Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

Ullswater Yacht Club Cruiser & Keelboat Weekend

by Sue Giles 28 Aug 2018 15:08 BST 25-26 August 2018
Ullswater YC Cruiser and Keelboat Weekend prize winners © Sue Giles

Twenty-five boats took part in two days of racing at Ullswater Yacht Club's special Cruiser and Keelboat Weekend on August 25 and 26.

The club was very pleased with the turnout at the new event which combined racing for Tempests, Flying Fifteens and two classes of Cruiser, White Sails and Full Sails. It was also the Tempest Northern Championships and the final event of the Flying Fifteen Lakeland Grand Prix traveller series.

Racing was south of the club on the stretch of lake between Sharrow Bay and Howtown. Saturday brought sunshine and fluctuating winds from all variations of a westerly direction creating a course-setting headache for race officer Brian Moreton. The Tempests and Flying Fifteens sailed three windward/leeward races with the first mark in three different positions over the day.

The biggest fleet was the Flying Fifteens, with ten boats taking part. Race one winners were visitors Neil Currie and Howard Green from Bassenthwaite SC and Mike Moore and Kayla Sheard, also from Bassenthwaite, were second. The next two races were won by Dave and Sue Giles of UYC but with the visitors taking the second and third places it was all to sail for on Sunday. In the Tempests, Mike and Paul Adams won race one and race three with Ian Modral and Robin Higgins the winners of race two.

The Cruisers Full Sails also had three races, all three were won by Jo and Phil Laycock of UYC in their newly-bought Jenneau. The Cruisers White Sails had two races, with first places on handicap taken by Colin Brown and Derek Pierce in a Beneteau and Dave Hansford sailing single-handed in a Pegasus.

The decision by the race officer to hold three races on Saturday because of the Sunday forecast proved to be correct - an increasingly wild and gusty South-easterly greeted competitors on Sunday morning.

The course for the Tempests and Flying Fifteens involved a demanding beat in vicious gusts straight down the lake to the Howtown narrows and an exciting spinnaker leg back to the finish. The Tempests managed just one Sunday race in the strengthening winds and by winning, Modral/Higgins took the event and the Northern Championships.

Mike Moore and Kayla Sheard won race four in the Flying Fifteens, and with the Giles team taking second and Currie/Green third, it was all down to the final race. After a close spinnaker leg to the finish, Dave Giles and Neil Currie crossed the line together, but by also counting two firsts and a second, Dave and Sue Giles took the overall event with Neil Currie and Howard Green coming second and a third place in the final race for Moore/Sheard gave them third overall.

Many of the cruisers thought the winds were too extreme for racing so there was a much smaller turnout on Sunday. David Thomson and Neil Sayer of UYC won the only race of the day in the White Sails fleet and David Hansford was second. They drew overall, both on 6 points with Thomson/Sayer taking the event by winning the last race. Ray Harle and John Wales won the Cruiser Full Sails race to take second overall, Jo and Phil Laycock's three firsts from Saturday won them the event.

As well as the event prizes, the trophy for the first Flying Fifteen Lakeland Grand Prix was presented at the prize giving by Class Secretary Keith Jamieson. Three Opens were part of the new travellers' series, Windermere, Bassenthwaite and Ullswater. The overall winner was Neil Currie with various crews from Bassenthwaite SC.

Thanks to event organiser Brian Moreton and his team of volunteers.

Prize Winners:

Tempest Northerns
1. Ian Modral & Robin Higgins UYC, 6pts
2. Mike & Paul Adams, UYC, 8pts

Flying Fifteens
1. Dave & Sue Giles, UYC, 5.5pts
2. Neil Currie & Howard Green, Bassenthwaite SC, 7.5pts
3. Mike Moore & Kayla Sheard, Bassenthwaite SC, 8pts

F15 Lakeland Grand Prix (Windermere, Bassenthwaite, Ullswater)
1. Neil Currie & various crews
2. Mike Moore & Kayla Sheard
3. Christian Barnes & Denise Sykes, UYC

Cruiser White Sails
1. David Thomson & Neil Sayer, Hunter Europa, UYC, 6pts
2. Dave Hansford, Pegasus, UYC, 6pts

Cruiser Full Sails
1. Jo & Phil Laycock, Jenneau, UYC, 3pts
2. Ray Harle & John Wales, Hunter Europa, UYC, 5pts

Related Articles

Gold star for Wilson's National 18 at the Birkett
230 boats do battle in a range of conditions on Ullswater It took an Olympic gold medallist to help win this year's edition of the northern classic handicap race in the Lake District, the 63rd Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy, sponsored by Magic Marine. Posted on 14 Jul
The Lord Birkett from the deck of an I14
Legendary wind shifts, dramatic scenery and the freshly refurbished Zog Ah, Ullswater. Home of the Lord Birkett Trophy, legendary wind shifts, dramatic scenery, and six International 14s. Among them, the freshly refurbished Zog, which had undergone what can only be described as an overzealous stint in the sunbed salon. Posted on 13 Jul
Musto Skiffs at 63rd Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy
One of those events where you see people you've not seen in years The Birkett has been a long-term favourite with the Musto Skiff fleet, where, given the right conditions, it suits the skiff rather nicely—enough so that we've seen two winners over the years with Ian Turnbull in 2017 and Dylan Noble in 2022. Posted on 10 Jul
Lord Birkett ready for 230 on the start line
he action unfolds on Ullswater Lake this weekend... The Lord Birkett, next leg of the Sailjuice Challenge, has hit its entry limit of 230 boats. The action unfolds on Ullswater Lake this weekend... Posted on 2 Jul
Funding for clubs transforms sailing opportunities
During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from UK clubs about their experiences During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from a range of UK clubs, walking through their case studies, and then heard from experts in finance who talked us through the opportunities and pitfalls of acquiring funds. Posted on 26 Jun
NEYYSA Championship at Ullswater
They had it all: heat, sun, torrential rain, wind, calm, thunder and lightning We had it all at Ullswater, heat, sun, (torrential) rain, wind, calm, thunder and lightning but nothing switched the smiles, sailing and socialising off at the North Region Youth & Junior Championships at Ullswater. Posted on 25 Jun
All set for NEYYSA Championship at Ullswater
Youth and juniors from all over the NE and Yorkshire will battle this weekend With less than 24 hours until the first warning signal at the North Region Youth & Junior Championships organised by North East & Yorkshire Youth Sailing Association (NEYYSA) and hosted by Ullswater Yacht Club final preparations are in hand. Posted on 20 Jun
Snipe wins Daffodil, now to the Lord Birkett
Back to Ullswater in early July for the next leg of the Sailjuice Challenge Matthew Wolstenholme and Uko Tiidemann sailed their Snipe to victory at the Magic Marine Daffodil Regatta earlier this month, beating a mixed handicap fleet of 77 entries. Posted on 17 May
Musto Skiffs at the Ullswater Daffodil Regatta
Definitely making up for last year's challenging conditions Ullswater definitely made up for last year's challenging conditions and delivered an absolute classic weekend of Musto Skiff racing at the 2025 Daffodil Regatta, with plenty of smiles and swims thrown in throughout all seven races. Posted on 2 May
RS200 Rooster Championship Tour Spring Champs
Held during the Ullswater Daffodil Regatta This year's RS200 Rooster Championship Tour Spring Championships took place at Ullswater Yacht Club as part of the larger Daffodil Regatta event. 12 RS200s took to the water having their own start and a fantastic windward / leeward course. Posted on 30 Apr