Hartley Boats

02/10/2026

Get ready for the 2027 season with our Autumn offers - now live across our entire range of boats.

These exclusive offers end on the 31st of October. As always, you can sail with peace of mind knowing we provide a 4-year warranty on all new boats.

The best way to secure your offer and find the right boat for you is to speak with our team directly - call our friendly team on 01332 369751, and book your build slot.

Explore the entire fleet on our website: www.hartleyboats.com

21/09/2026

Well done to all that took part in the Hartley Boats Streaker Inland Championships at Grafham Water Sailing Club over the weekend, in what sounded like some challenging conditions!

Results for the Hartley Boats Streaker Inland Championships at Grafham Water Sailing Club...

Congratulations to:

🥇GOLD FLEET
1️⃣ Martin Penty Beaver Sailing Club
2️⃣ Peter Gray Staunton Harold Sailing Club
3️⃣ Phil Priestley Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club

🥈SILVER FLEET
1️⃣ Tim Harris Up River Yacht Club
2️⃣ Ben Harris Up River Yacht Club
3️⃣ Katie Masterson St Mary's Loch Sailing Club

🥉BRONZE FLEET
1️⃣ Chris Godwin Rutland Sailing Club
2️⃣ Sam Harris Up River Yacht Club
3️⃣ Paul Burman-Smith Ouse Amateur Sailing Club

Full results:
https://www.grafham.org/wp-content/uploads/_results/Opens/2026/StreakerInlands2026.htm

Report and photos to follow.

📷 Paul Sanwell/OPP

20/09/2026

What a fantastic final day at the Z Nationals down in Poole. After two days of punishingly breezy conditions, everyone was relieved to see a more moderate forecast. The light-to-medium winds made for some highly tactical racing, with huge gains on offer for those who picked the right shifts.

The race team did a phenomenal job squeezing in four races across all fleets, leaving plenty of tired but happy faces in the dinghy park by the end of the day.

In the Zen fleet, Adam Prior continued his dominance, dropping only a single race to deservedly take the championship. The Zenith 2s saw incredibly tight racing across the board, but Sam McKay and James Vyse continued their stellar form, securing the top spot with a race to spare.

Finally, in the largest fleet, the Zeniths, Nick Craig secured the overall championship, though he didn't have it all his own way today. Sam Watson and Graham Flynn both put in outstanding performances, taking well-earned bullets in race 3 and race 4, respectively.

A massive thank you to Poole Yacht Club for being such fantastic hosts on and off the water. And finally, from all of us at Hartley Boats, thank you to every single sailor who competed this weekend. It is incredibly exciting to see the Z fleets growing so strongly, and we can't wait to see you all at the next event!

19/09/2026

Racing was called off for all classes today, as the breeze was already too heavy and forecast to build even further. However, that didn't deter Nick Craig and Dave Ching from taking a Zenith 2 out for a spin, with Justin Jones and Chris Anderson quickly following suit. Needless to say, they had a blast and put on a masterclass in heavy-weather boat handling for everyone watching.

Despite the cancellation, spirits remained high across the fleets, keeping the bar at Poole Yacht Club suitably busy. With a much kinder forecast on the horizon, everyone is looking forward to getting back on the water tomorrow to cap off a fantastic weekend of racing.

18/09/2026

The first day of the Z Nationals at Poole Yacht Club certainly delivered. Despite a forecast of 15 knots gusting 20, competitors were greeted by a steadily building breeze that was topping out at 30+ knots by the afternoon.

Unsurprisingly, some sailors opted out of the unexpectedly brutal conditions, naturally thinning the fleets as the day went on. By the final horn, only the hardiest sailors were still out there taking on the heavy weather.

It was brilliant to see the entire range of Z dinghies sharing the water, with the Zen, Zenith, and Zenith 2 all having separate fleet starts and courses tailored to their class.

As it stands on the leaderboard: Adam Prior (Royal Corinthian YC) leads the way in the Zen fleet, while Nick Craig (Frensham/Burghfield SC) is currently topping the Zeniths. Meanwhile, Sam McKay and James Vyse took three bullets to cement their spot at the top of the Zenith 2 fleet.

Overall results: https://www.sailwave.com/results/PooleYC/Zenith,%20Zen%20&%20Zenith%202%20Nationals%202026.htm

06/07/2026

The First Customer Zenith II Leaves the Yard.

Last Thursday marked a significant milestone for us at Hartley Boats. We have just delivered the very first customer Zenith II, meaning our demo boat officially has its first partner out on the water.

The Zenith II is a very special project for our team, representing months of intensive development, skill, and collaboration. Our build team worked closely with designer Phil Morrison, spending days, weeks and months refining the patterns, moulds, and tooling to ensure every detail was perfect. The result of that hard work is a high-performance double-hander that delivers everything a sailor could want: a lightweight, stiff 85kg FRP foam-sandwich hull, a Selden carbon rig, and a ballasted centreboard that provides exceptional stability and confidence on windy, gusty days.

We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Steve Ward, pictured here taking delivery of his new boat. We are incredibly grateful for his support and trust in this new concept.

Both boats have just competed in the 64th Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy, with Justin Jones and Chris Anderson coming in 8th overall in the demo boat, and Steve Ward and Daver Prosser coming in a very respectable 97th place considering Steve only collected the boat a couple of days before.

To coincide with this first delivery, we have released three videos of our demo boat undergoing testing, showing exactly how the boat performs across different conditions:

First Sea Trial (Aberdovey): Testing the hull shape and handling on the open sea for the first time. https://youtu.be/LbmtoP49J4I

Heavy Weather Testing (Blithfield): https://youtu.be/cXaHXbxDu7I

Light-to-Moderate Performance (Blithfield): https://youtu.be/7yGXVVEa738

If your keen to get your hands on a Zenith II yourself then please contact the sales team at [email protected], or give the team a call on 01332 369751

For full technical specifications or to find out more about the Zenith II, please visit our website: https://www.hartleyboats.com/index.asp?p=class-detail&cid=44

05/06/2026

Get ready for the racing season ahead with exclusive offers at Hartley boats:
https://mailchi.mp/37ac01f257af/weve-launched-our-online-and-in-store-sale-9436992

14/05/2026

We are hiring at Hartley Boats!

We are currently looking for reliable, hardworking people to join our team in two roles.

Role 1: General Assistant
This is a varied, hands-on role where you will help out across the business. Duties range from serving customers in the chandlery shop to sorting parts and assisting the team with building and fitting equipment. Sailing experience is a plus but not necessary. We are looking for a reliable team player with a positive, can-do attitude. We will teach you the rest.
To apply: Send your CV and a brief cover note to [email protected].

Role 2: Trainee Sail Maker
Learn all aspects of sail and cover manufacture. Full training is provided, including how to use our CNC cutter and finish sails for customer orders. We are looking for an organized individual with a keen eye for detail and a willingness to learn in a production environment.
To apply: Send your CV and a brief cover note to [email protected].

You can also apply in person by dropping your CV and cover note into our offices in Derby.

For the full job descriptions, please visit our careers page:

Hartley Boats Chandlery – your one-stop shop for sailing equipment, dinghy parts, covers, clothing and accessories. Trusted by sailors across the UK, with fast delivery and expert support.