Super hot fleet set for racing at the Flying Fifteen Worlds
by Mark Jardine 16 Aug 2025 09:15 BST
16-21 August 2025
2023 UK Flying Fifteen Nationals in Weymouth © Phil Jackson / Digital Sailing
The Flying Fifteen Worlds, headline sponsored by PRO-SET Epoxy and Ovington Boats, is taking place at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) in the UK with racing set to start today in Weymouth Bay.
82 teams from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa, Spain, New Zealand, and the hosting nation are set to compete in what is arguably the hottest fleet ever assembled in the class.
Champions from many classes are drawn to the classic Uffa Fox design which was ahead of its time when first built in 1948. A quick look down the entry list shows winners of national and world level events in the Cape 31, Etchells, Fireball, Firefly, 505, International 14, ILCA, Mirror, Optimist, RS Elite, Sonata, Squib, Viper 640 as well as winners on the Ultra 30 Grand Prix circuit back in the '90s - a very early precursor to the SailGP Grand Prix stadium racing.
Sailors are attracted by the hugely tuneable rig, which allows them to eke out every fraction of a knot of boat speed against their competitors, and the surprising turn of speed the 6-metre / 20-foot hull can achieve, especially downwind in waves where the boat flies down the surf.
When it comes to the favourites, it's hard to not put Graham Vials and Chris Turner at the top of the list. The five-time champions won in 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2023, but their Pre-Worlds showed the legendary pairing aren't unbeatable. They started with a 14th, BFD and 15th, putting them fully on the back foot, but ominously they finished 2nd and 4th in the final two races, showing they could be peaking at just the right time.
Winners of the Pre-Worlds, and also crowned the UK Champions, were Ben McGrane and Russ Clark, who finished every race in the top five during an event where consistency was very hard to come by. The pairing has come back together after 18 months apart sailing in other classes but have an incredible record in multiple classes.
From Australia, Nick Jerwood and Greg Tonnison lead the charge. Jerwood was champion in the Worlds back in 2005, and has finished second to Vials and Turner three times in the event, so will be longing to lift the trophy he last won two decades ago. Signs were encouraging in the Pre-Worlds, finishing on the podium and just a point off winning the event.
Russell Peters and Zeb Elliott have won events in countless classes and are a formidable pairing. They were the only team to count two race wins in the Pre-Worlds, missing out on the win by a single point as they weren't as consistent as McGrane and Clark.
Then there's Lijia Xu, sailing with Cameron Tweedle. The double Olympic medallist won her gold on these waters at London 2012 in the women's singlehanded dinghy and will be a formidable competitor.
There are then an incredible number of stalwarts in the fleet. With strong club fleets throughout the UK and around the world, there is regular racing throughout the year, and many who try the Flying Fifteen end up staying in the class. Over 4,000 have been built over the years, with that number continuing to grow with co-sponsor Ovington Boats producing them in the UK.
The Opening Ceremony was held last night at the WPNSA, with the sailors in good spirits ahead of racing. While competition is fierce, there is strong camaraderie throughout the fleet and long friendships have been forged in the class.
The Race Officer for the is Mark Wood, universally known as Woodsy, who delivered his briefing in a relaxed manner. During the speeches there was a special RYA Impact Award for the WPNSA's Sally Reynoldson, who does so much behind the scenes at the academy. Also, a huge thank-you to the army of awesome volunteers who are making this event possible!
More information on the event noticeboard here.
Pre-Worlds results can be found here.