For the first time in half a century, 80 dinghies are set to race ten miles up and down the River Thames as part of the Tideway Dinghy Derby supported by Laing O’Rourke – celebrating a cleaner tidal Thames and supporting a life changing sailing programme for young people.
On Saturday 20th June 2026 the sailors will race from Putney Embankment, home of Ranelagh Sailing Club, to a rounding buoy (mark) close to the Houses of Parliament and then back to Putney for the finish. One of Britain’s most respected offshore sailors, Pip Hare, will be competing.
Organised by Ranelagh Sailing Club, the event will see the partial closure of the River Thames and will raise money for Scaramouche Sailing Trust – a sailing programme that supports students from the Greig City Academy into sailing and imparts valuable life skills. One such student is Kai Hockley, an alumnus of Grieg City Academy, who is now a key member of the F50 Emirates GBR SailGP Team as a grinder. His remarkable journey highlights the importance of initiatives and events like these in introducing young people to a sport that is often perceived as inaccessible.
The Tideway Dinghy Derby, last run in 1977 when over 300 boats competed for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, returns in 2026 as the new Thames Tideway Tunnel (often called the ‘super sewer’) celebrates its first year of operation. The new infrastructure, along with the Lee Tunnel and major upgrades to Thames Water sewage treatment works across London, is dramatically reducing discharges of storm sewage into the tidal Thames, creating a healthier river environment for generations to come. More than 18 million tonnes of sewage have now been diverted away from the tidal River Thames.
Watch the spectacle on 20th June from Putney Embankment.
