Salty Dingo RS Aero Nationals 2026 Race Report
February 02, 2026
By Emma Thomas
The Aero Nationals were my first Nationals and only my second regatta in a single-hander after buying Viola Star second-hand in May. So just getting to the start line felt like a win! Huge thanks to my amazing support crew: Greg, my boys Indy and Cassie (for the heroic 4am road trip), and my mum and dad visiting from the UK to see me sail for the very first time. Proof it’s never too late to learn to sail. I only started dinghy sailing just over three years ago and have been on a steep learning curve ever since. For these Nationals I was one of 20 female competitors among 114 entries.
Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron was a stunning venue, with consistent breeze, shallow water, rolling chop and some very exciting downwind opportunities to start learning how to surf an Aero. The organisers and BYS crew were top-notch — friendly, welcoming and well organised. Best of all, though, was the support from back home at Balmain. Our dinghy crew became the brains trust while I tried to figure out these very new and challenging conditions in moderate to strong breeze.
Racing for me was… a discovery adventure! There were some solid moments throughout, then plenty of learning in the chop: figuring out sail controls, hiking harder and surviving some spicy conditions — including one memorable submarine capsize when the bow disappeared into a wave and I followed shortly after. Day 3 finished with survival sailing in close to 30 knots and a very grateful partial tow home from the jury boat.
Over four days I learnt a lot: how to stay regatta-fit, how to beach launch, how much hiking really matters, how to power through chop, when to ease off the cunningham, and how much difference vang makes to staying in control and keeping power. I now have a better feel for calibrating these settings. Huge thanks to Greg for making me a new vang and outhaul to make them easier to manage. I also learnt that tacks are much harder in waves, my core is definitely my friend, and “high mode and hope” is not a winning strategy.
By the final day things clicked. I’d improved, stayed upright for 8 out of 12 races, finally felt in control with more vang on — and in the last race I didn’t come last and stayed up with the fleet! To be fair, my first race was actually my best, when the wind wasn’t so strong, and I came 29th out of 38. But the main regatta was about being powered up, and, for me, it was about trying to avoid being overpowered in my 6-Rig.
The whole regatta experience was top notch, and what really stood out was the people. BYS had over 60 volunteers, smiles everywhere, and people meeting boats on the beach with dollies. Competitors were just as generous, offering tips on the water to me as a rookie racer, and waiting to sail back to the beach together when races were tough. The RS Aero is a seriously supportive and growing class. We had 114 boats racing, which was a new record for the class, second only to regattas in Europe. Next year the RS Aero Worlds will be held in Australia with hopes of more than 200 boats on the start line.
I started the regatta hoping just to finish races. I finished it having sailed all 12, with only one DNF, better skills, a stack of learning, and huge appreciation for how generous and supportive the RS Aero class is. What an experience — I’m already keen for the next one!
Photo credits: Salty Dingo Media
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