Firefly open meeting at Dell Quay Sailing Club

Firefly open meeting at Dell Quay © John Roberson

The Dell Quay Sailing Club Firefly Open 2025 was more than just a regatta — it was a two-day spectacle set against the magnificent backdrop of Chichester Harbour and underscored by Dell Quay's centenary year celebrations.

With club members marking 100 years of camaraderie and competition, there was extra sparkle both on and off the water. Generations of Firefly Sailors, Dell Quay members and a small army of awesome volunteers basked in autumn sunshine, savoury galley treats, and the club's world-renowned Dark and Stormys.

Saturday dawned early, like really early! The weekend's tides were early, so the first warning signal was scheduled for 10:15 on Saturday morning!!!

The 25 boat fleet gathered with anticipation, awesome bacon rolls, and a lively breeze across Chichester Harbour. After a short, rousing and very concise competitor briefing, the fleet headed afloat under grey but brightening skies. With a good south-westerly breeze touching 15knots at times and some quite exciting gusts, three back-to-back races were set to give crews a true taste of Dell Quay Firefly action.

Saturday's opener began with typical Dell Quay conditions, it's like a big lake, with tide added in to ramp up the excitement at the mark roundings. The start was bustling and the fleet panned out across the harbour with a main pack headed up the right hand and another group crossing the channel early to take the left bank. Sophia & Dom Johnson arrived first from the left hand bank, with a number of boats over estimating the tide & over standing from the right.

Firefly open meeting at Dell Quay - photo © Peter Blow

The front three held their places through a theatrical race with Jono & Freddie Pank squeezing into the lead by the finish. Guy Davison & Sally Wakefield took a fast line down the run to grab second, while Sophia & Dom Johnson took third.

The second contest was one for tacticians, with gusts playing hide and seek between the trees and moorings. Bosham's Paul & Finn Kameen took full advantage, threading through traffic, variable breezes and a leeward mark positioned so beautifully close to a moored boat, that the fleet had to organise themselves really quite efficiently to make it round at all.

They grabbed the lead on the second round and held on to take the win. Barney Smith & Katherine Wolfe-Barry emerged triumphant from a five boat wide wing mark park up at the final gybe mark, that created a bit of noise and left a couple of teams sailing off quietly on the low line, avoiding eye contact and any further discussions concerning the specific details of who was actually overlapped on who...

Newly crowned Southport 24hr race victors Jenny Smallwood & Philip Aldhous put in a solid charge, and spotted the significant finish line bias, to grab a well earned third.

By mid-afternoon the wind was steady, the sun peered out, and the tide had started to flow out. All set for the final race of the day with fast beats and extended downwind legs. With the tide now running up the course, the fleet were graced with one attempt at starting behind the line, which they failed to do, before the black flag was produced.

Jono & Freddie managed to sneak round the first windward mark ahead of Alex Baxter & Elle Vincent and Jenny & Phil. Down the long reaches, the Panks held on to the lead, whilst Mark & Beatrice Tait, Dell Quay local legends, pulled out of the bunfight to join the front pack, then proceed to overhaul them one by one, lap by lap to take the second place with Jenny & Phil claiming third from Paul & Finn.

In Spain, whilst it's now pretty inappropriate, when the red flag is waved, the bulls charge. In the Firefly fleet, whenever the black flag is waved, Baxter go's forth, often to be found putting his bow firmly where the RO's sun doesn't shine.

Once the scores were produced for the day, the Panks held a slim overnight lead from the Kameens & the Taits and to absolutely no one's surprise at all, Baxter scored the only BFD of the day. Qué sorpresa!

The fleet docked back on the Quay well before the afternoon's expected weather, the clubs amazing kitchen team, feeding the hungry sailors with toasties, cake and providing complimentary hot chocolate for all the youngsters.

The camping fraternity then departed to Will Parret's expansive garden to set up and enjoy a relaxing afternoon exploring the facilities, some choosing to sample the hot tub, some claimed it was for medical reasons.

Those remaining at the club soon leant why the gazebo hadn't been erected this year as a few 30knot squalls battered the club, sailors scattered to make sure boats were tied down and equipment secured before returning to the bar to ensure the afternoon's hydration programme was equally under control.

Saturday nights at Dell Quay firefly open are the stuff of legends and this year's party was no different, Gideon, Rachel & the volunteer kitchen team served up the now infamous legendary Pie & Mash supper, whilst the bar team prepped the Dark n Stormy bucket.

Some time later, couldn't confirm when, the fleet departed, having allegedly consumed 26 litres of the golden nectar. Some fared better than others as the evening progressed and afters then happened... for a while (who knows how long)... back in Will's now infamous garden.

Firefly open meeting at Dell Quay - photo © John Roberson

Sunday began brighter and gentler. A very pleasing situation, especially for the late night revellers.

A softer northerly breeze and warming sunshine welcomed the fleet to the harbour with the tide still flooding up the course. Once the race committee had decided which side of the committee boat they would like the fleet to start on and got their horns lined with their flags, the fleet then proceeded to further delay proceedings by attempting to start half way up the beat. With the black flag now in force, the first race finally got away.

Mark & Beatrice continued their charge, pulling ahead of the fleet alongside George Yeoman & Oscar Stephens to lead the fleet around the first lap from a tightly bunched pack. The Panks and Kameens both pulled through on the second beat to join the frontrunners. At the finish, the Panks had managed to squeeze past to claim the win from the Taits with the Kameens in third ahead of the fast charging Parkstone team of Leo & Lily Dixon.

Race 5 followed swiftly after, local wisdom came good this time, as the Taits finally grabbed the top spot in front of a home crowd in full celebratory spirit. Jenny & Phil took second, Jono & Freddie, third followed by the ever present Kameens in 4th.

With the sun blazing and sails set for glory, the final race had everything; close calls, repartee from the committee boat, and cheers that echoed across the harbour. The Dixon's reached the windward mark first, on port, only to not quite sail far enough across the Kameens & gracefully pulled over for a couple of spins. George & Oscar picked up the lead down the first set of reaches, followed by the Kameens, Taits and Panks.

On the second beat, a big righty gave the front runners a lane straight up the course to lay the mark in one, George & Oscar lead from the Kameens with the Panks edging past the Taits.

The front four boats were tightly bunched at the leeward mark... The final beat of the final race with the tide building against them... The Panks were forced to tack away at the mark, whilst the others headed right. New Pressure came in from the left to propel the Panks across the other protagonists and into the lead.

They crossed the line, ready to celebrate, but the only sound was the deafening silence... Assuming they had somehow picked up Baxters chalice for the BFD... they waited gracefully to congratulate the Kameens.... Only for further silence and obvious behaviour from the committee boat that they weren't actually planning on finishing anyone!

The frontrunners sheeted on again and the race resumed. The decision now was whether to keep going round the track, or to head upwind for the club line. The fireflies aren't always famed for their collective due diligence of the S.I.s... so the Panks, Kameens & Taits headed off downwind again, whilst George & Oscar headed off up river to the club line.

Firefly open meeting at Dell Quay - photo © John Roberson

The downwinders, expected to see a "4" (or more) on the side of the committee boat, but saw only a "3". Meanwhile up at Dell Quay, George & Oscar arrived to find no one there at all, so pulled in to make an early start on the tea & cake.

Amongst the confusion of yet more laps, but no actual idea of how many, the real challenge facing the majority of the fleet was the lack of adequate provisioning... for a three race, three lap day, with children aboard, the exact quantity of snacks required is a complex equation calculated with military precision, but the brutal facts were staring the fleet hard in the face now. That terrifying situation of being woefully UNDER PROVISIONED.

The race continued, crews grew weary. There was A LOT of talk of mutiny, there was ransacking of bags, hatches and pockets for anything, anything to eat... even a Bounty might have been considered as the infinite race continued, unabated.

Eventually, after at least three, maybe six, completely unexpected laps, with plentiful time to take in the beautiful day and the glory of Chichester harbour in its finest autumnal colours, a clipboard was spotted and the deeply suppressed excitement about actually reaching the finish started to simmer.

At the actual finish line, sometime later, Jono & Freddie Pank eventually took the win to put the finishing touch on a great weekend, chased hard by Paul & Finn Kameen and local Dell Quay stars Mark & Beatrice Tait. The rest of the fleet cheered and applauded. Not for the victors, this was purely for salvation!

Once back ashore the weekend's results were compiled, Jono & Freddie Pank had won from Mark & Beatrice Tait in second with Paul & Finn Kameen third. In a remarkable turn of events, close examination & re-examination of the scores revealed that Baxter hadn't actually picked up a BFD all day! No puedo creerlo!

The 2025 Dell Quay Firefly Open will go down in the annuals of history. The event took place amid festivities marking a century of the club's navigation through storms, triumphs, and endless cups of tea. Dell Quay Sailing Club is not just a venue — it's a community: from galley staff serving endless homemade cakes, to mark-layers and officers anchoring the fleet's safety and fun, each member is keeper of a rich tradition of camaraderie.

Generations have gathered by the harbour, and if the parties are anything to go by, the next hundred years promise just as much laughter, adventure, and, naturally, unbeatable hospitality. Beneath the bunting and banners, and with gratitude overflowing for every volunteer's sacrifice, it's clear: Dell Quay SC's spirit shines as brightly now as it did in 1925.

Long live the little club with the biggest heart, and here's to another hundred years of unforgettable Firefly sailing at Dell Quay.

The Firefly fleet can't wait to be back next year!

Firefly open meeting at Dell Quay - photo © John Roberson

Overall Results:

Firefly open meeting at Dell Quay - photo © John Roberson