The Oxford & Cambridge Sailing Society took top honours at the 2026 RYA Two-Boat Keelboat Team Racing Championship for the Carmela Cup, held on 11–12 April at Queen Mary Reservoir in West London. Racing in the Sonars that have become synonymous with this event, OCSS navigated a competitive round robin to earn their place in the final, and swept the Bonside Neighbours 2–0 to claim the title.
The weekend delivered good, sporty conditions, enough wind to keep things interesting and reward sharp boathandling and tactical decisions. When the breeze picked up, the custom zipper reef system built into the UK Sailmakers South Africa Sonar mainsails proved its worth, giving teams the ability to manage power without losing pace. That kind of sailing is where Sonar team racing is at its best: close mark roundings, pressure on every overlap, and races that can turn in an instant.
2026 Carmela Cup. Photos © Simon Winkley Marine | Royal Thames Yacht Club
OCSS topped the round robin standings with 13 wins from 16 races, but it wasn’t a clean sweep — FVC and SMVC both handed them losses along the way, keeping the standings competitive through Sunday. The Bonside Neighbours finished second in the round robin, with FVC taking third overall after a consistent weekend. SMVC, Royal Thames Academy, Royal Northern & Clyde YC, and Cindies Sailing Club rounded out the fleet, with Cindies and SMVC each picking up damage penalties during the racing.
UK Sailmakers is proud to have our custom Sonar sails on the water at events like the Carmela Cup. Designed in collaboration with Craig Millar at UK Sailmakers South Africa and the Royal Thames Yacht Club, these sails tailored for the demands of competitive team racing have become a fixture at RTYC events.
2026 Carmela Cup. Photos © Simon Winkley Marine | Royal Thames Yacht Club
To hear more about the design process, check out our Lessons Learned Podcast with Jack Fenwick, Sailing Development Manager at the Royal Thames Yacht Club.
The 2026 edition continued to build on the event’s growing reputation. With demand for keelboat team racing at an all-time high, organisers worked to maximise peer-to-peer racing and give all entries a genuine shot at the top. Congratulations to OCSS on the win, and to all the teams who made it a great weekend of racing. We look forward to seeing you on the water in 2027.
