GP14 Masters Championship at Welsh Harp Sailing Club

The GP14 Masters, held over the weekend of 5th & 6th October at Welsh Harp Sailing Club, brought together 19 competitive boats facing challenging conditions that tested both skill and strategy.

Competitors were greeted with a notoriously difficult southerly breeze, characterized by unpredictable shifts, that kept sailors on their toes throughout the 4 races of the event. For the two Saturday races, RO Brian Jefferies set a series of short beats with tight connecting reaches, some challenging spinnaker work required !

Day 2 of the Championships saw a similar wind direction but with greater strength and variability with huge patches of disturbed water streaking across the racecourse. RO John Shepheard set a course with longer close reaches, requiring strong strategic and reactive decision making.

GP14 Masters Championship at Welsh Harp - photo © Luke Howard, WHSC

Son and father duo Matt & Tim McGovern have a pedigree that meant they were able to navigate the tricky conditions with ease, they handled the boat with a smoothness that belied their lack of experience in a GP14. Likewise Jasper & Fergus Barnham were determined in their style and adept at working the conditions. The two pairings battled hard, with the McGoverns establishing themselves as early front runners.

Other crews found that they could at times benefit from being in the best breeze, seeking out the puffs to gain a lead, only to be pulled back and overhauled as the whole fleet caught a gust that they had missed. The results reflected this - most pairings lacking any consistency of finish position to produce a decent series of scores.

GP14 Masters Championship at Welsh Harp - Sharon and Paul Freeland - photo © Luke Howard, WHSC

Local pairings that managed to do well with a degree of consistency were Maurice Cleal / Romek Kowalewski and Steve Cooper / Liz Guest both of whom achieved a second. David Innes / John McGuiness and Adeel Khan / Roger Jeffs recorded good finishes and Sharon Freeland, with husband Paul consistently improved over the weekend finishing 4th in the last race and 5thoverall. It was lovely to welcome GP14 Association President Charles Saunders on the water and Championship Chair Vanessa Devereux to oversee proceedings.

Event winners were Matt and Tim winning three out of the four races, showcasing their ability to adapt quickly to the ever-changing wind. Ever consistent Barnhams were runners up, with two seconds and a first. Maurice Cleal / Romek Kowalewski finished third, Steve Cooper / Liz Guest fourth and Sharon & Paul Freehand fifth.

Matt and Tim McGovern during the GP14 Masters Championship at Welsh Harp - photo © Luke Howard, WHSC

The camaraderie extended beyond the water on Saturday evening with a delicious dinner and ceilidh, where sailors and supporters came together to celebrate the day's racing. It was a wonderful opportunity to share stories and strengthen friendships within the sailing community and Welsh Harp was blessed with the return of some long-standing friends of the club.

WHSC Sailing Captain Sue Tomkins said "We thank the GP14 association for giving us the opportunity to hold the GP14 Masters at The Welsh Harp. It was the wonderful chance for the competition to enjoy great weekend of quality racing against some best sailors in the class."

GP14 Masters Championship at Welsh Harp Prizegiving: Jasper and Fergus Barnham with WHSC Commodore Liz Guest - photo © Luke Howard, WHSC

Special thanks go to the other clubs who share the Welsh Harp Reservoir for allowing us sole access to the venue during the event. Our gratitude also extends to Wembley Sailing Club, the Sea Cadets, and the Regatta Safety Boating Base for their invaluable support in providing accommodation on site and volunteer teams ensuring the racing ran smoothly.

Overall Results: