Catapult Northern Championship at Kielder Water Sailing Club

Gareth Ede leads John Terry to the finish line during the Catapult Northerns at Kielder © Richard Purdy

John Terry made Gareth work hard for his win during the Catapult Northerns at Kielder © Richard Purdy

Third placed Stuart Ede had the consolation of winning on personal handicap in the Catapult Northerns at Kielder © Richard Purdy

Gareth Ede added the Bill Graham Northern Trophy to his 2025 Nationals title, but for once it wasn't all plain sailing.

For a variety of individual reasons it was a much depleted Catapult fleet of three boats that staged their Northern Championships as part of Kielder Water Sailing Club's Dinghy Open (13-14 September). Race Officer Richard Purdy did well to set a variety of courses in a very changeable conditions. Day One was marked by frequent heavy rain showers, some of which were squally with winds well into Force 4, while most of the time the breeze with its oscillating shifts varied between Force 1 between the showers and Force 3 under the black clouds that marched down the reservoir.

Race 1

The Race Officer set a triangular course. Gareth Ede led John Terry around the windward mark, and they then engaged in a downwind duel that took them above the rhumb line. Stuart Ede, heading directly to the leeward mark, managed to sail below them and round it just ahead.

As they headed up the beat, the three of them were in line abreast. At this point the breeze became very light and variable. When a header struck, Stuart tacked away to go left up the beat to the gate, while John and Gareth carried on to the right. Unfortunately for Stuart the header proved to be part of an oscillating shift, and he soon found he had lost out quite badly.

Up the beat Gareth gradually pulled ahead of John to round the windward mark with a sizeable lead. Over the next lap and a half John narrowed the gap on the downwind legs but could not catch Gareth who finished half a minute ahead. Meanwhile Stuart, who had managed to misread most of the shifts, trailed in some way behind.

Race 2

The result of this race, run over four laps of a triangular course, was settled on the first beat. Soon after the start Gareth tacked away right, while Stuart, pursued by John, went left. Stuart found himself controlled by John who was sat on his starboard quarter a couple of boats lengths to windward. John, who admitted afterwards that he had mistaken the position of the windward mark, took Stuart so far to the left that they massively overstood the mark. By the time John realised his mistake, Gareth was already rounding the mark with a huge lead. John did at one point narrow the gap downwind, only for Gareth to draw away again to win by two and a half minutes.

Race 3

For variety the Race Officer set a trapezoid course. Gareth, John and Stuart started in line abreast. Stuart tacked right fairly soon while Gareth and John continued left. At the windward mark they came together in close company with Gareth just in the lead and John second. There were some changes of lead down the reach and run, and John was able to snatch the inside berth at the bottom mark. The course was shortened at this point, so it was a race to the finish. John pulled away from Gareth up the right side of the beat, while Stuart went left where he lost pressure. John held his lead to finish just 12 seconds ahead of Gareth with Stuart coming in a minute later.

Race 4

Sunday dawned with very light airs, and the Race Officer set a windward-leeward course. All three Catapults went for a port tack start, but with mixed results. John managed to clear the fleet, and Stuart got through by ducking the stern of the leading starboard tack boat, but Gareth had some difficulty picking his way through. So,as they crawled their way to the windward mark, John had the lead.

The breeze died completely as Gareth and Stuart struggled to round the mark, and when it came back it had turned 180 degrees, so the 'run' became another beat. Gareth set off in pursuit of John and had been closing the gap until he got confused by the change in wind direction and went through the gate unnecessarily thereby losing ground to leeward.

Stuart had also lost ground due to a large header but he managed to round the final mark a couple of boat lengths ahead of his son. On the run to the finish Stuart suffered from a blanketing effect of other boats and Gareth was able to ease past to be a boat length ahead. However, Stuart attacked to windward and the two boats were neck-and neck as they approached the finish, but Gareth had his nose in front as they crossed the line, just over a minute behind John.

Stuart Ede (531) enjoys a brief moment in the lead during the Catapult Northerns at Kielder - photo © Richard Purdy

Race 5

Once the wind direction had settled, the Race Officer set a triangular course in a patchy Force 2 breeze. This time the Catapults went for a more conservative starboard tack start, but found themselves almost becalmed by the Committee Boat watching helplessly as the bulk of the fleet found pressure at the pin end just 70 metres away. Eventually they got going but had to pick their way through the other boats. On lap 2 Gareth sailed into a header and lull as he approached the windward mark, allowing John and Stuart to catch up. The gap widened over the next lap, only for more wind to come down the course that enabled John and Stuart to enjoy a couple of fast reaches and close the gap again, so much so that John was right on Gareth's tail at the final mark. However, Gareth held on to finish just 20 seconds ahead of John and a minute ahead of Stuart.

Race 6

The final race was run over a trapezoid course. Gareth went right up the beat, while John sailed up the middle. Stuart, who had dropped behind, went left where he found a lift and more pressure and surprised John by being on his tail as they rounded the windward mark. The second - and what turned out to be the final - lap saw them each repeat their upwind tactics. Gareth increased his lead by going right, and this time Stuart managed to beat John to the windward mark by banging the left corner. Rounding the last mark Stuart had a 50m lead over John, but looking behind he could see John had found a favourable puff that meant he was able to point higher and sail faster. As Stuart tacked for the line, John crossed in front of him and tacked to cover finishing 7 seconds ahead of Stuart. Meanwhile Gareth had taken first place and sealed his event win by nearly four minutes.

Bill Graham Northern Trophy Results:

The results also count towards the 2025 Jon Montgomery Travellers Trophy Series, and Gareth's win at Kielder further tightens his grip on the trophy with just one more event to go at Grafham, where he will be flying the Blue and Yellow Pennants as event winner and series leader.

Personal Handicap Results

The Catapult Class Association run the Alastair Forrest Personal Handicap Series in parallel with the TT Series. Much to his amazement Stuart found he had won every race at Kielder on handicap, so he will be flying the Lilac Pennant at Grafham, while George Evans retains the Magenta Pennant as series leader by a now reduced margin of 4 points.