Harken DZero National Championships 2026
Published 20:41 on 29 Jun 2026
Published on 29 June 2026
The Firth of Forth provided a spectacular backdrop as Dalgety Bay Sailing Club hosted the 2026 Harken D-Zero National Championships from 2528 June, welcoming 35 of the UK's finest single-handed dinghy racers to our shores for four days of fierce, close-fought competition and no shortage of Scottish hospitality.
The D-Zero fleet has a well-deserved reputation for producing some of the tightest and most exhilarating racing on the dinghy circuit, and this year's event at Dalgety Bay was no exception. With Harken returning as headline sponsors and Tunnocks supplying the essential calorific fuel in the form of their famous caramel wafers and teacakes, the scene was set.
A Fleet Full of Talent
Heading into the event, all eyes were on defending National Champion Adam Cockerill, who claimed his title at Lee-on-the-Solent in 2025 in dominant fashion winning three of the four races on the final day. Hot on his heels was Nick Craig, current OK World Champion and 2022 D-Zero champion, who was expected to thrive in the breezy Scottish conditions. Ian Baillie, our very own DBSC member and 2023 National Champion, entered the event with a significant home advantage, armed with intimate knowledge of the race area near the iconic Forth Rail Bridge and months of dedicated preparation. The local fleet, which Baillie himself has coached to a formidably high standard, provided a genuine threat to visitors from further afield.
David Valentine, Jon Bassett, and Alistair Higgins who impressed with a strong win at the recent Largs One-Design Regatta were also firmly in contention, making for a top order that no one could predict with any confidence.
Racing on the Forth
The race area off Dalgety Bay offered everything the D-Zero does best: open water, shifting breezes funnelled by the Forth estuary, and the extraordinary sight of the Forth Rail Bridge looming on the horizon as a constant reminder of just how special a sailing venue this corner of Scotland truly is. The competitors, and race management team, were treated to and challenged by strong winds, wind against tide, thunder, lightning (forked), torrential rain, sunshine and the Edinburgh harr.
Eight races were sailed across the four days, and the racing was closely contested from the very first gun, with the Dalgety Bay fleet mixing it with the visitors from England and beyond. The D-Zero's one-design nature meant that boat speed differences were minimal, and tactical nous and boat-handling in the chop became the deciding factors.
The Results
Nick Craig produced a performance of extraordinary dominance, winning all eight races to claim the 2026 National Championship with a perfect score of 6 points (with two discards). It was a masterclass from the multi-class champion, who left the rest of the fleet with no answer across any of the conditions encountered during the week.
Defending champion Adam Cockerill put in a characteristically consistent series to take second overall with 12 points, finishing second in six of the eight races. Alistair Higgins rounded out the podium in third place with 18 points, showing excellent speed throughout to hold off the challenge of home favourite Ian Baillie, who finished a creditable fourth in front of his own club.
Andrew Homer took fifth overall with 27 points, just ahead of Andy Hutchinson in sixth, while David Valentine finished seventh despite the misfortune of two OCS (over the start line) penalties that cost him dearly. Jon Bassett, Rohan Daniels and Gavin Homer completed the top ten.
Final Overall Results Top 15:
| Pos | Helm | Club / Boat | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nick Craig | D-Zero 317 | 6 |
| 2nd | Adam Cockerill | D-Zero 199 | 12 |
| 3rd | Alistair Higgins | D-Zero 180 | 18 |
| 4th | Ian Baillie | Marvin (336) | 24 |
| 5th | Andrew Homer | D-Zero 106 | 27 |
| 6th | Andy Hutchinson | D-Zero 104 | 32 |
| 7th | David Valentine | Dizzee Rascal (66) | 50 |
| 8th | Jon Bassett | ZeroTalent (306) | 59 |
| 9th | Rohan Daniels | D-Zero 224 | 62 |
| 10th | Gavin Homer | D-Zero 355 | 63 |
| 11th | Ruary Williamson | D-Zero 233 | 63 |
| 12th | Graham Tait | D-Zero 353 | 64 |
| 13th | Peter Taylor | D-Zero 206 | 65 |
| 14th | Ian Fitzgerald | D-Zero 283 | 68 |
| 15th | Allan Stuart | Kaizen (181) | 70 |
Full results for all 35 competitors are available on the official series page on the club website. You can watch the races at SailRacer as all competitors carried a tracker.
Scottish Welcome
The clubhouse bar became the natural gathering point each evening, with sailors and supporters reliving the day's racing, debating tactical decisions, and enjoying the kind of camaraderie that makes the D-Zero class so special.
A Landmark Event for the Class
This year's Nationals marked a significant milestone a return to Scotland for the D-Zero fleet and the first time the National Championship has been held on the East Coast north of Edinburgh. For the growing Dalgety Bay D-Zero contingent, it was the culmination of years of development, with the club now home to one of the most competitive regional fleets in the country.
A huge thank you goes to all the volunteers, race officers, safety boat crews, and club staff who made the event possible your dedication is what makes championships like this happen.
Roll on 2027!
