Sporting round-up 31 August 2026
- Shetland win sailing inter-county
- Dinwoodie sets new isles record
- Unst win netball Parish Cup
- Open water swimmers clinch medals
- Rugby victory
SHETLAND’S sailors have won the 2026 inter-county sailing championship, edging out hosts Orkney by just eight points after two days of exceptionally close racing.
Sailed over the weekend in Hatston, the regatta brought around 20 boats onto the water across two fleets, the ILCA 6 and the ILCA 7.
Six races were completed in fine conditions, with race officer Jimmy Clouston making the most of a steady breeze to run a full and fair series.
When the final scores were totalled Shetland finished on 122 points to Orkney’s 130, the narrow lower margin reflecting a contest that stayed in the balance right to the end.
Shetland took the individual honours in both fleets, Michael Tait winning the ILCA 6 fleet, while Willum Leask was in a class of his own in the ILCA 7, winning five of the six races.
The team competition was split, Shetland’s strength in the ILCA 6 fleet where they beat Orkney by 55 points to 71.
Orkney took the ILCA 7 team by 59 to 67, but combined across both classes Shetland’s advantage in the smaller rig carried the overall trophy north.
Shetland is hoping to host the event in late August 2027, and on the evidence of this weekend it promises to be keenly contested.
SPRINTER Katie Dinwoodie set a new Shetland 200m record on Sunday, winning a bronze medal and earning a new 24.56s PB.
Team Shetland were down in Aberdeen for the under-18 and senior Scottish national age group championships at the weekend, with strong performances across the group.
Dinwoodie also won another bronze medal in the 100m event on Saturday, in a superb time of 11.77 seconds, with Abbie Taylor winning bronze as well in the triple jump.
Her leap of 10.89m was enough to earn her third place and capped off a great weekend for team Shetland in the Granite City, with plenty of PBs from its athletes.
UNST narrowly beat Whitedale on Saturday to lift the netball Parish Cup for the first time.
For the first time in the competition, Whitedale failed to win a game – with Unst ending Whitedale’s two-year grip on the title by winning 29-26 at the Clickimin.
Unst celebrated strongly at the end of the game as they lifted the trophy for the very first time, with a strong set of supporters making the long trip down from the North Isles and back to cheer them on.
EIGHT swimmers representing clubs across Shetland took part in the North District open water competition at Knockburn Loch on Saturday.
Despite it being the first open water competition for five of them, the team returned home with nine medals.
Ellie Thompson and Eve Moncrieff took part in their first 5k swim, coming second and third in their age group.
The under-12s were all swimming the 500m open water race for the first time, with Ella Winks finishing fourth overall and in gold position for her age group.
Saoirse Robinson was fifth overall and silver in her age group.
James Leslie was the first boy home in a strong swim in the 500m, taking gold in his age group.
Liam Williamson and Ali Simpson then take on the male 1.5k, with Simpson coming home with bronze in the masters category and Williamson sixth.
The last race was the female 1.5k, which saw Winks taking gold in the age 12 girls category.
Heidi Simpson also took silver in the age 15 -16 group while Moncrieff won bronze.
SHETLAND men’s rugby team started their season with victory over Banff on Saturday.
The side thrashed their opponents 38-5 at the North Loch 3G pitch in Lerwick to move top of the top after one game of the new campaign.
Next up is an away trip to face Stornoway this weekend.
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