Frensham Frenzy 2023 pursuit event at Frensham Pond Sailing Club

Saturday 11 March was the annual Frensham Frenzy at Frensham Pond Sailing Club. Thirty boats from over ten different classes braved the cold to sail it out in a very close fought competition that saw the top four boats on equal points.

The Frensham Frenzy consists of two pursuit races and is open to monohull boats a maximum of 16ft long.

It was nice to see so many different boats out for the Frenzy. The forecast was interesting when five days before it was suggesting 40 knots and then on the day forecasting five knots from varying directions. Despite the changeable forecast, Katie Shorrock and her team set up a good course in challenging conditions.

Frensham Frenzy 2023 - photo © Corinne Whitehouse

Ned and Sam led the fleet off in their Cadet. It was great to see all the youth out in various classes. It was also good to see the big boys out in their Aero 9s and Phantoms. The Solos and ILCAs were as always hotly contested and it was going to be interesting to see where the winners were going to come from.

It was a tricky day trying to work out if you were beating, reaching, where the next puff was coming from. The most-asked question was to put the kite up or not. But generally in the big puffs it was definitely worth having it up even if you weren't going in the right direction. Definitely an interesting wind direction.

The top five overall had four different classes and were so close on points. Prize of the day goes to Martin Goult for elbowing his son and crew, Ben, twice in the face on the kite hoist leaving Ben trying to race the rest of the race slightly blind. Shouldn't trust your dad in a boat.

Frensham Frenzy 2023 - photo © Corinne Whitehouse

Four boats finished on the same points so the race was decided, as per racing rules, on countback. This meant Simon Lomas-Clark took first place in his Solo, second place went to Sam Pascoe sailing a Phantom, third place, sailing a Laser, was Rebecca Videlo.

First junior and fifth overall in his RS Tera Oliver Stratton-Brown.

The first double-handed boat was father and daughter team Megan and Martin Pascoe sailing a Scorpion.

Frensham Frenzy 2023 - photo © Corinne Whitehouse

Overall Results:

Frensham Frenzy 2023 - photo © Corinne Whitehouse