What is the City Livery Sailing Challenge?
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The City Livery Sailing Challenge 2026 | 11th – 12th September | The Seaview Yacht Club.
Due to the resounding success of the inaugural City Livery Sailing Challenge last year, we are delighted to announce that this year’s City Livery Sailing Challenge 2026 will take place at The Seaview Yacht Club on 11th -12th September.  The Yacht Club are excellent hosts and we are excited to be back with them again for more friendly competition on the high seas, as teams battle it out to claim the prestigious Princess Royal Challenge Cup. We are also grateful to the City Livery Yacht Club for their continued support.
The event is open to all Livery Companies, and you are invited to send a team of four to compete in one of Seaview’s famous Mermaids, which have been a feature on these waters for over 100 years. Anyone who has sailed in them will know what an exhilarating experience this is.  Each boat is painted in a unique colour, and they really look the part as great classic but modern racing keelboats. The Mermaid is a 26-foot, half open keelboat displacing 1.5 tonnes with built-in buoyancy making them inherently safe but exciting to sail as well. Depending on demand there is the possibility of also organising a race for cruisers.
Not a sailor? Not a problem. We believe the more the merrier, and it is great to see as many friendly faces as possible so please come along to support your teams. As well as the sailing we have a wonderful weekend in store including a Friday night supper, Saturday prize giving and dinner. We would love to see you there!
The City Livery Sailing Challenge follows in the footsteps of the Great Twelve Sailing Challenge, which has been running for over 20 years, and has raised substantial funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and other charities. The SVYC is offering to charter their fleet of Mermaids to all Livery Companies at an extremely attractive rate to raise funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and the Seaview Sailing Trust which is a charity that pays for primary school children to learn how to sail free of charge.
​​The Event is run over two days as a regatta. It is intended to bring not only livery companies together in a spirit of friendly rivalry but also liverymen of the same Company who do not often get involved in their own Company’s affairs. The Inter Livery Sailing Challenge will be open to 24 Livery Companies on a first come first served basis, and teams will sail against each other over 2 races, with the winners being awarded the Princess Royal Challenge Cup (along with a year’s worth of bragging rights).
​If you would like to participate but you cannot attract others within your own company, we will endeavour to make up composite crews with likeminded liverymen from other companies.
See you on the water!
2
Days of sailing and fellowship
Open to All
Open to All 114 Livery Companies
2
Social evenings
The Programme
Friday 11th September
5pm – Practice Mermaid charter, a chance to hone your skills and have a go
From 7pm – Drinks in the Sea View Yacht Club (casual dress)
8pm ’til late – Supper at the Sea View Yacht Club
Saturday 12th September
(Times approximate depending on previous race)
09.00 - Briefing Meeting
10.00 - First Mermaid Race for the first 12 Livery Companies
11.30 - Second Mermaid Race for second 12 Livery Companies
12.00 - Lunch
14.00 - Third Race for the last 6 Mermaids in the first and second races
15.30 - Final Mermaid Race for first 6 in the first and second races to establish to winner of the Inter Livery Ship’s Decanter Prize
19.00 - Reception and Prize-giving
20.15 – Dinner
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Practice makes perfect
It might be worth considering a practise sail on Friday evening which has proved to be very popular. It allows the better sailors to hone their skill, whilst those less familiar with the boats gives them an opportunity to find their way around.
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If you would like to have a practice in a Mermaid on Friday evening by chartering a boat or joining a crew, please let us know
The Costs
The charter cost for each team of 4 entering will be £400 per Livery Company. The cost for supper on Friday and the prize-giving and dinner on Saturday will be £100 per person. Teams are invited to bring as many supporters as they wish. Supper on Friday evening will be a casual meal of 2 courses served at any time between 7pm and 9pm with teams gathering to meet members of their own livery company together with other livery companies. There will be a pay bar. The sailing day Saturday lunch will be a pay at point buffet. At the prize-giving on Saturday evening after the racing drinks will be served followed by a 3-course dinner.
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If there was a demand for a cruiser race to run alongside the Mermaid races the entry fee would be £100 per cruiser. If you wish to have more information please contact us.​
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This regatta is for those wishing to become involved with their own livery company and to meet other like-minded liverymen from other livery companies. We guarantee that you will not be disappointed.