P&B and Zhik Fireball National Championships 2025 at Looe Sailing Club - Runners and Riders
by Adam Whitehouse 21 May 2025 11:21 BST
24-27 May 2025
Fireball National Championships at Looe © Neil Richardson
It's an early nationals this year, back in the popular venue of Looe in Cornwall. The conditions are looking great for some vigorous sailing, not so good for chillin' on the beach but thems the breaks!
So, what do we think could unfold throughout the event? The entry list could almost be a cut and paste of last years nationals, but the numbers are slightly up (off the back of the new design launch) and renewed enthusiasm in the class as we build towards 'Fireballs coming home' with the worlds in Torbay next year. One treat is we have an Aussie contingent as Ben and Iain join us in their new boat and should be straight into the mix.
At the sharp end we should see an epic battle. Tom and Andy will be hot favourites as the GOATs and who can forget last year in Rock, where they banged in six bullets from the first six, working out of some pretty tricky situations in the process. This year however DJ and Vyv are back together and looking very tasty. Vyv has been in the gym and yoga studio preparing his body and mind - DJ hasn't, but they will be a real threat nonetheless.
There are lots of dark horses lurking in the pack. The green flash of Georgia and Oli will surely feature, second in Rock last year and now regular contenders. Spanner and Simon, second at the Spring champs, new mast and inboard raking and looking very fast. Paul is back to being a regular club sailor getting plenty of time on the water in every class that has ever been built, rumour has it he is campaigning a redwing next year.
Peter and Rich P looked frighteningly quick at Draycote again with inboard rake adjustment. Dave and Paul will have eyes on them as they continue their shake out and you can't discount Kev and Andy or Wally and DC, can they bring back the glory days? The Willcocks boys (now proper grown ups) sixth last year will certainly feature at some stage and will no doubt be on creatine and protein shakes as I write this.
It's pretty exciting for the fleet to see so many younger crews mitigating the ageing regulars that we are. Back for more after the spring champs, Imogen Wade and the returning Oli Raynor and their respective old fellas who will both need three weeks to recover looking at the forecast. We also have Joe Warwicker teaming up with little Mr Bossy and I'm told they could feature at the front... exciting stuff.
We have four father/son combos: Steve and Tom Goacher, Graham and Will Cook, Martyn and Daniel Lewis, Oli and Ben Raynor all will be in the mix. Two daughter/father: Imogen and Dave Wade as well as Christine and Graham Slater. Three sibling pairings with the Willcocks men, Jo and Jemima Line in the last of the real boats and Daniel and Henry Thompson.
Still hanging in there as a married couple and smiling Russ and elegant Ali, we will see the famous pink spinnaker (Russ's choice) out front at some stage as they always seem to grab or come near to a race win every year and of course the almost ever present Willcocks parents, we are all hoping that Andy can finally pull the main in after that rather nasty bicep tear a couple of years ago.
In fact when you look through the fleet there is real depth with lots of names that have featured in the top five at some stage over the last 40 years. That's how it is you see, we love the boat and we love the people that's why we keep coming back year after year. We know there will be competitive racing all the way through with some liquid refreshment afterwards, what more do we need? Can't wait to see you all in a couple of days.
Many thanks to our sponsors Pinnell and Bax and Zhik.
We will be doing lots of video shorts in the boat park and with winners on the water so don't be shy, tell it like it is, speak your truth and be a real pro just like Gary Lineker... Er hang on.