Battle Brewery and Hartley Boats Blaze National Championship 2025 Preview

by Andy Wilson 31 May 15:17 BST 6-8 June 2025

The Blaze Class reunites on its 27th year for another spectacular 3-day Nationals in a return to the English south coast on 6th - 8th June.

As the flagship Blaze event, the National Championship invariably draws a handsome fleet of sailors into a serious but customarily well-mannered racing ensemble. From front to back of fleet there are battles to be fought and the 2025 edition, more than ever, is stacked with reward for the tenacious, whether challenging for Class supremacy or wrestling for the sanctuary of not-last.

Selected for 2024s Blaze Southern Championship, Pevensey Bay Sailing Club was frustrated by circumstance forcing a cancellation. But stepping up in the finest possible way, PBSC now play host to the crown of the championship calendar on their expansive south coast water. Surveyed from the club's sun-kissed terrace, a near-180 degree English Channel horizon spills onto a pebble beach - an inviting racing prospect for any Blaze sailor. We'll be hoping for a champagne prevailing south-westerly, but any breeze with a southerly component would find favour with the fleet. Wind from other directions would deliver exciting racing for the swell-capable Blaze and engage PBSC's numerous well-drilled shore team for safe and dignified launch and recovery to counter any grumpy shore dump.

PBSC generously provide nine etched glass trophies to ornament the mantelpieces of the intrepid.

Blaze builder Hartley BOATS once again flash their strong support for the class, combining an enticing spread of winners' spoils with an equally generous trove for mid and low-end endeavour. Like the Class Association itself, Hartley recognises effort by all sailors. The notionally less-competitive, elder-statesmen polyester boats should be encouraged to mobilise by Hartley's bounteous poly-specific prizes.

It's no real revelation that Blaze sailors like to socialise with a vigour equal to that of their racing, so the drinkable arsenal of sponsorship from the local Battle Brewery will inspirit the fleet. Complimentary off-the-water recovery tipples, keg offerings at the bar and varied bottle-shaped prize-table blazonry are certain to set the evenings alight in all the right ways. Cheery thanks are extended to Battle Brewery for their generous support.

Paul Buckley of Stitchprint is a Blaze sailor himself and continues his support for the Class providing the great looking event polo shirts, discounted for Class Association members.

The extended weekend will be busy with little time to lick metaphoric racing wounds ashore. Blaze Class Association AGM is scheduled after Friday racing and on Saturday, swapping wetsuits for wartime whimsy, a 1940s fancy dress party in celebration of VE Day eightieth is serenaded by a live singer, followed by an intriguing 'raffle-with-a-twist' hosted by Blaze Class entertainment maestro, Lee. If we can deliver ourselves to the start line in one piece on Sunday we'll do some more racing...

The competition itself is set to serve up its usual lively challenges by a number of aspiring champions. The main target will be the inconveniently talented Ben Harden, having pocketed all Nationals titles since 2020. While not unassailable in individual races, Ben will certainly be singled out for attention and it's not inconceivable that challengers will collude to launch a class-act tactical offensive.

Attesting to keen intent en-masse, the early 2025 entrant's list already features all the known most likely championship candidates. The expectation is that we'll see the top 5 populated by some of the names below but an upset isn't implausible. There are plenty of new Blazers yet to realise potential and attracted by all that the Blaze and the class have to offer, the regular arrival of high-end talent continues to enthral and invigorate the fleet.

Ben Harden remains a fantastic advocate for the Blaze Class, sharing his knowledge and experience freely with fellow racers. The Class retained Ben's insightful coaching at the 2025 training day drawing participation from his leading challengers. Did he give away too much?

Ben stands to top the all-time Blaze Nationals winners roll in 2025, having last year equalled sailing legend Steve Cockerill's record run of four on the trot in the early '90s - that's a scalp we know Ben is hungry for.

Pembrokeshire based Christian Smart is a dedicated traveller and no sailor can be guaranteed an easy ride in any of the smaller regional championships with him on the march. Nationals winner in 2008, Christian hasn't dropped a podium spot in any championship event since the summer of 2023. We don't have the ink to list all of Christian's accolades from recent class archives, but it's enough to know that his trophy cabinet has a hole he'll feel deserves to be filled once again.

Sailmaker Alan Harris smashed into the class in 2024 with a win at his first open. Alan had to wait until earlier this year to score his first Championship win (River Crouch Easterns) and looks on course to cast his 2024 Nationals fourth to history.

A third at Nationals and a brace of seconds at Inlands and Easterns propelled Charlie Matthews to victory in the 2024 Blaze Traveller Series. Although lighter than the average Blazer, Charlie has proven his credentials in all winds with neat sailing. As the Class Chairman accustomed to dishing out the prizes, Charlie still takes obvious delight in handing them to himself. He just needs the 'big one' to complete his collection.

At the season opener (Burghfield SC) Alex Cory was relegated to an uncharacteristic mid fleet. He had signed up for the 2025 Easterns to reassert his position on the Travellers scorecard but unable to attend, his championship form remains unproven. We're looking forward to seeing if Alex can reach or surpass the fifth place he achieved at Nationals last year.

Prolific traveller and rising force, Douglas Clow, had acquired a respectable seventh at Nationals and a third at a brutally windy Scottish Championship in 2024. Ambitiously pushing the class front runners hard in 2025 so far Doug has been a whisker out of the championship medals and will be locked on to the Nationals pace setters. Any slip-ups ahead, Doug will exploit... if he can keep his own windy gybes on-point.

Malc Hutchings gave a credible performance at his home Eastern Championship earlier this year, being held to a vexing fourth place in three of the six races. After a modestly promising Nationals seventh in 2023 (and first Grand Master) and a skipped Nationals in 2024 Malc looks to be committed to Blaze it up for this season's championship events with a Travellers tally sheet fully populated so far.

Paignton's Nick Ripley has never strayed far from the Blaze Class since his 2019 Nationals second place. Although Nick's event results have been sporadic more recently, Nick can still pull something special out of the bag. Most notably, Nick won the first race of the 2024 Nationals and drove home a second in one race in 2023. Improved consistency will see this heavyweight Grand Master back in the medals.

A wee way north of Glasgow, Helensburgh SC is home to the largest Blaze fleet in the UK - bar none - and hosts the liveliest seasonal Blaze-only series of all clubs. Dan Challis recently fired an explosive volley of bullets at HSC's 18-race Winter Series and evidently hopes to trail his winning streak all the way south to the Nationals arena.

Blaze form like Dan's doesn't flare by accident and eyes will be on whether local mastery can translate into national impact.

Blaze Class celebrates the arrival of Pevensey local Fiona Balkham to her first Nationals on home water. Sailing in the first Blaze ever sold - No.500 - Fiona will be rocking the smaller Fire rig (un-handicapped) which could be a smart choice depending on the wind. Blaze Class anticipates an inspiring ladies challenge this year, pitting Fiona against ascending Nationals regular Alex Porteous.

Richard Botting, has spent most of his sailing hours in a Fireball this year, but as the ex Blaze Class Chairman continues to put his competitors to shame with a hardcore dedication to fitness off the water, we expect to see Richard's newfound stamina pay off. A loss for the BCA committee in 2023, we're glad to see Richard swapping trapeze for tramps to focus on the Blaze with a point to prove.

Russ Wheeler is one of Sheppey's quality Blazing exports. In a new boat this year, he'll be leveraging his conspicuous 'lucky hat' to help elevate him from a 2024 top ten to a 2025 top five. Russ's IOSSC compatriot, Lee Marriott (BCA events coordinator), took a smart second at the season opener this year (Burghfield SC) helping keep Charlie Matthews out of the medals so his form looks good. IOSSC club head-to-heads between Russ and Lee exposes a hair's breadth between them so Nationals results could be the decider that matters.

Local Blazers Justin Pollard (VC of PBSC and leading event organiser) and James O'Leary enjoyed a nail-biting PBSC Blaze Championship in 2024. Justin won out on a single countback digit leaving James with a thirst for redress. Leading a squadron of seven PBSC Blazes for this event, neither have featured in the big fleet previously so will be keen to score deep marks for their club on the Blaze map.

As the final countdown begins and sailors treat kit-bag contents to a first and last proper wash of the season (or is that just the author?), the 2025 Blaze Nationals are lining up to be an all-out spectacle. Expect hull-to-hull heroics, late-night legends told through a Battle-born haze and a hearty Hartley hoard. This isn't just a regatta—it's a full-blown celebration of everything that makes the Blaze Class thrive. Generously backed by Battle Brewery and Hartley Boats, whether you're chasing ultimate glory, glory adjacent, or simply after an excuse to dress up, there's a gap on the start line for you.

Entries open until 3rd June via the Blaze Class Association website, www.blaze-sailing.org