The Club has a full and active Rally programme which usually begins around the Easter Weekend and ends with the ‘Frostbite’ rally at the end of November!

The rally calendar is published in the Club Annual Programme and members are updated regularly about any changes, via the website, e-newsletters and on the Club notice-boards.

Rallies are a great opportunity for sailing in company, in the Solent, and further afield, including Cherbourg. Many boat-owners look for crew to accompany them on rallies – visit the crew register to share your interest in this.

Many Rally officers will set a ‘timed passage’ course to keep us on our toes, and details are e-mailed in advance to participating rally participants. During sailing legs, keep a listening watch on Ch 77.

Rallies are usually held at weekends and members arrange to meet up more formally on the Saturday night, but frequently meet informally on Friday nights and Sundays by local arrangement. The usual programme is that after arrival on a Saturday there is Pontoon Party at 17:00 hours, convened near the hosting boat. Watch out for RAFYC battle flags nearby!

Pontoon party etiquette is that you normally bring your own drinks and a plate of nibbles to share with everyone. Normally the Rally Office host arranges for us to eat out on the Saturday evening at a club, pub, restaurant or BBQ on a beach! Payment for moorings and berths is normally sorted out individually on a boat by boat basis and dinner normally paid for at the event.

Occasionally arrangements are made for Safari suppers where we circulate among the various boats for drinks, starters, main courses, desserts etc. Again protocol is to bring glasses and a bottle. These social evenings are again normally coordinated by the Rally Officer. Communication is increasingly carried out by mobile phone, once in port.

The sign-up sheet for Rallies is usually opened approximately 6 weeks before-hand. You can enroll in two ways:

1. Through the web site.
2. Call the office.

The club racing calendar is aligned with combined Hamble River Combined Clubs and other Solent Clubs, with our biggest event being the annual Battle of Britain Regatta held in September.

In addition to our own events we also host a number of other Clubs and events throughout the year, details are published below when available.

Hamble River Sailing Club

Offer a wide range of opportunities for racing for both the serious and the beginner such as Men on Boats & Woman on Water as well as for younger members which are accessible to our members through our affiliation – login and go here

SWSA Southampton Water Sailing Association

The RAFYC is a member of SWSA and club members can join and of their events either as a cruiser or keen racer as published in their calendar here Sailing Cruiser Racing in Southampton Water and the Solent

Southampton Sailing Club
Southampton Sailing Club invite RAFYC members to participate in their Summer 2022 10 Race Series open to SSC members and visitors racing small multihulls, dinghies and sailing cruisers (of draft equal to or less than 1.8m). Participation is free of charge, they are encouraging competitors to support the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal by gathering sponsorship on a per lap basis, or by making a lump sum contribution. Details on SSC website.

Battle of Britain Regatta 2026

Friday 18^th – Sunday 20^th September

The Royal Air Force Yacht Club invite you to join us at the 2026 edition of our historic annual Open Invitation Battle of Britain Regatta Incorporating a Round of the Folkboat Association Summer Series Regatta with racing on 19^th and 20^th September. Entries are open now, with Early Bird pricing, to all Crews for IRC, Club Handicap, XOD and Folkboat Classes with three races scheduled for Saturday and two on Sunday. Other One design Classes welcome on request.

Our Shared History: This historic regatta was initiated upon the re-opening of the Club after the end of World War II and commemorates the huge effort and the fortitude of the people of Britain, of all nationalities, and the role the RAF played in that campaign, the valiant ‘Few’, to recognise the losses and celebrate the hope it brought for our futures.
The Regatta: is always held on the neap tide weekend closest to Sunday 15th September, which is the date seen as the turning point in the air war with the Luftwaffe.
The Racing: will take place in the central Solent and Southampton Water on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September and is open to All racing keelboats: IRC Class, non-rated Yachts (Club Class with without Spinnaker), One Design classes; Folkboats, XOD’s and others by request.
Non-Racing Club Yachts and Motor boats: are welcome to join fun weekend water-based activities.

The Social Activities: will “take off” on Friday Lunchtime 18^th September with our annual weekend long Beer Festival…….Beer and BBQ Sausages will welcome all competitors on arrival …..followed by Evening Meal in Club  with live music from Jake…….Saturday, while crews compete afloat, families can join in with fun shoreside activities….. After Racing, Après Sail BBQ sausages and beer will greet the crews ashore, followed by a prizegiving and our legendary Regatta Dinner, followed by Live Music from Cyris……….Sunday afternoon after the regatta there will be a BBQ, followed by our final prize giving of the weekend.

Please use the links below to find the online entry form and payment, the catering details and ordering, with PDF’s to download of the Event Posters, Notice of Race and Entry Form etc. The links will be active as each document becomes available.

BoB Poster 2026 – Img

BoB Notice Race of Race 2026

BoB Entry Form 2026

BoB – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

BoB Sailing Instructions 2026

Changes to Sailing Instructions 19/9/26

BoB Briefing Notes 2026

BoB Entries and TCF 2026

BoB 2026 Social and Catering Menus and Ordering

BoB 2026 Overall Results

BoB 2026 Club Class Results

Bob 2026 Folkboat Results

BoB 2026 XOD Results

Battle of Britain 2026 Entrants

For any other information please call the RAFYC Office

Mark Diffey

RCS

Trophies

The Club is fortunate in having a well endowed trophy cabinet, some items having an historic heritage. There are some well known names engraved on these trophies and we hope the current winners will go on to become memorable in their turn.

Our Club embraces the spirit of friendly competition, recognising our members’ sailing skills with trophies for both cruising and racing. Non-boat owners are not left out as some trophies can be won by any member!

Our trophies are awarded for results in the locally popular Solent events as well as Club regattas and cruising competitions. So we are looking for the best RAFYC result in events such as the Warsash Spring Series, Round the Island, Bursledon Regatta and the Hamble River Winter Series as well as the Battle of Britain Regatta, cruising logs & photos and one or two more unusual competitions.

Some of this requires a certain amount of cooperation from members. The only sure way we know that you have participated in an event, particularly Round the Island, is that you have let us know of your entry. There’s only so much that can be done by comparison of the Club members’ data with published results & that’s only as good as the data we hold – so if you change your boat please, please let the office know! Both race entries and boat changes can also be emailed to rcsailing(I am sure you can figure out what goes here)rafyc.co.uk which is monitored by RCS.

By the way – if you think you never go racing, what do you do when faced with a passage where you would like to arrive well before closing time (without using the engine)?

The skills used here are much the same as those practiced by racing sailors – without all that shouting, obviously…

We regret that trophies may not be removed from the club.