Please select your home edition
Edition
Craftinsure 2021 - LEADERBOARD
Product Feature
Allen 30mm Back To Back Block - A2038
Allen 30mm Back To Back Block - A2038

RS21 Inland Championships at Ullswater Sailing Club

by Lucy Jameson 28 Mar 2022 16:12 BST 26-27 March 2022
RS21 Inland Championships at Ullswater © RS Sailing

The inaugural UK RS21 Inland Championships and SB20 Inland Championships took place at Ullswater Yacht Club over the weekend. With six RS21 teams and three SB20 teams, the weekend was set to be fun-filled kick off to the season for all.

RS21 sailors included local Ullswater teams helmed by Harriet Pullman and Edmund Clarke, Budworth SC team helmed by Russell Page, Scottish Student Sailing team with students from both Aberdeen and Glasgow University, 49er FX coach Tom Walker and Octavia Owen known for her Match Racing expertise.

With the start time scheduled for 1200 on Saturday and what consistently showed to be a very light and fickle wind weekend the race team really had their work cut out for them. Totally undeterred PRO David Clarke proved his knowledge and understanding of the local area and postponed the first start holding sailors on shore.

With the breeze expected later in the day, this also prompted a change to the schedule with the decision made to reduce the race time from 4 x 45 minutes races to shorter races working around the unpredictable breeze.

Finally at 1500 race 1 was under way in light shifty breeze. The wind kept going around making it possible for more races and so in a building breeze the fleet enjoyed some tight racing finishing at 1700. After a total of a phenomenal 7 races in various states of fickle winds it was Budworth Sailing Club helmed by Russell Page leading by 1 point to Tom Walker in second and local Edmund Clarke from Ullswater in third.

Back on dry land sailors enjoyed a beer and race debrief on the veranda of the Yacht Club while being treated to the most spectacular of sunsets over the lake.

Sunday's forecast was expected to deliver much the same as before, so the 1100 start was postponed and sailors, again held ashore. Once the breeze started to fill teams all jumped into action rigging boats, getting ready to go however the wind disappeared as quickly as it came. With boats rigged this gave teams the opportunity to react quickly and so it was a waiting game for the next lot of pressure to come in.

Sure enough an hour later the fleet headed out to the racecourse to enjoy one quick race before the wind died again. The race team held out hope that there may be another opportunity to get races in but unfortunately it was not to be.

With Race 8 going to Budworth SC Russell Page and team it secured their victory and are crowned the 2022 RS21 Inland Champions.

Russel Page commented that the racing was great, the boats are great fun to sail, with a lot of power and momentum. When asked what boat Russell and his team usually sail, he explained that his team made up of his daughter and two friends from the club all come from the RS200 fleet and so transitioning to the RS21 keelboat meant that Russell and his team took time between races to discuss and plan racing ahead, work out positioning and roles within the boat.

Tom Walker comes from double handed Skiff sailing and commented that the transition from skiff to RS21 was pretty easy as the styles of boat are very similar. Tom added that the big bonus of having three other friends on board with all the camaraderie and chatting between racing, but then the serious teamwork while racing, really made the event and sailing the boat a lot of fun.

A big thank you must go to the team at Ullswater Yacht Club for making this event possible and to David Clarke and team for the perseverance and determination to get racing done.

The RS21 UK National Championships will be part of the RS Games from 21st - 24th July. There are just two build slots available before the event or charter boats are available. Check out www.rs21sailing.org for more details or contact RS21 Activity Manager Jack Fenwick -

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmR1R2R3R4RSR6R7RSPts
1st265Russell Page222113‑4112
2nd266Tom Walker3332211‑415
3rd263Edmund Clarke1(RET)43322318
4th264Octavia Owen511(RET)443220
5th267Harriot Pullman45‑64655534
6th262Robin Francis645(RET)566638

Related Articles

Woollahra win NSW Sailing League Metro Qualifier
Securing one of the four remaining spots for the NSW Sailing League Final Woollahra Sailing Club earn themselves one of the four remaining spots in the NSW Sailing League Final after taking out the Metro Qualifer at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club last weekend. Posted on 23 Mar
New Scottish RS21 Youth Team for 2023
The Haven Knox-Johnston crew joint-lead sponsors The Haven Knox-Johnston crew are proud to announce that they will be partnering with sister Howden leisure marine team, A-Plan Commercial Marine, to become the joint-lead sponsors of a new RS21 Scottish youth sailing team. Posted on 18 Mar
RPAYC set to host 2023 SCL - Asia Pacific Final
The SAILING Champions League Asia Pacific Final is set to be held on May 20th and 21st This year's SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific Final is set to be held at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on May 20th and 21st. Posted on 6 Mar
RS21 Class announce new partnership with Vakaros
The partnership will be showcased at Charleston Race Week The International RS21 Class are pleased to announce an exciting new Partnership with Vakaros. This new partnership brings two brands together who share a passion for changing the game and developing our sport. Posted on 1 Feb
RYA Winter Match Racing qualifier 1
Rutland team win first 2023 event at Queen Mary SC The first qualifier of the 2023 RYA Winter Match Racing Series was claimed by a team from Rutland Sailing Club skippered by Ben Tylecote. Posted on 16 Jan
Irish Sailing League is launched!
The Christmas present for Irish Sailors Long overdue, the Irish Sailing League will commence in 2023, sailing in Ireland has been crying out for such a league and it is the fitting Christmas present for all sailors and clubs that is so needed. Posted on 24 Dec 2022
NSW Sailing League debuts its first season
Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club and Royal Price Alfred Yacht Club enter into a partnership Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club (NCYC) and Royal Price Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) have entered into a partnership to launch the NSW Sailing League (NSW-SL) for the 2022 / 23 Season. Posted on 21 Dec 2022
Sailing Champions League returns for 2023 FOS
The VIC Sailing League will sail at the 2023 Festival of Sails The 'club versus club' sailing competition - the VIC Sailing League - will be returning to the 2023 Festival of Sails as local teams battle it out for a shot at the Asia Pacific finals of the SAILING Champions League in May 2023. Posted on 5 Dec 2022
Entries open for 2022-23 VIC Sailing League Final
Hosted by the Festival of Sails at Royal Geelong Yacht Club VIC Sailing League is back on this summer, running at Festival of Sails at Royal Geelong Yacht Club, January 26/27, 2023. Posted on 25 Nov 2022
Get set for the RYA Winter Match Racing Series
Sign up now to #rockupandrace and get the earlybird discount Entry is now open for the RYA Winter Match Racing Series 2023 which kicks off in RS21s at London's Queen Mary Sailing Club in the New Year. Early bird discount is available until 23.59 on 19 December 2022 for the first event. Posted on 10 Nov 2022