Dom Lewis (MH12-17) and his team have won the UK National Team Sailing Championships. Team racing is one of the most competitive disciplines in amateur sailing, pitting two teams of three against each other on a short course, with the aim being to finish in the lowest sum total of scores. 24 teams were selected to compete at the championship, which consisted of a round robin before semi finals and an eventual final.

The round robin stage was completed over Saturday and Sunday morning in wind conditions ranging from six to 16 mph (light to medium). Competing for the Royal Thames Academy, Dom and team took out a strong start to the regatta, with wins over 2024 champions Exeter and multiple world champion winners in West Kirby. Despite ending the day with an 8-0 record, the team sensed an issue with their starting, relying on pace and technical handling to recover control in the first half of the race.

With the pressure mounting on the morning of Day Two, the team’s concerns were validated, as championship hopefuls in Elmside and Cumberland ended Royal Thames’ unbeaten spell. This prompted a change in starting strategy, essentially with the team stepping up their aggression before the start with the aim of driving their opponents to the line too early. Early on, this strategy worked, as Dom and team won crucial races to qualify for the knockouts.

Dom’s team then faced off against 2nd placed Rutland in the first to two wins semi-final. With plenty of experience in knockout stages, the team held their cool to control their opponents throughout the encounter, booking their place in the final with a 2-0 win. In the first to three wins final, Thames faced the Royal St George Yacht Club, who had not yet lost a single race. The team went behind early and were looking defeated in the second race, but in the dying embers managed to slow an opponent just enough to bring their other teammates through to a winning 2, 3, 4 combination. This seemed to give Dom and his team the initiative they needed, winning well in the 3rd race, and despite losing the 4th, raced ahead of their opponents in the sudden-death 5th race. They won the final 3-2 to take home the national championship.

Dom’s competitive sailing career began at the age of 11, two years before joining Tonbridge. In year 9, he joined the Sailing Club, run first by Keith Sammons and subsequently Bill Burnett and Jonny Moss. Prior to Dom’s debut on the 1st team, the Club had begun a period of success which it continues to enjoy, with a talented squad of current Tonbridgians. Dom’s time at Tonbridge, and in particular the coaching of Jonny Moss, provided fundamental building blocks for his progression through UK ranks. Starting year 9 as a Southern regional hopeful, at Tonbridge Dom was able to progress his skills to place well at national and world championship events. Since 2017, he has used this foundation to achieve four national titles and podium finishes at professional events. The UK team racing championship represents his most high profile win to date.