X One Design
Hamble Division
One design racing since 1928.
The X One Design
The X is a 21’ one design keel boat, that is raced in six different locations in and around the Solent. The Hamble Division races in the north Solent weekly throughout the summer, with the majority of racing being run by Hamble River Sailing Club.
Racing begins in spring and is held every Wednesday until early autumn. During summer there are also local regattas, open events and Saturday racing that the division can compete in.
Open event are regattas held by one of the six divisions that any boat can enter, which means sailing isn’t restricted to the local area. The largest and most competitive open event of the season - and seen as the National Championship by much of the fleet - is Cowes Week.
History
Designed in 1909 by Alfred Westmacott, the XOD was originally commissioned as a day racer by the Royal Motor Yacht Club, and by 1914 ten boats had been built. Building started again in 1923 with a break between 1939 and 1946, and since then 198 boats have been built.
XOD’s were first raced in 1911 and this was celebrated at Cowes Week in 2009 with a massive 145 entries into the regatta. The X has always been an important part of Cowes Week, competing as the largest and longest running class.
The Hamble Division was founded in 1928 through Hamble River Sailing Club, with racing being provided by the Royal Thames and Royal Southern Yacht Clubs later on. HRSC is still the primary club for the division running the Wednesday and Saturday racing.