This match has been sailed most years, with a few gaps, against The Bar Yacht Club since LSYC's early days in the 1950s.
It has been sailed in First Class 8s at Hamble, Redwings in Poole Harbour, Sonars at Cowes and in Mermaids at Sea View. Over the years honours have been fairly even although The Bar are probably a little ahead in 2023, if anyone alive can still remember.
2022
Society back at Sea
It was a race of two halves when the Law Society Yacht Club returned to the water yesterday for the first time since lockdown. Our crews took on teams from the bar and Sheffield University alumni, racing classic Mermaid dayboats at the Seaview Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight. (Alas our other old rivals, the House of Commons, declined to appear this year.)
After an unpromising morning of rain and flat calm, the weather lifted after lunch to give us a brisk afternoon racing a tight course around the buoys. As the event is not all about winning, Obiter will refrain from listing the team scores - but congratulations to the bright young things of Sheffield University anyway.
The day's legal celebrity sighting: Supreme Court justice Lord Briggs of Westbourne (Michael Briggs QC) on board his beautiful 1904 vintage yacht.
The next event in the yacht club’s calendar is the Round the Island Race at the beginning of July. One crew berth is still available. For more information email secretary@lawsocyc.org.uk.
2019
Jolly boating weather
The weather smiled on solicitor sailors this year for the Law Society Yacht Club’s annual outing on classic Mermaid class dayboats off the Isle of Wight. Crews of varying abilities spent the day sailing a rectangular course under the supervision of the Sea View Yacht Club. Unlike last year's doldrums, there was just enough wind to make sailing interesting - and the rain held off, too.
The result? A highly competitive team from The Bar YC was beaten into second place by the Sea View's home team while the House of Commons beat the Law Society into fourth place. Here's to next year...
2018
We were sailing
Solicitors pitted their sailing skills against architects, barristers and MPs yesterday in the annual outing of the Law Society Yacht Club. The regatta featured races between classic 26-foot Mermaid-class keelboats operated by the Sea View Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight.
Alas the balmy weather made for less dramatic racing than in previous years. Sail trimming skills were severely tested by the lack of wind, with more than one boat resorting to paddles to return to its moorings against the Solent's notorious tides. However conditions were ideal for a pleasant lunch on the club's terrace.
The final result: 1: House of Commons, 2: The Bar, 3: Law Society, 4: Architects. Any conclusion about performance being in proportion to the respective professions’ ability to generate their own wind would be unworthy.
2017
LSYC race at Sea View Yacht Club, IoW
On Sunday 4th June 2017 the Law Society Yacht Club participated in a team racing event at Sea View Yacht Club on the Isle of Wright and secured second place overall. The LSYC had 3 boats in the event skippered by Nick Lightbody, Amber Brown and Ben Holden. Other members who took part were Finbarr Leahy, Susan Dennehy, Rosie Lough and Derek Ness. The LSYC team was up against teams from The Bar Yacht Club, Sea View Yacht Club and Lloyds of London Yacht Club, who came first overall having sailed off against LSYC in the final.
2016
Sea View Yacht Club, Isle of Wight: 23rd April 2016
After a decade of inactivity the Law Society Yacht Club has awakened from a somewhat lengthy snooze to sail its first competitive event in over 10 years.
On our last outing, our Annual Match against The Bar Yacht Club at Cowes in 2004, we prevailed but on this occasion, at Sea View YC Isle of Wight, on St George's Day, the Bar, expertly led by Lord Justice Briggs, supported by Alex Charlton QC, won by a comfortable margin.
LSYC Team: From left to right: Nick Lightbody; Ben Holden; Antony Ball, Alex Askew, Will Jackson, Finbarr, Michael Dew and Francis Marshall.
The Bar YC
The Bankers
Preparation: clockwise from left: Will, Alex, Nick, Frances, Michael, Antony and Finbarr.
Despite a chill north-easterly, the racing in the wonderful Seaview Mermaids was close and exciting, as our match against our learned friends formed part of a larger event with teams from the House of Commons and the Worshipful Company of International Bankers.
The Bar won overall, by a fine margin from the International Bankers, whilst the Law Society showed a clean pair of heels to the House of Commons who themselves overcame some challenges in getting across the Solent to Sea View in the first place.
The club sailed its first event at Sea View YC in Mermaids in June 1957 when members competed for the Royal Thames Trophy and then sailed a Team Race against Sea View YC the following day. The same year the club's Commodore Ernest S. Harston was knighted by the HM The Queen.
