X-Yachts GB & IRL is gearing up for a busy month of May, beginning with the South Coast Boat Show.

Both the Pure X and new X-Power ranges will be on show at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 May. Book your complimentary ticket to the show HERE.

Then the following weekend, X-Yachts owners will gather in Hamble for the 2022 Solent Cup hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The regatta is set to deliver a fun, competitive programme of racing exclusively for X-Yachts’ owners and crew.

Ashore, regatta guests will have the opportunity to relax, socialise and explore Hamble and the surrounding area.

For more information and how to join in the action, get in touch with Debbie Weldon.

X-Yachts owners will have another chance to take part in some fun racing on the Solent with fellow happy customers and crews before the summer.

That’s when the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble hosts the 2022 X-Yachts GB Solent Cup over the weekend of 13-15 May.

Last year’s event enjoyed superb sailing conditions and the Danish performance yacht maker hopes for even more in three months’ time.

Entry forms will go out soon so be sure to get on the list and register with Debbie Weldon.

The X-Yachts Solent Cup returned for 2021 over the UK spring bank holiday weekend (28-30 May) and was blessed with blue skies and superb sailing conditions in the Solent, with hosts the Royal Southern Yacht Club providing for smoothly run racing and relaxed fun shoreside.

The Family Class proved popular with participating X-Yachts owners, sporting the biggest fleet to date with some exciting racing throughout the entire fleet.

Special mentions go to Maxian, one of the few entirely family-crewed X-Yachts in the regatta who provided a super father-and-son effort, as well as the husband-and-wife team at the helm of Xc 42 Freya — the only double-handed yacht racing at the event.

X marks the spot for Xenia with Baby X behind | Credit: Rick Tomlinson

Barry Tipping and his crew travelled all the way from Dover to compete with his new X4⁰, Roxie. And particularly well sailed was Xc 38 Astrid, the smallest X-Yacht in the family fleet but plucky enough to be mixing it with the larger Xs in the Family Class.

But the class winner was Anthony Esse's X4³, Baby X, helmed by Charlie Esse to straight wins which sealed the X-Yachts Solent Cup title overall — not to mention the highly coveted X-Yachts stand-up paddle board along with many other prizes from the event sponsors.

Baby X with the fleet, including David Murray’s Irish-flagged X-50 Touche | Credit: Rick Tomlinson

“X Yachts GB excelled, yet again, putting on a fabulous, high quality weekend of sailing,” said Anthony after the event. “For any X-Yacht owner this is an absolute ‘must do’ regatta. The camaraderie and bonhomie accompanied by some excellent sailing made this a truly memorable weekend.”

In the Sports Class, varied sizes ranged from the imposing, dark-hulled X4⁶ xSabio — with a crew who had never before raced together — to the well-sailed X-302 Quickstep.

But it was the X-34 Juno, a boat under new ownership since the start of the year, which claimed the Sports Class title, winning a B&G voucher for £1,500 and many other useful items.

Sports Class winner, Simon Bottoms & William Bridge’s X-34 Juno | Credit: Rick Tomlinson

Make a note in your diaries for the next edition of the X-Yachts Solent Cup to be held on 13-15 May 2022.

X-Yachts has announced that the 2021 Solent Cup will go ahead as planned in May — with top photographer Rick Tomlinson set to be on hand to snap boats and crews in the best light.

But the event at the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, Northampton on the weekend of 28-30 May will have a more casual feel than usual, says X-Yachts’ Debbie Weldon.

Under the current COVID-19 roadmap for England, from 17 May all privately owned boats can be used by groups of up to six people or two households both inside and outside.

Entry forms are forthcoming, but X-Yachts is already seeking interest from prospective participants — email Debbie Weldon at [email protected] with the subject line ‘X-Yachts Solent Cup 2021’.