Phantoms at Burnham Week 2025

by Mark Spruce 30 Aug 2025 08:00 BST 23-25 August 2025

Once again, I made the 130 mile trek to the East Coast Ditch - sorry, the wonderful river Crouch and its ancient nautical town (it's really just a large village with four great sailing clubs) of Burnham on Crouch in Essex for the annual tide fest that is Burnham Week. A quality fleet of eight Phantoms were entered and as always the wind gods provided great breeze for all three days.

Day one kicked off with a NNE gradient veering to an Easterly sea breeze - 8 to 12 knots straight up the river. Race 1 was long - 1hr 45mins and nearly 2 hours for the back markers! Pile house line with the obligatory beat against the tide up the north bank to Rubber Ball followed by incursions into and out of the river Roach and a run back to the committee boat. Sprucey controlled the race from the start and took the win followed by Richard Nurse.

Race 2 was shorter - beats with the tide and long runs clinging to the bank against the flow back to the finish line. Despite taking the start and leading for 60% of the race, Sprucey struggled on the long run against the tide back home with Richard Nurse, local Stuart Brewer and Alan Husk all slipping past in that order. Richard Nurse now had 3 pts, leading from Sprucey with 5 and Alan Husk on 7.

Day Two dawned with a light southerly gradient which backed to a 12 - 15 Kt ESE sea breeze throughout the day. A delayed start saw only one race - once again led for some way by Sprucey before Richard Nurse's well known downwind speed, and a really impressive turn of upwind performance saw him take the lead and the win. He said he was hiking off his toe nails but he's definitely found a sweet spot in his rig set up. Third was Alan Husk in Harry B's old boat - he's cranking in a solid series.

The Phantoms made a unanimous decision to sail one race only as the late start would impede on the very important Class Dinner at Ye Olde Whyte Harte - a local hostelry nearly as old as half the Creeksea Phantom Fleet!

Day 3 started off with the promise of more breeze from the SE, with the racing area moved to the moorings right in front of the town off Burnham Sailing Club. A figure of 8 course in 6 to 8 knots which built to 10 to 12 knots during the race, saw Bill Taylor make mark 1 first, closely followed by Andrew Hunt, finishing in those positions with Richard Nurse taking the last podium place.

Race 2 used the same course with the breeze building to 12 to 14 knots from the East. The racing was close throughout the fleet and once again, Bill Taylor used his speed and local Burnham knowledge to take the win from Rich Nurse with Andy Pyett in 3rd.

That meant Richard Nurse had not only won the Phantom series at Burnham Week, and the famous Phantom Half Hull trophy for an unprecedented third time in a row, but he has also won the Phantom East Coast Championship with an event to spare.

Second overall was Alan Husk, who put a really good series together with good speed and smart sailing all weekend - he was always up there. His prize will be presented by Titch Wayling at the upcoming National Championship at Plymouth in September.

Third overall was another local and Commodore of Creeksea Sailing Club, Stuart Brewer.

A really good weekend of racing with great competitors and friendly socials. It's my third visit, the wind has never let me down and the social is always good. I will be back!

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Boat	Helm	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1st	1500		Richard Nurse	Northampton SC	2	1	1	‑3	2	6
2nd	1458		Alan Husk		4	3	3	‑6	4	14
3rd	1248	High PLanes Drifter	Stuart Brewer	Creeksea SC	5	2	4	4	‑6	15
4th	1482	The Ghost of Tom Joad	Andrew Hunt	Royal Thames YC	3	‑6	6	2	5	16
5th	1342	Phurious	Mark Spruce	Lee on Solent SC	1	4	2	(DNC)	DNC	17
6th	1488	Phantom	Andrew Pyett	Combs SC	‑6	5	5	5	3	18
7th	1420	Ghost Ship	Bill Taylor	Creeksea SC	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	1	1	22
8th	1425	Perpetual Motion	Steve Pates	Ardleigh SC	7	DNS	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	35
9th	1433	Pink Panther	Warren Martin	Creeksea SC	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	40