
The 2026 International One Metre World Championship at Datchet Water Sailing Club will be remembered not just for its scale, its competition, or its weather (which delivered everything from champagne sailing in warm sunshine to cold and near sideways rain), but for the unmistakable sense that the global radio‑sailing community had gathered for something special. For nine days, the Queen Mother Reservoir became a small floating world of its own — a place where champions were tested, newcomers made their mark, and friendships were renewed in the lee of the clubhouse.
A Championship One Year in the Making
This event wasn’t simply hosted — it was built. Volunteers of various roles ( at one stage we had a list of over 40 names), officials, measurers, umpires, and club members shaped every detail, from the control area to the course‑setting team. The scale of the operation reminded everyone that world championships are never just about the sailors; they’re about the invisible machinery and army behind them. Datchet Radio sailing were given the rasponsiblity to run the event with the support of the MYA. The Organising committee were as follows.
Phil Holliday – Chair
Richard Jones – Finance
Jim La Roche – Volunteers
Hugh McAdoo – Equipment Inspection & On‑Water Facilities
Nigel Barrow – Planning & Promotion
Austin Guerrier – Website
Peter Baldwin - PRO
Event preparation - 9 months of planning, logistics, promotion and coordination
Volunteer teams - the backbone of the championship
Race management - the quiet art of keeping 84 boats moving smoothly through the day
The result was a championship that ran with a level of professionalism that impressed even the most seasoned international competitors. At the end of the event all the above were exhausted. All the planning and investment of time checking and developing buoybots, scoring systems, setting up the site and running the championship left everyone exhausted by the end.
The Racing: Fierce, Technical, Unforgiving
From the first seeding race on Sunday, it was clear this fleet meant business. The top sailors brought their trademark precision, but what stood out was the depth of talent across all heats. Every promotion was earned the hard way; every relegation stung.
We were blessed with good winds and even better, wind in the right direction so we could sail up and down the reservoir banks and we managed to use all 3 course areas.
The defining themes of the week:
Shifty south-westerlies that rewarded patience and punished over‑confidence
Tight starts and mark roundings where centimetres mattered
Boat tuning battles as sailors chased the perfect balance for Datchet’s trademark chop
The eventual podium reflected consistency, resilience, and the ability to read a racecourse that changed its mind every few moments.
All designs were on show. Venti, GC24, V12, V10, VISS, K2, Orca, Britpop!, Proteus, the beautifull wooden Nexus of Soren Andersen, Alioth, Polaris, Solaris, R2V2, Slice, Shokunin, Shuffle cl, Vihuela3, Parabellum.
At the end of the event the designs in the top ten were V12, VISS, Venti, Britpop!, K2R, Proteus. The Britpop in the capable hands of Peter Stollery was a 2011 build. None of the designs displayed a dominance but some were quicker than others in their wind sweet spot.
Of course there was only on winner and its was fitting as a tribute to the late Ian Vickers, that the V12 of Alexis Carre won the event and dominated in all conditions.
The Human Side of a World Championship
Beyond the leaderboard, the 2026 Worlds were defined by moments that won’t appear in any results sheet:
The laughter and frustrations in the boat park as sailors compared setups and swapped stories
The quiet intensity of skippers checking rigs before racing
The camaraderie of international teams sharing tools, tape, and tea and occasionally something stronger
The applause for volunteers who worked from dawn until the bar shut late in the evening.
These are the moments that remind us why the IOM class remains the beating heart of the radio sailing worldwide.
A Showcase for the Class — and for the UK
Hosting the Worlds at Datchet was more than a logistical achievement; it was a statement. The UK’s radio‑sailing community demonstrated its ability to deliver a world‑class event with professionalism, warmth, and unmistakable British character. The venue shone, the racing delivered, and the welcome warm.
For many international visitors, this was their first time at Datchet — and they hopefully left with a new appreciation for the reservoir’s unique blend of challenge and beauty.
Media for the event
Our biggest challenge was how to deliver the event to the thousands of interested skippers around the world. To replicate how Australia delivered the event would be prohibitively expensive. We looked at livestreaming but in the geography of Datchet and the possibility of wind and rain and indeed cost, forced us to look at other ideas.
Evergreen video Productions, a team of young broadcasters came up with the idea of time stamping two cameras placed at either end of the course and after each heat we could swop out the SIM cards and the team in the van would edit the footage and then a quick upload to youtube via Starlink. It all worked out bar the last piece. The Starlink upload was disappointing (we believe it was to do with our proximity to Heathrow) and it took forever to upload the videos, so rather than being a couple of hours behind, we had the videos available the following morning. That team with Mark Jardine of Yachts and Yachting provided outstanding reporting of the event within our budget. Remember the media budget is not covered by entry fees. The links at the bottom of this Blog cover all the media delivered from this event. All the pictures are freely available to use.
Our sponsors
Of course, Datchet Radio Sailing could not have delivered our event without the support of IOMICA, the MYA, a few sailing clubs and the many contributors to our "In it to win it" competition. The full list is here
MODEL YACHTING ASSOCIATION - A major contributor to our media presentation and provided overall guidance.
JOHN CLEAVE - Significant contribution to our media presentation
THAMES WATER - Allow us to use the Water through Datchet Water Sailing Club and keeping the reservoir full for the competition
K7 YACHTS/ Red Ant - Winches and servos for winners and significant investment in the Buoy Bots
ROOSTER - Subsidising the goodie bags for all the competitors and goodies for in it to win it
ROBOT YACHTS - Designed, made and donated the prize trophies for the top ten and all the age groups
LONDON MODEL YACHT CLUB - Contribution to the media presentation
CATSAILS - Transmitter covers, hat and boat bag
CAT COMPONENTS - Start box and Vouchers
ERA SAILS - Hats and vouchers
SAILBOAT RC - T shirts for the winners
PULL-OVER - Boatbag and sail bag
SAILSETC - repair service on site
HOUSEMARTIN SAILS - 2 sets of sails
CLAIRE COOKS - Provided the hog roast for the closing ceremony
JOHN GILL RIG GAUGE - 3 rig gauges
PJ SAILS - Transmitter covers and sail bag
RC YACHTS - Transmitter covers
POTTERS SOLUTIONS - Boat bag
ICOM RADIOS - Supply of 10 radios for the event
AFLEET - Full event support for the support of their scoring system used as backup and a contribution to the media
ROPE SERVICES - Supply of low cost mark anchoring cord
CHRIS DURANT - contribution to the media
THRIVE LONDON - supplied coffee and a machine for use during the week.
Looking Back
As the final boats were packed away, the prizes handed out, the volunteers and organisers thanked and the last competitors headed for home, one feeling lingered: pride. Pride in the sailors, pride in the volunteers, pride in the club, and pride in the class.
The 2026 IOM Worlds will be remembered as a championship that captured everything great about our sport — precision, passion, community, and the simple joy of seeing beautifully‑built boats dance across the water.
And for those who were there, whether on the water, behind the scenes, or cheering from the shore, the reflections will last long after the sails have dried.
What about the British
3 in the top ten and another 2 in the top 20 is a great result. I heard a comment made several times that we do not race on open waters like Datchet or Gladstone, so when we go to an international event some lack the experience on big race courses. We need to build on the experience of the few in the UK who have mastered the challenge
Publications and links to all IOM Worlds 2026 facebook, YouTube and Yachts and Yachting sites.
YouTube
Yachts and Yachting Articles (70000 reads before the event)
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