Ten teams representing eight companies gathered at the Sea View Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight for the 93rd edition of the Baltic Exchange Seaview Regatta, a long-standing fixture in the maritime calendar hosted by the Baltic Exchange Sailing Association.

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This year’s competitors included Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), A M Nomikos, SMT Shipping, Arrow, Howe Robinson Partners, Fulmar, Windward, and Baltic Exchange itself, with two in-house teams in the running.

Sailing conditions over the two days delivered a mix of challenges. Thursday’s programme was limited to a single race due to a dying breeze and shifting wind. Despite the difficult conditions, Howe Robinson Partners, helmed by Simon Cox, claimed victory, followed by Baltic 1 (Mark Jackson) and Windward (George Zavos). The tide proved as much a competitor as any crew, making for a demanding first day on the water.

Following racing, crews enjoyed drinks on the yacht club’s sunny deck before changing into formal wear for the traditional regatta dinner. A raffle held during the evening raised a commendable £500 for the Baltic Lifeboat Fund.

Friday brought more favourable conditions, with four races scheduled in steady Force 3 winds, though not without a few sore heads among the crews. The day began well for Fulmar 1 (Calum Healey) and Fulmar 2 (Iain Macleod), with MOL (Henry Smith) close behind. However, light and conflicting breezes on the second leg brought the morning’s racing to a halt, forcing competitors to anchor against the tide and break for an early lunch.

The afternoon brought a fresh sea breeze and improved racing conditions. Local knowledge paid off for Baltic 2 (Ben Few Brown), who made a strong start in Race 3 with fast upwind performance, followed closely by Fulmar 1 and MOL. In Race 4, Fulmar 1 appeared to be leading comfortably until a navigational error, chalked up to crew miscommunication, sent them off course, allowing Baltic 2 and MOL to seize first and second place respectively.

Heading into the final race, the standings were tight: Baltic 2 led with 5 points, MOL had 6, and Fulmar 1 sat on 10 after one discard. MOL took an early lead in Race 5 and held it to the finish, with Baltic 2 in second and Fulmar 1 in third. With both MOL and Baltic 2 tied on points and wins, the deciding factor was MOL’s victory in the final race, securing them the Warwick Cup for the first time.

A huge thank you goes to the Sea View Yacht Club for hosting another memorable event and to all the teams who participated. Special appreciation goes to SMT Shipping’s Mark Voorham and Marc Smeets, who made the journey from the Netherlands to take part.

We look forward to seeing you all again next year for the 94th edition.

Final results after one discard:

  1. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (Henry Smith) – 7 points (Winners on countback)

  2. Baltic 2 (Ben Few Brown) – 7 points

  3. Fulmar 1 (Calum Healy) – 13 points

  4. Howe Robinson Partners (Simon Cox) – 16 points

  5. Fulmar 2 (Iain Macleod) – 17 points

  6. Windward Shipping (George Zavos) – 21 points

  7. AM Nomikos (P. Bacon) – 22 points

  8. SMT Shipping (Mark Voorham) – 28 points

  9. Baltic 1 (Mark Jackson / Jolyon Wright) – 30 points

  10. Arrow Shipping & Trading (Sam Van der Gaag) – 39 points