Sunday 15 – Friday 20 August 2027
The official Mersea Week site has published the 2027 dates, but the detailed daily sailing programme has not yet been released.
What Mersea Week is
Racing is organised on behalf of West Mersea Yacht Club and Dabchicks Sailing Club by a committee made up from both clubs. Recent Notices of Race cover a broad mix of keelboats, cruisers, smacks, dinghies and Mersea Fishermen’s Open Boats.
The shore programme changes each year, but the shape of the week is familiar: boats leave their moorings, fleets race on the Blackwater, results and prizegiving bring people back to the clubs, then the waterfront resets for the next day.
Watching without getting in the way
You do not need to race to enjoy the week. Coast Road gives views of boats moving between moorings, launch points and the racing area, but the most photogenic parts of the waterfront are also working spaces.
Keep clear of crew access, launch operations, trolleys and equipment. The floating pontoon and club areas can become much busier than on an ordinary weekday.
Sailing programme and race information
The Mersea Week website confirms 15–20 August 2027. The published programme still describes the 2026 races. Check the new Notice of Race and sailing instructions when they become available for the 2027 classes, starts and entries.
Parking and the waterfront
Mersea Week’s own shoreside guidance warns that waterfront parking is limited and suggests car sharing. For spectators, that means the same practical rule: avoid circling Coast Road looking for a space once the clubs and crews are already active.
Use the public car parks, walk the last stretch and leave extra time. The West Mersea Town Council parking page is a better source for current car-park details than an old sailing programme.
The Strood still sets the outside boundary
All the racing detail in the world is secondary if the only road onto the island is under water at the time you plan to arrive. Check the Strood tide before setting off, especially for a fixed race start or evening booking.
Mersea Week and Town Regatta are separate
The 2027 Mersea Week ends on Friday 20 August. The main West Mersea Town Regatta is the following day, Saturday 21 August. The proximity creates a natural run of events but the Town Regatta is independently organised and self-financed.
If you prefer sailing activity with fewer main-Regatta crowds, a weekday during Mersea Week may suit you better. If you want the most crowded, theatrical waterfront day, the Town Regatta is a different experience.
West Mersea Town Regatta 2027 →