2025 Sonata National Championship at Castle Cove Sailing Club
by Tony Woods 28 Aug 2025 07:41 BST
24-27 August 2025
2025 Sonata Nationals at Castle Cove © Mark Graham & James Parker-Mowbrey
Castle Cove Sailing Club were superb hosts for the 2025 Sonata National Championship, partnered by the WPNSA. The management of the event was given a massive thumbs up from the grateful sailors who enjoyed superb tight racing throughout the fleet.
Socially the Club also excelled offering entertainment, great food, and superb ales for all entrants.
The race management team excelled, and laid on a fantastic series in conditions which varied from 8 to 38 knots! Both inside the harbour and in Weymouth Bay.
The fleet consisted of a very healthy entry of 26 Boats from various corners of the UK. The fleet boasted a fair representation of Ex World, and National Champions, as well as a corinthian contingent with a great proportion of the fleet coming from Youth and Under 25 teams which is extremely encouraging for the Sonata class which offers competative high quality class racing without the associated arms race.
Over a four day Championship the racing could not have been tighter with 4 boats winning the individual races, and the overall places being seperated by a few points.
Racing mostly took place in Shorts and T-Shirt conditions with light to moderate conditions but the last day produced wild conditions with wipe outs, spinnakers laid flat, and Number 3 jibs being hoisted for the first time since the mid 80's on some boats.
It was epic, and a testament to the class and the sailors that all returned with smiles on their faces and masts still upright.
After four days of highly competitive racing the results showed the top 5 to be as follows.
5th place - Wasp
Skippered by Luke Goodall and his young crew, the Solent-based boat can boast the title of the best looking boat in the fleet and their results looked pretty impressive too.
4th place - Aquila
The Blackpool and Fleetwood crew skippered by Nick Holt can surely claim to be the most improved boat within the fleet. They had blistering pace at times and just missed out on a podium finish at the last mark of the last race. There's more to come from this team.
3rd place - Frankie The Rhino
A consistent set of Championship results got Frankie The Rhino another podium Nationals result skippered by Tony Woods and ably assisted by no other than Jim Hunt.
2nd place - Eric The Boat
With Steve Goacher as skipper and Chris Robinson on foredeck their Sonata credentials were never in question. They put together a superb set of results with an odd navigational issue here and there mixed in. They may have missed out in 2025 but don't rule out another challenge from them at the 50th anniversary National Championships next year.
2025 National Champions - Duette
To win with a day to spare in the Sonata fleet requires Skill, great teamwork, superb boat handling, speed, and tactical awareness and that is what Joe Cross and his crew have in abundance.
They put together a fantastic series which gave them a well deserved 2025 National Championship title.
Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Sonata nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here
| Pos | Sail No | Boat Name | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 53N | Duette | Joe Cross | | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ‑3 | 2 | 3 | (DNC) | 11 |
| 2 | 8748 | Eric | Chris Robinson | | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | (NSC) | 2 | (OCS) | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| 3 | 8199 | Frankie The Rhino | Anthony Woods | | ‑5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ‑8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 28N | Aquila | Nick Holt | | 2 | 2 | 4 | ‑7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ‑7 | 4 | 19 |
| 5 | 05N | Wasp | Luke Goodall | | 6 | (DNF) | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | ‑10 | 5 | 34 |
| 6 | 8420 | Watersong | Paul Hopper | | 3 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | (ZFP) | ‑9 | 8 | 43 |
| 7 | 03N | Zingy | Daniel Willett | | 9 | ‑10 | 9 | ‑15 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 47 |
| 8 | 81N | Nancy | Richard Bowers | | 11 | 8 | 5 | ‑13 | 4 | 5 | ZFP | (DNF) | 7 | 53 |
| 9 | 8999 | BD2 | Alistair Bolton | | 10 | 6 | ‑13 | ‑12 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 57 |
| 10 | 06N | Puffin | Jon Tweedle | | ‑16 | RDG | 15 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8 | (DNC) | 65 |
| 11 | 08N | Harmony | Archie Munro‑Price | | ‑12 | 5 | ‑14 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 66 |
| 12 | 14N | Saraband | Mark Taylor | | 7 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 11 | ‑18 | 10 | ‑13 | 11 | 67 |
| 13 | 8114 | Chrysalis | Tom Bentley | | 13 | 11 | 12 | ‑14 | 14 | 8 | (OCS) | 4 | 9 | 71 |
| 14 | 8872 | White Magic | David Pipe | | 14 | ‑15 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 13 | (ZFP) | 12 | 13 | 84 |
| 15 | 8067 | Ton Up | James Parker‑Mowbray | | 8 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 12 | 16 | (DNS) | (DNC) | 6 | 85 |
| 16 | 00N | Smoke on the Water | Nigel Silman | | 15 | 13 | ‑17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | (DNC) | 14 | 101 |
| 17 | 38N | Pintsize | Michael Goodwin | | ‑17 | 14 | 11 | ‑17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 104 |
| 18 | 74N | Third Movement | Chloe Clarke | | ‑19 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 14 | (DNC) | 105 |
| 19 | 786 | Barracuda | Alec Asker | | (OCS) | 19 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 14 | 15 | (DNC) | 127 |
| 20 | 70N | Hobo | Mark Graham | | 20 | 17 | ‑23 | ‑22 | 21 | 22 | 17 | DNF | 16 | 135 |
| 21 | 00N | BOB | Michael Riley | William Griffiths | ‑23 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 17 | (DNC) | 138 |
| 22 | 8075 | Andante | Jonathan Carter | | ‑22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 22 | ‑23 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 140 |
| 23 | 8258 | Blues Breaker | David Brock | John Kirby | ‑24 | 23 | ‑24 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 144 |
| 24 | 05N | Piccolo | Clive Brooke | | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 18 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 152 |
| 25 | 8368 | Samurai | Andy Gaunt | | 18 | 21 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 174 |
| 26 | 71N | Far Out | Matthew Riley | | (DNF) | (DNC) | DNC | 25 | DNS | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 186 |
