A Spectacular Return to St. George’s for Fitted Dinghy's
Victory IV Skipper & Crew
IslandStats.com
The highly anticipated 2026 Bermuda Fitted Dinghy racing season got underway in spectacular fashion, as a classic, sun-drenched afternoon in St. George’s Harbour provided the perfect backdrop for the traditional opening matches of the maritime calendar.
With light winds testing the tactical limits of the island's unique four-boat fleet, the opening day of the season delivered on its reputation for high-octane drama, chaotic spinnaker runs, and intense local rivalries. When the final flags were lowered, three different syndicates walked away with silverware in a remarkably balanced afternoon of racing.
The opening race of the day saw Alan Frith lay down an authoritative early-season marker, skippering St. George's Dinghy and Sports Club's Victory IV to a magnificent triumph to claim the coveted Heritage Trophy.
Frith executed a flawless start on his home waters, managing the tricky harbor drafts beautifully to hold off a furious challenge from the chasing pack. Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club’s (RHADC) Challenger II crossed the line to secure a strong second-place finish, while Contest III and Elizabeth II rounded out the initial scorecard.
The competitive pendulum swung rapidly in the second race of the program, the Anniversary Cup, as the west-end representatives fought back in style. Josh Greenslade produced a tactical masterclass at the helm of the Sandys Boat Club flagship, sailing Contest III to a clinical victory.
Greenslade outmaneuvered a resilient Elizabeth II in the closing tack to relegate them to second, with Challenger II settling for third and opening-race winners Victory IV slipping to the back of the pack in fourth.
The final piece of silverware on offer, the Leon D. Fox Cup, belonged entirely to youth and Olympic aspiration. Sebastian Kempe, fine-tuning his tactical awareness ahead of his international summer commitments, showcased his world-class pedigree by skippering Challenger II to an emphatic victory.
Kempe's aggressive line selection paid dividends as he held off Greenslade's Contest III in a thrilling bow-to-bow drag race to the finish line.
While the spoils were evenly distributed among three of the competing syndicates, the afternoon proved to be a thoroughly testing and frustrating assignment for Roger Beach and the crew of Elizabeth II.
Despite displaying excellent baseline speed across the water—highlighted by a competitive second-place finish in the Anniversary Cup—Beach's crew found themselves as the only syndicate not to taste the ultimate glory of a victory on the opening day.
Heritage Trophy
Victory IV Challenger II Contest III Elizabeth II
Anniversary Cup
Contest III Elizabeth II Challenger II 4. Victory IV
Leon D. Fox Cup
Challenger II Contest III Elizabeth II 4. Victory IV
