Please select your home edition
Edition
Sailingfast 2018 728x90

ILCA Thames Valley Series Grand Prix at Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club

by David Symons 7 Sep 21:53 BST 7 September 2025
ILCA Thames Valley Series GP at Island Barn © David Symons

Thirty nine entries made Saturday's Island Barn ILCA Open the largest of the Thames Valley Grand Prix series so far this year. The club worked hard to encourage all sailing levels to enter and the sunny conditions made for a wonderful early autumn day's racing in Surrey.

The morning two races saw a moderate and building breeze which was excellent for all. The wind then picked up significantly for the afternoon races which was challenging even for the more experienced sailors on the water.

In the full rig, Wembley's Joza Cic saw off clubmate, William Macdonald by a single point. Honorary mention to Martin Yates for persevering through the challenging conditions.

In the ILCA 6, the top three places went down to the wire with Papercourt's Lauren Irons just holding off Island Barn's Isla Todd and Lucas Symons who both finished with a win each and were separated by just by countback. It was great to see the evergreen Mark Dence putting his L&SE Topper experience on the water, and also kudos to Mike Goldring, Andrea Bassani and Theodore Butcher who sailed out their comfort zones for the afternoon racing.

The ILCA 4 class saw a number of sailors putting their ILCA Skills Week training into practice as they moved out the Topper class. Desborough's Oscar Lay came out on top with Aqua Sports', Evan Hellyer and IB's Dexter Corkin picking up second and third places with a win each in the series.

Big thanks to all the Island Barn volunteers who put on an excellent day and to Dave Ryder for his pragmatic and proficient role as Race Officer.

ILCA 7 Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4Pts
1st211870Joza CicWembley1‑2214
2nd216377William MacDonaldWembley2‑3125
3rd215429Andrew Hill‑SmithPapercourt4‑73310
4th185722David ToddIBRSC554(DNC)14
5th152767Rob SumnerIBRSC915(DNF)15
6th204719Andrew McLeishUp River YC‑746515
7th200663Peter CromptonWembley SC(DNC)87419
8th224552Neil CrosbyBowmoor3118(DNC)22
9th134295Greg WalczakIBRSC8611(DNC)25
10th165372Simon BeanIsland Barn6139(DNC)28
11th14393Valentyn SamchukIBRSC12‑1412630
12th199006Colin HammondIBRSC119(DNF)DNC35
13th418Peter CromptonWembley(DNC)1010DNC35
14th147819Martin YatesIBRSC101213(DNC)35

ILCA 6 Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4Pts
1st224549Lauren IronsPapercourt SC‑31124
2nd226482Isla ToddIBRSC(DNS)3216
3rd213540Lucas SymonsIBRSC12‑536
4th177899Peter Stroia‑WilliamsLittleton SC2‑4349
5th186722Finlay ToddIBRSC454‑613
6th197934Nick MarleyIBRSC66‑7517
7th1Mark DenceIBRSC8‑126721
8th52327Mike GoldringIBRSC10‑118826
9th189418Theodore ButcherIBRSC58(DNS)DNS29
10th2Andrea BassaniIBRSC77(DNF)DNS30
11th173611David SymonsIBRSC99(DNS)DNS34
12th197629Ben MayIBRSC1110(DNS)DNS37
13th121946Simon WoodwardIBRSC1214(DNF)DNS42
14th193645Giulio MazzariniIBRSC(DNF)13DNSDNS45
15th204965Paul SouthallIBRSC(DNF)DNSDNSDNS48

ILCA 4 Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4Pts
1st224651Oscar LayDesborough‑22215
2nd216655Evan HellyerAqua Sports‑71326
3rd209991Dexter CorkinIBRSC13‑537
4th7Alex BaldingIBRSC451(OCS)10
5th224156Sam DenceIBRSC344(DNF)11
6th210223Hannah KewleyIBRSC5‑66516
7th213852George SumnerIBRSC6‑77417
8th221494Cillian McGuireIBRSC888(DNS)24
9th21354Michelle RyderIBRSC99(DNS)DNS29

Related Articles

ILCA Midlands Grand Prix Final at Bartley
Challenging courses after a wait for the wind Bartley Sailing Club hosted the finals for the ILCA Midlands Grand Prix circuit sponsored by Performance Sailcraft, which finished with lots of visitors and members waiting for the wind to arrive so we could go racing. Posted on 18 Oct
ILCA Northern Series 2025 Series
A packed season of thirteen events across the region The 2025 ILCA Northern Series ended after a packed season of thirteen events across the region, showcasing some of the best single handed racing talent in the country. Posted on 13 Oct
ILCA LA28 Olympic Format Test Event
Shaping the Future of Olympic Sailing Vilamoura Sailing, in partnership with Marina de Vilamoura and the International ILCA Class Association, will host the ILCA LA28 Olympic Format Test Event from 7 to 12 October 2025 in Vilamoura, Portugal. Posted on 8 Oct
2025 ILCA U21 Europeans Set to Break Records
Split, Croatia is set to welcome a total of 242 competitors The upcoming 2025 ILCA Under-21 European Championships & Open European Trophy is set to make history as the largest edition to date, with a record-breaking number of participants confirmed for the event, which will take place at JK Mornar in Split. Posted on 3 Oct
2025 ILCA Master Worlds at Formia, Italy
Aa week of challenging conditions and fierce international competition The 2025 ILCA Master World Championships came to a close on Sunday in Formia, wrapping up a week of challenging conditions, fierce international competition, and unforgettable moments both on and off the water. Posted on 29 Sep
ILCA Grand Prix at Bowmoor
Another reminder to read the instructions carefully, and note the buoys carefully Twenty-one ILCAs turned out at Bowmoor Sailing Club on Saturday September 20th for their ILCA Grand Prix meeting. It counts towards both the Wessex Grand Prix series and for the Thames Valley series. Posted on 23 Sep
ILCA Announcement
Protecting the one-design integrity of the class ILCA's mission is to protect the integrity of strict one-design sailing—the principle that ensures every sailor competes on equal terms. This principle, enshrined in the ILCA Fundamental Rule, has been the foundation of our class's success. Posted on 21 Sep
ILCA open meeting at Frensham
22 sailors were faced with an incoming storm but no sign of wind upon arrival 22 sailors were faced with an incoming storm but with no sign of wind when they arrived on Sunday morning for one of the Thames Valley ILCA open meetings. The start was postponed for a short time. Posted on 21 Sep
Enter now for the 2025 ILCA U21 Europeans
Last week to apply for the record-breaking event The 2025 ILCA Under 21 European Championships & Open European Trophy will be held in Split, Croatia, from 18-25 October 2025, and it's shaping up to be a record-breaking event, with 240 entries already received. Posted on 20 Sep
Formia to Host 450+ Sailors for ILCA Master Worlds
Sailors from 31 nations have arrived in Italy The 2025 ILCA Master World Championships officially kicked off today in Formia, Italy. This year's event has drawn over 450 sailors from 31 nations, making it one of the largest gatherings of the ILCA Master community worldwide. Posted on 19 Sep