Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

Flying Fifteen Northern Championship and Worlds Qualifier at Royal Windermere Yacht Club

by David Heron 26 Apr 2022 09:04 BST 23-24 April 2022

It's early days, yet we said as we looked at the forecast 7 days out from the weekend, it always changes in that time, we won't have anything like 30 knot Easterly gusts. How wrong we were!

A brilliant entry of 30 boats arrived at Bowness on Windermere on a sunny and seemingly tranquil day. Little did may of the competitors know that the Yacht club sits in a very sheltered position from Easterlies... they were to find this out shortly. The field was a high class one with competitors travelling form all over the UK, Ireland, The Isle of Man and even Australia. It included four times world Champion and local sailor Steve Goacher with crew Tim Harper together with many other talented crews.

By the time the fleet set off for the North Lake racing area for 3 back to back races, the wind had piped up with viscous black gusts coming across the water from the hills on the East shore, shifting as much as 30 degrees at times. The conditions were very challenging.

Race officer Steve Bewsher, who has run racing on Windermere for many years later described the conditions as some of the worst in which he has had to lay a course. However 3 windward leeward races were sailed. The front of the fleet was hotly contested, behind for some it was survival mode with at least 2 crews being dumped out of boats, but safely recovered. The first race win went to Steve Goacher and Tim Harper from the RWYC, with Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett from Draycote wining 2 and 3. Another local boat, Nigel and Gavin Tullett were snapping at the heels of the first two.

The restaurant at the club was full for an evening meal, beer and wine, lots of chat about the days racing and speculation about whether the wind would moderate as had been previously forecast.

Two races were scheduled for Sunday, and after a hearty breakfast rigging started and the wind whistling through the rigging commenced. Boats all launched again for a 1055 warning signal, and it soon became clear,as the black gusts came across from the East shore, that the conditions were pretty much the same as Saturday but perhaps a little shiftier.

Two races were sailed to complete the five race series, the first being won by the Tulletts and the second by former World Champ Steve Goacher and Tim Harper. Like Saturday, the battles behind were intense and closely fought along with a good helping of gust management.

In the end honours went to Steve Goacher and Tim Harper, with Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett second, and Nigel and Gavin Tullett third.

Afternoon tea accompanied the prize-giving where the prizes were printed by the Commodores wife Penny Aubrey. It had been a very challenging but hugely successful event.

Nest year, 2023 sea the 60th anniversary of the 15 at Royal Windermere and we will be planning something special, so watch this space.

Overall Results:

PosDivisionNatSail NoBoatHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5Pts
1stRedGBR4021The Whippet & The WhopperSteve GoacherTim HarperRoyal Windermere YC12‑7216
2ndRedGBR3760 Jeremy DavyMartin HuettDraycotte‑8115512
3rdRedGBR4031NifftyNigel TullettGavin TullettRoyal Windermere YC‑10541212
4thRedGBR4096Oooooh LaLaIan PinnellIan CadwalladerNorthampton SC2363(DNF)14
5thRedGBR4102RaffiAndy TunnicliffeTom StoreyBassenthwaite7‑954319
6thRedIRL4085 Shane MacCarthyAdam FroggartGreystones SC‑114261022
7thRedGBR4004 Charles ApthorpAdrian SimpsonHayling Island SC37‑98422
8thRedIRL4092Checkmate XIXHigel BiggsHamish MacKayHowth663‑7722
9thBlueGBR3802No ExcussesGary RichardsonAndrew TaylorBlackpool & Fleetwood YC911‑18121143
10thRedGBR3641Funky ChickenMike PrestonKarl SloaneBlackpool & Fleetwood YC12101110(DNF)43
11thRedGBR4033Sparks & Bubbles Take TwoJustin WaplesJackie McKellerRoyal Corinthian YC‑1412.51091243.5
12thBlueIRL4074Simply GoldBryan WillisJohn McpeakeCounty Antrim YC512.5(DNC)24950.5
13thGreenGBR4098ShotgunnMichael WilsonJason CorlettIsle of Mann YC13‑208171351
14thBlueGBR3520Chips for FreeNeil CurrieRory YardlyBassenthwaite15141211(DNF)52
15thBlueGBR4091Very Stable GeniusJeremy ArnoldScott TrainNotts County SC161516‑231865
16thRedGBR3970Frequent FlyerIan AckroydPeter RichardsRoyal Windermere YC(DNF)81513DNF67
17thGreenGBR3463Firth of FifthMegan ThornleyJohn ThornleyUllswater YC201917‑251470
18thBlueGBR3632 David WilkinsonOlwyn MarsdenBlackpool & Fleetwood YC417(DNF)19DNF71
19thBlueGBR4017Carbon FootprintPhil SnewinRos ColemanRoyal Windermere YC17(DNF)DNC18672
20thBlueGBR3851FFUKIan LinderKevin SweetmanBurghfield(DNF)161414DNF75
21stRedGBR4073Flying DuckmanChris DuckerTBCRoyal Windermere YC2118(DNC)211777
22ndBlueIRL3782Don't Look BackTrevor DarcyAdam McClernonCarrickfergus SC19(DNC)1315DNF78
23rdGreenGBR3130AnemoneJordan AspinJason BennSir John Fisher SC222119‑261678
24thBlueGBR4069QundiciBill ChardJosh PreaterChew Valley Lake SC(DNC)DNCDNC16886
25thGreenGBR3917Art GeckoPaul HelsbyIan ShawRoyal Windermere YC242320‑291986
26thGreenGBR3733Zip ItMichael HarrisSarah HarrisBlackpool & Fleetwood YC2322(DNC)282093
27thRedGBR3912Final FlingNigel HarrisMark ThompsonBlackpool & Fleetwood YC18(DNF)DNC20DNC100
28thBlueGBR3998 John WalterRoseanne WalterRoyal Windermere YC(DNS)DNCDNC2715104
29thBlueGBR4016 David HeronKeith JamiesonRoyal Windermere YC(DNF)DNCDNC22DNC115
30thBlueGBR3428Mandolin WindGraham LamondAlistair LamondRipon(DNF)DNCDNCDNFDNC124

Related Articles

Poole Week Revitalised For 2025
New race teams and new courses for the summer's big event How do you make a great sailing week even better, without losing the elements that have always made it a great sailing week? Posted on 24 May
Enter now for Chichester Harbour Race Week
Last year nearly 600 competitors in 383 boats attended Book your place at the biggest dinghy and keelboat regatta in the UK! With the website open, you can now reserve your place in this year's 'must attend' event. Starting on Monday 11th August, ending on 15th. Posted on 24 May
Cowes Classics Regatta countdown is on
A week away, and late entries are coming in thick and fast across all divisions We are just one week away now from the start of the Royal London Yacht Club's flagship event - the Cowes Classics Regatta 2025 - and as ever, late entries are coming thick and fast across all the divisions. Posted on 23 May
Rooster are Clothing Partner of Poole Regatta
2026 is shaping up to be the largest in the event's history Rooster, the well-known watersports clothing and accessories manufacturer is to become the Official Clothing Partner of the International Paint Poole Regatta 2026. Posted on 22 May
Hyde Sails Flying Fifteen Video Tuning Guide
Ben McGrane explains how to get the most out of your B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs Hyde Sails release new detailed video guide for tuning the Flying 15 for use with the B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs. Posted on 22 May
Final call for event delivery to Looe
The P&B and Zhik Fireball Nationals takes place this weekend The P&B and Zhik Fireball Nationals take place at Looe Sailing Club this weekend, the fleet's looking strong, as are the conditions! If you need an order taking we can arrange that for you. Posted on 22 May
BMW Spring Regatta 2025 at RHKYC
Attracting 88 boats - a lucky number in Chinese culture The BMW Spring Regatta attracted 88 boats - a lucky number in Chinese culture - across four Big Boat divisions & eight one-design classes including Dragons, Etchells, Flying Fifteens, Impalas, J/80s, Pandoras, Ruffians, and Sportsboats. Posted on 13 May
Join August's celebration of Flying Fifteens
Enter now for the Flying Fifteen World, International and National Championships The Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy 'WPSNA' will be hosting three championships in one with the UK Nationals and Pre-Worlds and the World and International Championships between 10th-21st August. Posted on 9 May
Out to play this weekend
Fair winds are forecast, the P&B team is heading to the coast Fair winds are forecast, the team's heading to the coast. We're back on the road, maximising time on the water this bank holiday with Scorpion, Europe and Lark events at Rock and the Flying Fifteens at Hayling Island. Posted on 3 May
Flying Fifteen Northerns at Windermere
An excellent entry of 35 boats contest for the title There is much interest in the class at the moment with this being a World Championship year, being held in the UK at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in August, which was reflected in the entry for the event. Posted on 30 Apr