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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

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