European Sailing Circuit Trophy 2026 - Updates - SnipeToday

British Success at Blackwater Creates New Overall Leaders

The second leg of the European Sailing Circuit Trophy 2026 brought the fleet to Blackwater Sailing Club for the Blackwater Open Meeting & South Eastern Championship, delivering a weekend of close racing, difficult tactical conditions and an important shake-up in the overall standings.

After the opening event in Portugal, the British round confirmed the ambition of the circuit: creating a truly international season-long competition while strengthening existing national regattas across Europe.

Tight Racing in Challenging Conditions

Competitors faced classic Blackwater conditions throughout the weekend — light and highly unstable winds combined with strong tidal effects that rewarded tactical awareness and consistency.

The racing remained extremely close across all six races, with multiple national champions from different sailing classes competing on a compact and tactical racecourse.

The weekend belonged to Matthew Wolstenholme and Eiichi Higuchi, who delivered an impressive and consistent performance to secure the overall victory after winning three consecutive races. Find here the final results.

Several other teams also delivered standout performances:

Tim Tavinor and Kay Tavinor sailed a remarkably consistent regatta.
Peter Wolstenholme and Jess Welch remained in contention throughout the weekend.
Kristof Woutters and Roos Hertsens produced one of the strongest comeback races of the event.

Off the water, the event reflected the social spirit of the European Sailing Circuit Trophy, with sailors enjoying a traditional British fish and chips evening and live music at the club.

Overall Ranking After Two Events

With Portugal and the United Kingdom now complete, the first trends in the overall ranking are emerging.

After their dominant performance at Blackwater, Matthew Wolstenholme and Eiichi Higuchi move into the overall lead of the circuit with 3780 points.

The Portuguese teams remain extremely close after strong performances during the opening event in Vilamoura:

Current Top 10 Overall

Matthew Wolstenholme (GBR) – 3780 pts
Eiichi Higuchi (GBR) – 3780 pts
Henrique Brites (POR) – 3750 pts
Martin Mastbaum (POR) – 3750 pts
Tim Tavinor (GBR) – 3651 pts
Kay Tavinor (GBR) – 3651 pts
Pedro Barreto (POR) – 3621 pts
Gonçalo Barreto (POR) – 3621 pts
Peter Wolstenholme (GBR) – 3524 pts
Jess Welch (GBR) – 3524 pts

The ranking remains extremely open heading into the third event, with only limited points separating the leading teams. Check the overall results here.

Next Stop: Belgium 🇧🇪

The circuit now moves to the Open Belgian Championship, taking place from 23–25 May 2026 in Blankenberge on the North Sea. Subscribe here.

As the third leg of the European Sailing Circuit Trophy, the Belgian Nationals are expected to attract an increasingly international fleet as sailors continue their fight for the overall European ranking.

Next events:

Italy | June 10-14
- Italian Nationals – Maccagno, Lake Maggiore
- Event’s page
Sweden | August 8-9
- Swedish Nationals – Vänersborg, Lake Vänern
- Register Here
France | 29 October–1 November
- French Snipe Trophy & Mémorial Confoulan – CVCL, Cazaux
- Registration: Coming soon

Thank You to Our Sponsors

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Their support helps strengthen participation, reward sailors throughout the season, and continue building a sustainable and attractive European circuit for the Snipe class.

Six countries. Six competitive highlights. One overall European ranking.