Angus Cook has won the 2026 Dart 15 Sport National Championship at North Devon Yacht Club after beating Hector Bunclark on countback, with the pair ending the six-race series level on 16 points. The event report said Cook’s first national title was settled only after the final race at Instow, following three days in which initially light winds restricted the programme before stronger breeze arrived on the last day.
The championship was held from 3 to 5 October, with six of the planned nine races completed. Bunclark led after winning Race 1, but Cook moved into contention with a win and a second on Sunday. Both sailors had 16 net points after the discard was applied, and Cook won on countback, according to the report.
Cook recovered after difficult opening races
Saturday produced only one race as the race team waited for enough wind to establish a course. Bunclark opened his campaign with victory, while Cook finished seventh. Anthony Gray was second and Paul Grattage fourth in that opening contest.
The report said the breeze remained light on Sunday, when two further races were sailed. Cook won Race 2. The published results table lists him ninth in Race 3, although the report narrative describes him as second; the table score is used here. Bunclark was third in the second race but finished 12th in the next one, while Jes Firth won race three.
That sequence gave Cook an early advantage, but the title remained closely balanced. The report said Bunclark had already shown he could win races, while Grattage and Gray also remained involved near the front of the fleet.
Monday finally brought the Force 2-3 breeze, allowing the fleet to complete three races and bringing the total to six. Cook won race five, while Bunclark finished third. The report said Firth and Gray contested the final race, which Gray won. Cook finished fifth and Bunclark sixth, leaving the two title rivals tied on points rather than separating them.
The reduced programme made every completed race part of a short series. Cook’s seventh-place start was followed by a win, ninth, second, win and fifth, while Bunclark’s opening victory was followed by a third, 12th, third, third and sixth.
Why the championship went to countback
Both sailors finished on 16 points after their discards were applied, but Cook was awarded the championship on countback. The published scorelines show how closely matched the leading pair were across a shortened series: Cook’s scores were 7, 1, 9, 2, 1 and 5, while Bunclark recorded 1, 3, 12, 3, 3 and 6.
| Sailor | Race scores | Net points |
|---|---|---|
| Angus Cook | 7, 1, 9, 2, 1, 5 | 16 |
| Hector Bunclark | 1, 3, 12, 3, 3, 6 | 16 |
The comparison underlines the fine margin. Bunclark won the opening race and Cook won twice. Cook discarded a ninth and Bunclark a 12th, leaving both on 16 net points. The report does not specify the countback criterion, but records Cook as champion.
Cook’s recovery was particularly important because his seventh in the first race meant he began behind Bunclark. He went on to add a win, a second and another win before Monday’s closing fifth place. Bunclark recorded three third places and discarded his 12th-place result from Race 3.
Podium and class prizes
Grattage completed the overall podium on 20 points, four behind the leading pair. Gray was fourth on 21 points and Firth fifth on 25, according to the published results. The report said close racing continued through the fleet despite the reduced programme.
Bunclark nevertheless collected the Classic Boat title, while the North Devon Yacht Club combination of Bunclark, Gray and Firth won the Team Trophy. Brian Phipps finished sixth overall, won the Seventy Plus category and placed second among the Heavyweights.
After their discards, the sailors were level on 16 points. Cook was awarded the title on countback, although the published report does not state the specific tie-break calculation.