ILCA Midland Series Open at Shustoke Sailing Club

John Ling wins the ILCA Midland Open Series at Shustoke © Ria Burgoine

Paul Burgoine finishes 2nd in the ILCA Midland Open Series at Shustoke © Ria Burgoine

Andy Allan finishes 3rd in the ILCA Midland Open Series at Shustoke © Ria Burgoine

On Sunday 13th April Shustoke Sailing Club hosted its 2025 ILCA Open, part of the Midland Open Series, as best witnessed from the tail end of the fleet. A good breeze was forecast with some gentle gusts.

Attendance was hard to predict with one visiting boat and four club members signed up for the event. However, on arriving at the club seven or eight ILCAs where rigged ready, sailors chomping at the bit, Shustoke duty team sorting the course and Galley taking food orders.

The wind had not disappointed and had helped to attract fourteen Lasers.

Once the course was set, as if on cue, the wind subsided to nothing at all, with some rather glum faces. This caused the race to be postponed, a headache for our OD Cole Brisco, but did bring lunch and cake forward.

Race 1 was completed in a lack luster wind of 2-3 mph. With the top five ILCAs finishing within 2 seconds of each other on the water. After corrected times the only Radial, sailed by Andy Allan of Trimpley SC clinched first place, leaving John Ling from Bartley SC in 2nd place and Shustoke's Paul Burgoine in a healthy 3rd place.

During lunch the wind did finally build and came a little closer to what had been predicted. Shustoke's talented OD set another course, and we were on for Race 2.

Here several boats got a great start but were found to be over the line causing a general recall. Finally, a clean start was followed by very close racing to the windward mark. From that point the boats separated, and I lost contact with the rest of the fleet. Towards the end of the race, I briefly spotted what looked like match racing between John Ling and Paul Burgoine on the way to the final mark rounding. This gave the win to John Ling, with Paul Burgoine 2nd and Shustoke's Harry Marlow 3rd.

No drama for the start of Race 3. Again, from the back all I remember is spotting a rather fetching 2016 Rio liveried Laser a long way in the lead. This I established was helmed by Simon Hardiman from Bartley SC. Although he had a good lead, it looked like he was being reeled in by a few of our Shustoke helms. The lead proved too much, and the race finished with Simon holding first place followed by Paul Burgoine, Harry Marlow and Jamie Cuxson from Shustoke SC. Well sailed boys.

With the race discards this left John Ling in 1st place, Paul Burgoine 2nd and Andy Allan 3rd.

Overall Results: