Trident UK Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) 2025 at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club

by Paul Allen 23 Sep 09:39 BST 16-17 September 2023

Trident UK Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) © William Carruthers

Following a week of forecast highs and lows, gales and drifters, the 14th Great Northern Asymmetric Challenge, sponsored by Trident UK, proved to be a tale of two halves. The Lake District is known for being a little damp — Atlantic moisture rising over the hills brings condensation and rain — but Saturday's racing was closer to a full-blown deluge. Ironically, it stayed dry right up until sailors pulled on their wetsuits and drysuits.

After a short postponement, PRO Andy Smith and his team aboard the Bates did an excellent job managing the shifting winds to deliver three back-to-back races. The breeze was volatile, at times dropping away to almost nothing before suddenly filling in from a completely different part of the lake!

Trident UK Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) - photo © William Carruthers

Out on the racecourse, the 59 entries (114 competitors in total) included an impressive line-up — among them the winners of 12 previous GNACs, as well as the reigning 2024 champions, Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst (also current RS400 and Endeavour Champions!).

The fleet was split into fast and slow divisions, though all raced on the same course with combined overall results. Within this format, the RS200 Northern Championship was decided, alongside the finale of the RS400 Northern Tour. Seven Fevas joined in the action, happily mixing it with the "oldies," while a handful of 2000s and VX Ones loomed large, casting their shadows over anyone daring to sail beneath them.

Trident UK Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) - photo © William Carruthers

After three gruelling races full of snakes and ladders, the RS200s dominated the Saturday leaderboard: Alistair & Helen Norris in first, Brendan Lynch & Ellie Clark in second, and Chris & Evie Pickles in third.

Saturday evening was a lively one, with many sailors sheltering in the clubhouse before inevitably succumbing to the bar. A live singer kept spirits high until it was time to turn in and hope that tents had survived the gale — now decidedly soggy!

Trident UK Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) - photo © William Carruthers

Sunday dawned beautifully sunny and still. The lake had risen overnight, adding extra entertainment to the launching process from what had previously been a pathway. After a one-hour postponement, the breeze filled in from a vaguely westerly direction, and the fleet rolled into the first of four — yes, four! — start sequences. The wind remained mostly light and shifty, though slightly steadier than Saturday's drifter.

This gave the RS400s enough power to stretch ahead. Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst read the shifts brilliantly, notching up three wins out of four races. That rocketed their results, lifting them from eighth overnight to an impressive second overall. But even that charge wasn't enough to dislodge the RS200 of Alistair & Helen Norris, who sealed victory with just 10 points from six counting races, discarding a pair of fourths.

Alistair and Helen Norris win the Trident UK Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) - photo © Emma Davenport

Generous prizes from event sponsors Trident UK rounded off a fantastic weekend, with silverware and smiles across the fleet. Special mention goes to Laia and Aggie Priestley, who sailed their RS Feva superbly to finish first in class and an impressive 22nd overall. In the VX One, Sam Watson and Ginger Phil claimed top honours with a strong eighth place, while David Moore and Amy led the 2000s home.

A true tale of two halves on the water, but once again the Great Northern Asymmetric Challenge delivered big racing, bigger camaraderie, and a reminder of why sailors keep coming back year after year.

Photo gallery: bassenthwaite-sc.org.uk/gnac-2025-gallery

Trident UK Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) - photo © William Carruthers

Overall Results:

Pos	Division	Class	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts
1st	SLOW	RS200	1509	Alistair Norris	Helen Norris	Leigh and Lowton / Red Wharf Bay	1	4	2	4	2	3	2	10
2nd	FAST	RS400	1526	Ollie Groves	Esther Parkhurst	Beaver SC	17	12	7	1	1	4	1	14
3rd	SLOW	RS200	1657	Chris Pickles	Evie Pickles	Bassenthwaite SC	7	1	5	2	7	6	13	21
4th	SLOW	RS200	1640	Ewan Wilson	Anna Sturrock	ELYC	5	3	6	10	6	1	7	21
5th	SLOW	RS200	2406	Alex Leonard	Saskia Leonard	Bassenthwaite SC	DNC	5	4	16	11	2	3	25
6th	SLOW	RS200	1739	Brendan Lynch	Ellen Clark	East Lothian Yacht Club	9	2	3	3	14	19	18	31
7th	FAST	RS400	1453	John Reekie	Andy Tunnicliffe	Bassenthwaite SC	22	11	8	6	3	14	9	37
8th	FAST	VXONE	267	Sam Watson	Ginger Phil/Felicity Robson	Bassenthwaite SC	3	14	OCS	14	13	12	10	52
9th	FAST	RS400	1511	Hamish Gledhill	Martin Spencer	West Riding SC / LLSC	OCS	10	21	8	27	7	6	52
10th	SLOW	RS200	1003	Matt Sharman	Oliver Sharman	Delph SC	10	24	OCS	51	5	10	4	53
11th	FAST	RS400	1460	Dave Exley	Jude Allen	Bassenthwaite SC	26	13	17	5	28.5	15	5	55
12th	FAST	RS400	1492	Sam Waller	Martin Penty	Beaver	21	9	16	7	16	36	8	56
13th	FAST	D‑ONE	8	Alistair Coates		Leigh and Lowton	23	8	15	19	23	5	11	58
14th	SLOW	2000	21349	David Moore		Swarkestone SC	6	17	10	17	19	9	DNC	59
15th	FAST	VXONE	191	Graham Pristley	Artur Dembinski	UYC/Bassenthwaite SC	35	25	1	13	18	13	17	62
16th	FAST	VXONE	173	Andy Couch		Blithfield SC	4	23	DNC	15	4	17.5	DNC	63.5
17th	SLOW	RS200	1606	Martin Smith	Barbara Smith	Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club	11	39	DNC	11	9	17.5	15	63.5
18th	SLOW	RS200	1319	Oliver Thompson	Elliott Thompson	West Riding Sailing Club	12	31	11	12	15	23	32	73
19th	SLOW	2000	2063	Alistair Banks	Sam Lewis	West Riding SC	8	27	9	20	28.5	25	42	89
20th	FAST	RS400	1454	Jacob Ainsworth	Kayleigh Ainsworth	TSC	32	18	24	23	31	11	14	90
21st	SLOW	RS200	1120	Peter Collings	Sophia Lopez	Castle Semple SC	15	50	13	21	22	22	31	93
22nd	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	5424	Laia Priestley	Aggie Priestley	Ullswater YC	27	22	OCS	42	8	21	16	94
23rd	SLOW	RS200	1071	Matthew Somerville	Henry Bullen	Bassenthwaite SC	13	29	OCS	9	21	26	DNC	98
24th	FAST	RS400	438	Alastair Rimmer	Ethan Dawson	Bassenthwaite SC	28	7	14	31	40	37	21	101
25th	SLOW	RS200	691	Caitlin Ross			20	37	12	37	24	16	30	102
26th	FAST	RS400	1484	Mark Somerville	Joe Roberts	Bassenthwaite SC	37	28	23	25	30	8	19.5	103.5
27th	SLOW	RS200	1076	Guy Wheeler	Elaine Ross	Bassenthwaite SC	14	33	DNF	18	20	28	24	104
28th	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	8788	James Reekie	Andrew Reekie	Bassenthwaite SC	39	30	31	33	12	20	19.5	112.5
29th	FAST	RS400	1461	Caroline Exley	Jonathan Bullen	Bassenthwaite SC	30	16	19	24	25	40	DNC	114
30th	SLOW	RS200	1073	Willow Osborn	Grace Gordon	SDSC/ Hickling Broad Sailing Club	18	6	35	47	37	33	28	120
31st	SLOW	RS VISION	1901	Tom Moss	Poppy Moss	Bassenthwaite SC	2	26	33	45	47	39	26	126
32nd	FAST	RS400	1433	Neil Campbell	Archie Campbell	Bassenthwaite SC	36	DNC	DNC	26	10	31	23	126
33rd	FAST	RS100 10.2	460	James Cowlishaw		Sheffield Viking SC	33	43	20	30	36	43	12	131
34th	FAST	VXONE	300	John Robson	Jason Bridgman	UYC	40	32	28	41	26	24	22	132
35th	FAST	RS400	145	Ben Murrell	Olivia Leonard	Bassenthwaite SC	OCS	19	25	32	35	46	25	136
36th	FAST	RS400	750	Joseph Spencer	Andy Spencer	Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club	38	20	22	27	33	49	34	136
37th	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	8658	Oscar Davenport	Rory Davenport	Bassenthwaite SC	31	15	30	38	45	27	35.5	138.5
38th	FAST	B14	783	Patrick Hill	Jonathan Hill	Swarkestone	43	52	29	22	17	47	33	144
39th	SLOW	RS200	1713	Paul Hill	Alex Hill	Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club	16	34	34	28	38	35	DNC	147
40th	SLOW	RS200	392	Andy Samanjoul	Amy Cowlishaw	Sheffield Viking	25	35	18	39	42	38	40	155
41st	SLOW	RS200	606	Stacey Rowell	Liz Stockdale	Bassenthwaite SC	24	44	38	36	39	31	27	156
42nd	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	8854	Harry Fleming	Grace Fleming	UYC	34	38	32	34	34	31	29	160
43rd	FAST	RS100 8.4	515	Jacob Din		Hollingworth Lake SC	OCS	41	DNC	29	32	41	35.5	178.5
44th	FAST	29er	2996	Lewis Gordon	James Catterall	Scaling Dam SC	41	47	27	35	41	48	39	183
45th	FAST	59erxx	100	Paul Allen		Bassenthwaite SC	29	21	26	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	194
46th	SLOW	RS200	1312	Paul Clark	William/Evie Clark	Bassenthwaite SC	48	36	41	40	43	45	37	197
47th	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	4626	Beatrice Denny	Felix Denny	UYC	42	46	39	53	51	29	43	199
48th	SLOW	RS200	958	Alastair Duncan	Claire Duncan	Bassenthwaite SC	49	42	DNC	48	44	34	38	206
49th	SLOW	RS VAREO	362	David Hill		Swarkestone	50	45	37	44	50	DNF	41	217
50th	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	8758	Grace Stockdale	Charlie Rowell	Bassenthwaite SC	44	53	40	49	52	50	45	228
51st	SLOW	RS200	807	Colin May	Lucan May	Bassenthwaite SC	19	40	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	236
52nd	SLOW	2000	2173	Isobel Arkle	Olivia Arkle	Sunderland Yacht Club	45	49	DNC	43	48	52	DNC	237
53rd	SLOW	2000	22694	Alistair Rose	Phoebe Rose	Killington Sailing Association	46	DNC	DNC	46	46	42	DNC	239
54th	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	910	Reuben Allen	Alfie Duncan	Bassenthwaite SC	47	51	DNC	52	53	51	44	245
55th	SLOW	RS200	583	Lee Cunningham		Bassenthwaite SC	51	48	36	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	253
56th	SLOW	2000	2719	Julie Tomkinson	Melanie Clapham	Bassenthwaite SC	52	DNC	DNC	50	49	44	DNC	254
57th	SLOW	RS FEVA XL	975	Dylan Jenkins	Callum Jenkins	DRSC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	295
57th	SLOW	RS200	1625	Gareth Williams		Leigh and Lowton SC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	295