Snipe open meeting at Budworth Sailing Club

Snipe open meeting at Budworth © Alex Flint

For the final Snipe Class UK Open meeting this year the travelling boats made their annual visit to Budworth Sailing Club. Home of one of the UK's most active Snipe fleets.

With 28 entries, expectations were high for another weekend of competitive, fun and close racing throughout the fleet that have been enjoyed during all the well supported previous events this year.

Weather forecasts were mixed but almost all agreed that Saturday would be light winds with a high chance of rain and that Sunday would be bright sunshine with a slight increase in expected wind.

This forecast proved to be correct with one race completed on the Saturday and four on Sunday.

Ultimate overall event winner was Matthew Wolstenholme crewed this time by Aylish MacKenzie. This result confirmed Matthew's near total domination of the UK Snipe events this year but, in this event, as in all his other victories this year, he was pushed all the way with the final race being the decider!

Special mention and appreciation from the racing fleet must go to the race committee and support boat crew. With the light and shifting wind on both days it would have been easy to compromise the quality or number of races. However, with brilliant judgement on timing, hard work shifting marks and start lines all five completed races maximised the opportunities the light and variable winds offered.

Snipe open meeting at Budworth - photo © Alex Flint

Individual race winners were Tim Tavinor crewed by John Greenwood (race one and five). Matthew and Aylish (races two and four) and Guy Marks with Sam Boniface taking race three.

However, none of the race wins or any final race positions throughout the fleet during every race were guaranteed until crossing the finish line. With the excellent courses, opportunities were there for everyone to make gains or losses in every race, so it was a great way to finish the open meeting circuit for this year.

The hospitality and great facilities at Budworth were much appreciated.

UK Snipe class AGM on Saturday evening was followed by a fantastic dinner and then a presentation from long time Snipe racer Richard Marshall detailing his amazing achievement earlier this year of swimming the English Channel. Link to donate: www.justgiving.com/page/richardchannelswim2025

Everyone finished the weekend in good mood, packing in the sunshine and looking forward to another active year of racing within the increasingly competitive domestic events and internationally with four boats qualified and competing in next year's Snipe World Championship at Mahon (Menorca) later in 2026.

Also more UK boats are planning travels to compete and enjoy some of the many European events in 26 the Snipe Class has to offer.

Matthew Wolstenholme and Aylish MacKenzie win the Snipe open meeting at Budworth - photo © Alex Flint

Overall Results: