Team GB sailor Sam Whaley struck gold during Swanage Lifeboat Week in Dorset, by winning the hotly contested Build a Boat competition – and sees it as a good omen for his next challenge, the ILCA World Championships in Ireland!
Sam has been entering the popular if slightly eccentric Build a Boat event in Swanage for the past decade but despite his professional sailing skills (or maybe because of them!) has never won the fun boat race before.
Sam Whaley paddled back to shore 20 seconds faster than any other team in the race
Viking style narrowboat
However on Saturday 15th August 2026, the Swanage based professional sailor beat the field by 20 seconds in an impressive Viking styled narrowboat.
It was created by Sam and his friends in a four hour contest to build a seaworthy vessel from scratch – then race it in a time trial in Swanage Bay.
A dozen teams were given equal measures of timber and plywood, a tube of quick drying glue, nails, screws and a roll of waterproof tape to make their boats, along with a broom handle to use as a paddle.
They were allowed to use their own tools, including rechargeable power tools, and templates for the craft, but other than that they were on their own and against the clock.
Not all teams made it further than the starting line
Only three boats sank
Only three of the craft sank when they were put through their paces in the water, and for the remaining nine teams it started out as a very close contest.
But when Sam set out in his boat – named Haaland after the super successful Norwegian striker – the result seemed to be in little doubt.
In third place was the Angie’s Farewell team, paddled by Jack; in second place with a time of just under two minutes was Return of the Splinter paddled by Esther; and the gold medal went to Sam in Tenth Time Lucky, finishing 20 seconds faster than Esther.
Teams had four hours to build a seaworthy boat – and then test it in a time trial
“Delighted to pick up a medal!”
Sam Whaley said:
“I’m in the British sailing team – Team GB, that’s my job. I grew up here in Swanage and have entered this competition for years and years, but I’m not an engineer, so I’ve never won before!
“Our team name, Tenth Time Lucky, is exactly that, and I’m delighted that after so many years of trying I’ve finally picked up a winner’s medal!
“I’ve been in the British team for the past 10 years, and have the World Championships going on next week in Ireland, so I’m actually looking to win that. It’s not glamorous, but it is very exciting, and winning here today will give me a good boost in Dublin!
“My dream is to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games in the men’s single handed dinghy, the ILCA, which was formerly known as the Laser.”
Wareham Shedders, the last of 12 teams, put on a brave face before sinking half way round the course
“Swanage puts a big smile on my face!”
Sam, who first learnt to sail at Swanage Sailing Club at the age of 11, now has his heart set on representing Great Britain at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028, and added:
“I caught the racing bug straight away, competed in my first national competition in 2011 and represented my country the following year.
“Since that moment I’ve been hooked on sailing, and though I went to work for Microsoft after my A Levels, as soon as I had the opportunity to join the British Sailing Team, I seized it!
“Sailing teaches you so many life skills which you can use off the water as well, like how to react under pressure, good time management skills, risk taking and leadership.
“It is an awesome way to stay physically and mentally fit, and the connection between you, the boat and the environment is awe inspiring.
“I’ve sailed in so many places around the world, but Swanage is my favourite – it always puts such a big smile on my face!”
Jazzknots played at Prince Albert Gardens on Friday evening
Huge crowds for live music shows
The Build a Boat contest was one of many events of Swanage Lifeboat Week which drew huge crowds in the brilliant sunshine, including two live music concerts on Prince Albert Gardens on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th August 2026, with bands Kelp, Jazzknots, Stone Cold Sober, Love Soul Choir, Sundrunk and The Reptiles.
One of the Swanage Lifeboat Week organisers Becky Mack said:
“It has been perfect weather and very well attended right through the week. We did have a shout for the lifeboats on Thursday night, so we couldn’t attend the start of the sailing race, but they got back just in time for the big race.
“The quiz was super busy, we had 30 teams enter, so the whole of the Legion was full, and last night was probably our busiest Friday night ever, the crowds for the Rescue the Damsel raft race were huge!
“And straight from the raft race everyone seemed to come up to Prince Albert Gardens for our live music event with local bands, bar and barbecue – it was really well supported and people have been very generous putting money into our collection buckets, which is nice in tough times.
“We actually had a few spots of rain on Friday evening, and it was funny because nobody got up to go away, they just looked up and smiled. It was a fleeting moment, I think that people were pleased for a second that it actually might just rain on them!”
Hundreds of people packed Prince Albert Gardens to listen to live music on two days
“It is special for us as crew”
Becky added:
“Lifeboat Week made more than £29,000 last year and we are hoping to beat that in 2026, although we are aware that people are feeling the squeeze – as long as we get to raise awareness of what we do and people have a good time, we will be happy!
“The lifeboats were exceptionally busy in June, and since then we have had a few shouts every week. One great benefit for us in Swanage is having the lifeguards on the beach, which means they intercept a lot of the shore incidents, leaving us to concentrate on incidents further out at sea.
“People are really grateful for having our support in the community, which makes the atmosphere for Lifeboat Week something so special.
“They are so generous and kind, wanting to find out about what we do and support us. It is special for us as crew, to have that face to face interaction, as we are not on the frontline for fundraising most of the time and to have people come up to us and thank us for what we do is very humbling.”
Swanage Pirates the Jolly Strummers – Jo, Karina, Joy, Jack, Kath, Belinda and Dee the parrot
Raft race is a firm favourite
The final event of Lifeboat Week is the church service, to be held on Swanage Pier from 5.30 pm on Sunday 16th August, when both lifeboats will moor up alongside the pier.
The raft race, only recently brought back into Lifeboat Week, has already established itself as a firm favourite with its homemade rafts, crews in fancy dress and keen competition as each boat set out to rescue a damsel in distress.
Winners were the Wet Lettuces, a group of friends who built their raft on Rabling Road and who in 2025 had come last.
Having recycled their costumes – the group was, after all, very green – and improved their raft, the team saw off challenges from Swanage Pirates the Jolly Strummers, the Purbeck Ukuladies, Swanage Lifeboat crew and the Junior Lifeboat crew, children of lifeboat members.
Celebrating a well earned victory are the Wet Lettuces, Annabelle, Simone, Jane, Ali, Gary and Mary, the tomato relish
Lifeguards Immi Reid and Lucy Hodson, with Adam O’Neill, made sure everyone stayed safe on the water
Lifeboat Week’s ever popular Duck Race was well publicised in town
The Love Soul Choir got the crowd on their feet on Saturday afternoon
Swanage Sea Rowing Club gave their Marvellous Human Fruit Machine a spin to help raise funds
Lifeboat mascot Stormy Stan got the Durlston Parkrun under way during Lifeboat Week
Friday night crowds were the biggest seen on the seafront during any Lifeboat Week
The bar stayed busy right through the weekend in Prince Albert Gardens
What better way to spend a sunny summer’s evening?
