Supernova National Championship 2025 at the WPNSA

Supernova National Championship 2025 at the WPNSA - Day 2

by Chris Hawley 28 Jun 19:42 BST 27-29 June 2025

Chris Webber in the class loan boat on day 2 of the Supernova Nationals at the WPNSA © David Henshall

Have you ever put a blindfold on and run as fast as you can? No? Neither have I, but I imagine it was a bit like sailing at Weymouth today. We had 3 great races in Portland harbour in what can only be described as a spooky mist.

You had no idea where the windward mark was and just had to trust it was there and then after what felt like an age it emerged from the fog like something from a Victorian horror movie as you realised how far was still to go!

After an extended delay waiting for the 505s to return from their excursion to the bay the committee boat was on station and were ready and raring to go.

Race 1 was held is similar wind conditions to yesterday, but slightly less chop. The wind eased a bit for race 3 making conditions a bit more friendly for the fleet.

I was close enough to the front to get a bit of a feel for the leading pack (a sign I personally had a better day). It was great to see my Bartley stablemate Sean Ricketts absolute smash the first beat and lead at the windward mark - Alex Horlock doesn't get it all his own way. However at the next beat Sean suffered a critical gear failure with a snapped toe strap - much swimming and rope bodging later he finished the race. Alex took win number 4.

A eerie mist on day 2 of the Supernova Nationals at the WPNSA - photo © David Henshall

In races 2 and 3 I could see (I think) Chris Webber (in the class loan boat - time to get your cheque book out Chris!), Tom White and Matt Thursfield in the mix with Sean 2nd to the windward mark behind Alex in both races.

Race 3 was interesting as some competitors were a bit off the angle of super pathfinder Hugo Hansen and found themselves adrift from the gate boat. This probably accounts for why I had the best start I'd had all weekend, with Jeremy Higson also having a great one and looking like he was going to cross the fleet. However a bit of a backer paid to the earlier starters. Massive credit to Andrew Goodman Smith who flew across in front of us (with former Champ Cliff Milliner) and he was using a small sail!

It was however business as usual at the front and Alex took 2 more bullets giving him a complete perfect set of 6 race wins and securing the title of National Champion with a day to spare. The question now is whether Alex tries to fold his 7ft brother into the front of the Melges for the Endeavour. Well done Alex - great result.

Tomorrow is looking sketchy at best. Will we sail? We don't know yet but either way the committee and race team will be supported with their decision.

Results after Day 2:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Club	Division	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	1361	Alex Horlock	Exe	Platinum	‑1	1	1	1	1	1	5
2	1315	Chris Webber	Paignton	Gold	‑4	2	3	2	4	3	14
3	1337	Tom White	Olton Mere	Silver	3	4	4	3	2	‑8	16
4	1302	Matt Thursfield	Chelmarsh	Platinum	2	‑7	2	7	7	2	20
5	1357	Cliff Milliner	Cotswold	Platinum	5	‑6	5	4	6	4	24
6	1115	Peter Mackin	Stokes Bay SC	Platinum	6	3	7	‑9	3	7	26
7	1073	Sean Ricketts	Bartley	Gold	7	5	6	‑29	5	6	29
8	1218	Hugo Hansen	Cotswold	Platinum	12	16	(DNC [86])	5	11	5	49
9	1188	Kevin Reed	Roadford Lake	Bronze	9	10	12	10	10	‑21	51
10	1306	Richard Lambert	Bough Beech	Gold	19	‑31	9	6	8	10	52
11	1358	Gavin Young	Cotswold	Platinum	11	11	8	8	‑17	14	52
12	1163	Luke Fisher	Emberton Park	Bronze	10	12	10	11	13	‑15	56
13	1095	Thomas Williams	Bartley	Gold	13	8	‑21	13	19	20	73
14	1356	Mike Critchley	Bolton	Platinum	15	13	18	17	12	‑31	75
15	1201	Christopher Williams	Cotswold	Gold	8	19	‑37	26	9	16	78
16	1359	Andrew Flitcroft	Bolton	Gold	16	‑40	11	15	15	24	81
17	1248	Matthew Williams	Cotswold	Gold	21	18	16	16	‑43	13	84
18	1246	Anthony Critchley	Bolton	Gold	14	21	20	14	16	‑32	85
19	700	Douglas White	Cotswold	Bronze	‑28	17	13	19	21	18	88
20	1258	Ian Howett	Haversham	Silver	22	14	14	18	22	‑38	90
21	1333	Chris Hawley	Bartley	Gold	24	‑30	19	21	20	12	96
22	1162	Oliver Crocker	Cotswold	Silver	23	9	‑31	12	25	28	97
23	1319	Sean Muldoon	Haversham	Silver	40	‑41	25	23	14	9	111
24	1027	Steve Broom		Bronze	17	‑28	15	25	28	26	111
25	1318	James Gerwat	Shoreham	Gold	20	‑27	22	27	24	22	115
26	1329	Martin Smith	Chelmarsh	Gold	33	20	(RET [86])	22	30	11	116
27	1267	Jeremy Higson	Bartley	Gold	25	24	17	31	‑35	19	116
28	1202	Martin Burgess	Bough Beech	Silver	18	25	(RET [86])	39	18	17	117
29	1252	Andrew Gomm	Ogston	Gold	26	15	26	‑36	29	23	119
30	1309	Daniel Stewardson	Emberton Park	Bronze	‑46	23	36	20	27	39	145
31	1244	Julian White	Cotswold	Bronze	‑35	32	28	28	33	29	150
32	1249	Marcus Shaw	Girton	Silver	34	‑49	23	33	23	40	153
33	1256	Paul Burton	Girton	Bronze	36	22	30	‑50	41	27	156
34	1094	Clive Brown	Bolton	Gold	32	36	27	42	‑73	25	162
35	1281	Duncan Cheshire	Chelmarsh	Silver	29	29	‑46	37	39	34	168
36	1353	Dana Church	Notts County	Gold	38	‑43	29	41	32	36	176
37	1263	Daniel Morgans	Pembrokeshire YC	Bronze	30	33	35	‑44	38	43	179
38	1261	Shaun Welsh	Porthpean	Bronze	27	37	24	45	50	‑52	183
39	1219	Alistair Boyd	Haversham	Bronze	(RET [86])	44	33	40	36	30	183
40	1342	Philip Hind	Ogston	Silver	‑59	42	56	30	26	37	191
41	1257	Mike Gibson	Bartley	Gold	49	26	‑51	49	34	33	191
42	1277	Douglas Rankin	Blithfield	Silver	31	35	39	‑46	40	46	191
43	1230	Chris Kneale	Cardiff Bay	Bronze	‑56	34	32	34	47	48	195
44	1272	Andy Goodman Smith	Attenborough	Bronze	‑47	46	38	47	37	35	203
45	1250	David Partridge	Chelmarsh	Silver	42	38	‑50	48	44	42	214
46	1223	Jon Pebody	Hunts	Silver	50	39	40	43	49	‑57	221
47	1275	Rob Bell	Emberton Park	Bronze	37	50	(RET [86])	35	54	54	230
48	1176	Mark Hitchmough	Bowmoor	Bronze	39	48	(RET [86])	51	46	50	234
49	698	Charles Felgate	Cardiff Bay	Bronze	44	52	34	60	45	‑63	235
50	1184	Garry Butterfield	Bartley	Silver	43	‑59	45	56	52	44	240
51	1126	Alex Clapperton	Lilliput	Bronze	52	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	32	42	41	253
52	1307	Martin Roots	Cardiff Bay	Gold	41	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	24	61	45	257
53	1215	Michael Malcolm	Haversham	Bronze	‑61	56	43	57	59	47	262
54	1269	James Paterson	Bartley	Bronze	60	‑62	42	59	55	56	272
55	1220	Matthew Endlish	Bowmoor	Bronze	‑68	57	49	55	56	59	276
56	1334	Stephen Blair	Beaver SC	Bronze	53	55	(RET [86])	63	57	51	279
57	1151	Andrew Bethell	Lilliput	Bronze	58	53	47	61	‑63	62	281
58	1360	Owen Griffiths	Bowmoor	Gold	63	51	(RET [86])	53	60	61	288
59	1059	Adrian Davis	Girton	Silver	51	45	41	(RET [86])	DNS [86]	66	289
60	1180	David Stephen	Bartley	Bronze	(RET [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	38	31	49	290
61	1235	Malcolm Crundwell	Exe	Bronze	69	60	(RET [86])	58	51	60	298
62	1282	Gareth Blakemore	Bartley	Bronze	64	63	44	64	‑68	68	303
63	1074	Richard Williams	Bartley	Bronze	62	58	(DNC [86])	54	67	67	308
64	1021	Daniel Boddice	Bartley	Bronze	‑65	65	53	65	62	64	309
65	1009	Steve Jellicoe	Olton Mere	Bronze	45	47	48	(RET [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	312
66	1083	Serena Stewardson	Emberton Park	Bronze	‑70	66	52	62	64	69	313
67	1172	Emily Osborne	Ogston	Bronze	‑71	67	55	66	65	65	318
68	1069	Andy Marshall	Bowmoor	Bronze	55	64	(RET [86])	68	66	70	323
69	1134	Tom Baldwin	Ogston	Bronze	66	69	54	69	69	‑71	327
70	1203	Steve Johnson	Cotswold	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	52	58	55	337
71	1211	David Hansen	Cotswold	Bronze	67	61	57	73	(DNS [86])	DNC [86]	344
72	1298	Matthew English	Bowmoor	Bronze	(RET [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	72	48	53	345
73	1190	Nick Booth	Pembrokeshire YC	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	67	53	58	350
74	1103	David Allen	Haversham	Bronze	54	54	(RET [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	366
75	1305	Stuart Stephen	Bartley	Bronze	48	68	(RET [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	374
76	1041	James Ashworth	Cotswold	Bronze	(RET [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	74	71	72	389
77	1057	Ian Casewell	Cotswold	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	71	70	RET [86]	399
78	1099	Peter Housley	Swarkstone	Bronze	57	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	RET [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	401
79	1196	Mike Griffiths	Emberton Park	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	75	72	DNS [86]	405
80	1254	Tony Bleasdale	Girton	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	70	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	414
81	1362	Paul Undrell	Cotswold	Silver	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	430
81	588	Karen Bell	Emberton Park	Bronze	(RET [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	430
81	1363	Tony English	Bowmoor	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	430
81	436	Owen Griffiths	Bowmoor	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	430
81	1124	Colin Ricketts	Bartley	Bronze	(DNC [86])	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	DNC [86]	430