Blaze Western Championship 2025 at Porthpean Sailing Club

Plan a weekend trip to Cornwall and you're either going back to work on Monday looking as though you've been basking on a sunbed on a Caribbean Island or feeling broken as you hit the traffic gridlock because it poured with rain!

This was the first time that Porthpean had hosted the Blaze fleet, they arrived to Cornish Mizzle, a dreary overcast sky and poor visibility. This wasn't the venue that the travelling sailors had been promised by the home fleet.

After bacon rolls, the Gribben Headland started coming into view, it was time to go. The Westerly breeze was building nicely now, the race team led by Sarah Desjonqueres had set a Trapezoid course with the start off Crinnis beach and the fleet started bang on time.

Blaze Western Championship at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

Local Blaze stalwart Alan Harris was up for it big time, and led the fleet at the windward mark, closely followed by Allan Orton. The first reach greeted everyone one with some big gusts and there were large gains to be made if you could stay in them. Harris & Orton did this well and sailed away from the rest of the fleet with Stacey Bray & Christian Smart heading the bunch, this was how it remained with Peter Barlow taking an excellent fifth place.

After a short delay while the race team tweaked the course to make the reaches even better, race 2 got under way. Harris again was showing impressive upwind speed and rounded first ahead of Smart & Orton. Smart was rapid on the downhill,chasing Harris down, pulling away from Orton, Bray and Nick Ripley. Harris sailed an excellent race and held Smart off, meanwhile Bray had taken third from Orton after a capsize and Ripley completed the top five.

Blaze Western Championship at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

The last race of the day was very much nutritional, who had the most left in the tank? Harris had energy to burn and showed no signs of fatigue even after showing Smart the highlights of St Austell until 3am, the joy of youth! Harris, Orton & Smart had a great battle, Ripley was leading the fleet behind having a great battle with the rapidly improving Harry Spencer. Harris was determined to finish on a high and that he did, Orton managed to hold off the rapid Smart and experience triumphed over youth with Ripley taking fourth from Bray & Spencer.

Some very tired sailors arrived back at the beach to be greeted with a fantastic beach team to help recover their boats, where "Don" (The club's 4wd truck) was waiting to haul them up to the club. The fleet enjoyed a fabulous pizza buffet by Kernowforno and many local ales were consumed as they discussed an epic day on the water.

Blaze Western Championship at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

Day 2 and it was still raining as the sailors looked over the bay while consuming their breakfast baps and painkillers! The fleet today was joined by the Solos and a brisk NW breeze. The race team had stuck with the trapezoid course again as it had proved a popular choice from the day before.

Race 1, and the lightest sailor in the fleet Christian Smart was determined to make his mark. Smart and Harris lead at the windward mark with a large group close behind headed by Orton, Bray & Spencer. Smart used his downwind skills to great effect and gave his Celtic cousins a sailing lesson, the ever consistent Harris sat comfortably in second. Bray was feeling the heat from Orton & Spencer and when it got too much he took a swim to cool off. Smart sailed a great race to win comfortably from Harris with Orton managing to hold off the challenges of Spencer and Julian Owens having a great race to complete the top five.

Blaze Western Championship at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

Race 2 saw an appearance from Charlie Nunn rounding first at the top mark in a borrowed boat and flamingo pyjamas! Smart & Harris led the fleet behind, Nunn held them off until the leeward mark, until Smart and Harris overhauled him on the next windward leg. Smart sailed an excellent windward leg and pulled out a lead that was not to be challenged. Harris was battling with Nunn who narrowly missed out on second. Smart took the gun followed by Harris, Nunn with Spencer and Owens making up the top five just ahead of Tim Morgan.

The last race of the day, Bray was back in the mix after thinking he was at a swimming event and Orton too who had done a rapid kicker repair. Bray showed some great upwind pace and led at the first mark with all the usual suspects in hot pursuit with Nunn, Harris, Smart, Orton. Bray managed to keep them at bay and was able to use his local knowledge to stay ahead. Meanwhile behind Smart, Harris, Orton, Nunn Spencer were locked in battle. This time Bray managed to stay in his boat taking the win comfortably after Smart & Harris decided they wanted to see what all the swimming fuss was about. Harris recovered first to take second with Nunn taking third as he passed Smart on his turtled hull. Smart eventually got going to finish fourth from Orton making up the top five.

Thanks again to our visiting sailors and to all of our club volunteers that make these events happen. The next Blaze event is at North Devon Yacht Club on August 2nd, before they head back up North to Scotland in September.

Blaze Western Championship at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

Overall Results: