28/09/2026
This month, we’ve welcomed Contessa 26 Samphire of Hurst (previously named Jiminy Cricket) into the Jeremy Rogers yard for a refit ahead of a voyage to Norway.
She’s already had a successful year on the water, winning both the Contessa 26 class and the overall title at the Royal Solent Yacht Club Contessa Regatta.
Her owner, Susannah Seely, is no stranger to a Contessa adventure, having previously sailed around Britain with her sister-in-law, Didi Nicholson. The pair bought Seahorse, a Contessa 26 built in 1969, together in 2017, with a voyage around Britain already in mind. Seahorse had completed the trip once before with a young solo sailor in the 1980s, and in 2021, it was their turn.
Setting off from Yarmouth, they sailed past Land’s End, around Cape Wrath and through the Orkneys. Along the way, dolphins kept them company all night across the Bristol Channel, and they spent 24 hours sheltering from a storm in Loch Tarbert, out of contact. They returned 67 days and around 2,000 miles later, having raised more than £11,000 for South Wight Area Youth Partnership.
Now, from one Contessa to another, Susannah has Norway on the horizon, and we’re helping prepare Samphire for the journey. We’ll be sharing progress on her refit over the coming weeks, catching up with her owners, then following their next adventure once she’s back on the water!
