Please select your home edition
Edition
Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

F18, N18 & 2000 are Grafham Grand Prix victors - Selden SailJuice Winter Series Round 4

by John Aston 1 Jan 2019 04:20 GMT 30 December 2018
Peter Gray's National 18 during the 2018 Grafham Grand Prix © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

The 38th Grafham Grand Prix, part of the Selden SailJuice Winter Series, drew a record entry of 203 boats for the event on Sunday 30 December.

Conditions for the end of December were kind: a gentle 6 to 8 knot breeze and temperature of around 10 deg C. The entry list was full some 12 hours ahead of the final closing time, and the largest class represented was the Solo with an impressive 23 entries. Other double-figure entries were from the RS600s (11), RS Aero 7 (11), Laser (10), and Laser Radial (10). Racing was on three separate courses: Fast/Asymmetric sailing an upwind/downwind course, Medium, and Slow, both sailing trapezoid courses. All fleets completed the scheduled three back to back races and were back on shore in time for mince pies and mulled wine.

The Fast/Asymmetric fleet had an entry of 35. Winners overall for the second year running, and first catamaran, were David White and Jon Sweet from Grafham Water Sailing Club counting two first places. The Norfolk Punt of Colin and Oly Murray came in second place and Ben Schooling third in his Musto Skiff.

The Medium fleet had an entry of 82. There were some late adjustments to the results, but following these the National 18, sailed by Peter Gray, Rachael Rhodes and Simon Forbes from Staunton Harold, emerged as the worthy winner, counting a first and a second and discarding their BFD in Race Three. George Smith and Michael Iszatt, both part of the strong RS600 representation, took second and third slots respectively, with Olympic sailor Ben Saxton and Izzy Hamilton fourth in their RS200.

The Slow fleet had an entry of 86. Shifty conditions at the dam end of the lake and a degree of over enthusiasm by the competitors made clean starts for the large fleet a challenge, and there were a number of general recalls for Race 1. However things settled down thereafter. Eventual winners were Simon Horsfield and Katie Burridge, from Army Sailing Association, in their 2000, counting two firsts. Jon Emmett was second in his Laser and last year's winner, Jasper Barnham and Serena de Nahlik, from Snettisham Beach, were third. Alastair Goodwin from HISC was fourth in his Laser.

Thanks are due to race officers Peter Saxton, Graham Louth and Nigel Denchfield and the large team of volunteers (over 30 in total) as well as the Grafham staff, who all helped make the day a success.

First event of the new year and fifth of the Series is the GJW Direct Bloody Mary, the classic pursuit race near Heathrow Airport on 12 January. You can enter the GJW Direct Bloody Mary and the other remaining events in the Selden SailJuice Winter Series, visit www.sailjuiceseries.com

The Events

The following events constitute the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series 2018/19:

  • Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club
    17 & 18 November 2018

  • Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club
    8 & 9 December 2018

  • Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club
    27 December 2018

  • Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club
    30 December 2018

  • Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club
    12 January 2019

  • John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club
    2 & 3 February 2019

  • Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club
    16 February 2019
You can find out more about the Series at www.SailJuiceSeries.com

Related Articles

Musto Skiff tops an 87-boat entry at Loch Lomond
Rob Richardson wins Sailjuice Challenge event Rob Richardson won the Loch Lomond Challenge last weekend, 6 & 7 September, event No.3 of this season's inaugural Magic Marine Sailjuice Challenge. Posted on 11 Sep
Almost 80 entries for Loch Lomond Sailjuice event
Sailjuice Challenge moves to Scotland for two events to wrap up the 2025 circuit More than 70 boats have entered the Loch Lomond Challenge this weekend, 6 & 7 September. This year the event is part of the Sailjuice Challenge and Loch Lomond Sailing Club is delighted with a good increase in entries. Posted on 4 Sep
Sailjuice Challenge is in Scotland next
Moving to the Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond Following the success of the Lord Birkett at Ullswater Yacht Club, the Sailjuice Challenge moves further north to Scotland for two events to wrap up the 2025 circuit. Posted on 21 Aug
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
Lord Birkett ready for 230 on the start line
The 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
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
More than 60 entered for the Daffodil Regatta
The first event of this year's Sailjuice Challenge at Ullswater is in a week's time It's just over a week until the Magic Marine Daffodil Regatta at Ullswater, the first event of this year's Sailjuice Challenge... Posted on 18 Apr
Sailjuice Challenge on a mission
To build Bigger, Better Dinghy Racing events in the UK The organisers of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series are looking to promote better events across the whole year, not just the winter. Surveys and Daffodils are in the offing... Posted on 13 Mar
Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series Prize Giving
Gillard and Gray are repeat winners of the crown More than a decade after they last won the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray have done it again... Posted on 25 Feb
Victory at Zhik Oxford Blue puts Snipe on the map
Matthew Wolstenholme and Lloyd Roberts win in 83-boat handicap fleet Matthew Wolstenholme and Lloyd Roberts sailed their Snipe to victory at the front of an 83-boat handicap fleet at last Saturday's Zhik Oxford Blue. Posted on 18 Feb