XOD Grenfell Challenge Cup, Lone Star Cup, and Hands Cup 2025 at Itchenor Sailing Club
by Steve Dover 19 Aug 13:43 BST
16-17 August 2025
XOD lady's race for the Grenfell Challenge Cup © Steve Dover
Over the weekend of 16-17 August, the XODs at Itchenor Sailing Club held several different races instead of normal club racing.
On Saturday morning the women of ISC competed in the lady's race for the Grenfell Challenge Cup with seven boats out. Conditions were dull and grey with a shifty north-easterly wind of about 12 knots.
Gill Ellis in X173 had a good start followed by Katie Evans in X71, Beverly Coghlan in X26 and Emily Heath in X189, but competition was fierce with lots of place changes throughout the fleet. Amanda Heath in X101 didn't start well but managed to find her way back to the main fleet, with Pippi Heath in X32 and Penny Plant in X152 working hard to close the gap.
Gill Ellis tried a tide avoidance tactic that didn't work and ended up out of contention with the final result being Beverley Coghlan in X26 crewed by Colin Mckinnon and Alastair Shaw coming first, Katie Evans crewed by Damian Ash in X71 second, Emily Heath crewed by father Roger and Peter Hansell in X189 third, and Amanda Heath crewed by Emma Hansell and Gemma Carter in X101 in fourth place.
On Saturday afternoon the single-handed race for the Lone Star Cup was held with four boats taking part. It was still grey and overcast with an easterly breeze that kept trying to go to the south, and strengthened to just under 15 knots. Colin Mckinnon sailing X26 won the start closely followed by Nick Andrews in X177, with Steve Dover in X32 and Peter Beckett in X184 a little further back.
Sailing XODs single handed in 15 knots of breeze is hard work and everyone was glad when the race officer shortened the course. Colin Mckinnon and Nick Andrews had a great battle all the way to the finish with Colin Mckinnon in X26 coming first and Nick Andrews in X177 second. Peter Beckett in X184 squeezed ahead of X32 to come in third, with Steve Dover in X32 ending forth.
The Hands Cup was run on Sunday morning to give people who normally crew a chance to helm a race. Four boats battled it out in a very shifty 12-14 knot breeze. Alun Jones helming X39 was first to the windward mark closely followed by Katie Evans in X71, Roger Heath in X189 and Chris Elliott in X32. It seemed that Alun Jones was in control of the race and it stayed in that order until the last beat when Katie Evans in X71 'saw' a large shift coming and managed to get past Alun Jones, and stayed there to win the Hands Cup, with Alun Jones in X39 second, Roger Heath in X189 in third, and Chris Elliott in X32 in forth.