Osprey Wilkinson Sword Series 2014

Rob Shaw and Ian Little © Mike Rice / www.fotoboat.com

Last gasp win for Cooney and Frith

The Wilkinson Sword series is the Osprey class's major nationwide traveller series, comprising eleven events in 2014. The series finished at Rutland at the class's End of Season Championships on 1/2 November.

Going into the final event, the series leaders were Rob Shaw and Ian Little from Kielder Water SC, but the series was still open. The pair with the best chance of challenging Shaw and Little were Martin Cooney and Peter Frith, from Poole YC, who needed a top three placing to overhaul the leaders, who were unable to sail the final event.

The Rutland event produced an array of different race winners, with Richard and Mark Hartley, Cooney and Frith, Terry Curtis and Peter Greig, and Roger and Jamie Blake all taking race wins. But overall, consistency helped Martin Cooney and Peter Frith take first place overall at Rutland, which gave them the Wilkinson Sword series for 2014, succeeding 2013 winners Alexandra and Nick Willis.

Second overall were Shaw and Little, with Richard Marshall and Peter Greig third.

It was a series which see sawed to the end. With two events left to go, the series leaders were the holders Alexandra and Nick Willis, but at the penultimate event at Kielder, Rob Shaw and Ian Little surged into the lead and their total of 11 points meant that an outstanding performance was needed for anyone to overtake them at the final event. But Cooney and Frith's win at Rutland duly propelled them into the lead, and the Sword was theirs for the next year.

This year's Wilkinson Sword series had an increased entry compared to last year, with 56 boats taking part. The most popular event was the Inland Championship at Blithfield in April with 21 boats, and the series finished well at Rutland, with a number of teams joining in the series for the first time.

As well as this popular national series, the class this year launched successful new Regional circuits in the Lakes and Borders and in South Wales. Next year these two new circuits and the national circuit will continue, and the class's growing numbers mean that a third Regional circuit will be launched, in the Southern Region.

There is plenty to look forward to in 2015 for Osprey sailors, and for anyone thinking of purchasing an example of this powerful fast boat.

Further information about the class may be found at ospreysailing.org.

Overall Series Results: (top ten)