Ballington takes the Clive Hand Memorial Trophy at Lincoln

The 2026 Clive Hand Memorial Trophy delivered exactly what has made this meeting such a distinctive fixture in the International One Metre calendar: competitive racing, close friendships and a strong sense of family, all centred on remembering a sailor who refused to allow disability to take him away from the sport he loved.

Hosted annually by Lincoln Radio Sailing Club, the event commemorates Clive Hand, a lifelong sailor who suffered from Spinal Muscular Atrophy. As sailing full-size boats became increasingly difficult, a friend encouraged him to try radio sailing.

Clive took to the International One Metre class and continued racing even after becoming dependent on a wheelchair. He became a familiar competitor at local and national events, remembered at Lincoln as a determined sailor with firm views on what was right and wrong on the racecourse.

His wife Jen supported his sailing and later took over the helm of his radio yacht herself, maintaining the Hand family’s involvement in the sport.

Following Clive’s death in 2013, his family established an annual race at his home club, held in October close to his birthday.

Over the years, the meeting has developed into much more than another IOM open. Competition remains important, but so too does the opportunity for family, friends, sailors and non-sailors to come together and enjoy the occasion in the spirit in which Clive sailed. The event also supports the RNLI.

Recent winners underline the quality of the competition, with John Tushingham winning in 2023, Peter Baldwin in 2024 and Pete Walters taking the trophy in the testing conditions brought by Storm Amy in 2025.

A spectacular start to 2026

This year’s event began with a magnificent sunset the previous evening followed by an equally impressive dawn, although the scenery arrived with one notable omission: wind.

PRO Roger Crates was soon afloat, studying the water and trying to determine where the forecast breeze would eventually establish itself. His decision to set the course from the east bank proved to be the right one.

Shortly after the briefing, the first gentle ripples began appearing across the lake and racing got under way.

The opening seeding races saw Gary Parkin and Chris Harris take the honours, with Tim Hand and Ron Radbourne close behind.

As the morning progressed, the breeze slowly strengthened. It remained shifty and gradually tracked clockwise, creating plenty of tactical opportunities and providing excellent racing under the watchful eye of the race team.

Ballington takes control

It was over the next four races that Darin Ballington stamped his authority on the meeting.

Sailing his Britpop, Ballington recorded a second place followed by three victories to establish himself at the head of the fleet.

Behind him, Tim Hand, Chris Harris, Peter Baldwin, Nigel Barrow and Mick Chamberlain all showed flashes of front-running pace, but none could quite match Ballington’s consistency.

Particularly impressive was his ability to work his way through traffic. Rarely missing an opportunity, he repeatedly found a route through the fleet, combining excellent boatspeed with the advantage of knowing Lincoln’s notoriously tricky water.

As the afternoon developed, the pattern established earlier in the day remained largely intact. Ballington maintained control, while behind him the battle continued between Hand, Barrow, Harris, Baldwin and Chamberlain.

“We’ve all been minted”

There was still room for one of the day’s more memorable moments.

John Tushingham took a race victory sailing his Joysway Mint and, as he lifted the boat from the water, announced to the those around him that they had all been “minted”.

It neatly captured the atmosphere of the meeting: the racing was serious, but never at the expense of enjoying the day.

By the conclusion, Darin Ballington had secured overall victory ahead of Tim Hand, with Nigel Barrow completing the podium in third.

Clive Hand Memorial Trophy

1. Darin Ballington
2. Tim Hand
3. Nigel Barrow

The event also brought the Midland Series to its conclusion.

Midland Series

1. Darin Ballington
2. Tim Hand
3. Chris Harris

Much more than another open meeting

The prize-giving brought together competitors, volunteers and the Hand family, first recognising the Midland Series winners and then presenting the Clive Hand Memorial Trophy.

Days like this are relatively rare in competitive sailing. There was close racing and a determined desire to win, but it was accompanied by camaraderie, humour and the family atmosphere that has always been central to this particular event.

That matters because the story behind the trophy remains every bit as significant as the result.

Clive Hand found a way to continue racing despite considerable physical limitations. More than a decade after his death, sailors still gather at his home club every October to compete, catch up with friends, support the RNLI and celebrate that determination.

Darin Ballington may have taken home the 2026 trophy, but the enduring success of the Clive Hand Memorial is that the personality and spirit behind it remain very much part of the day.

Our thanks go to PRO Roger Crates and all the volunteers who made the racing possible, and particularly to the Hand family for continuing to support an event that keeps Clive’s memory alive.