Tideway Firefly Inland Championship 2025 at Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club

Tideway Firefly Inlands at Chew Valley Lake © Rob Higgins

Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club hosted The Tideway Firefly Inland Championship over the weekend of 4-5 October. A fleet of 40 Fireflys arrived to contest the National Inland title, alongside the Mirror fleet sharing the event.

We were overjoyed to be joined by a host of boats from Bristol, Bath and the ever-present UEA University Teams. Moreover, a full flight of six Clifton College boats, who kindly helped sponsor the event, gave gifts to the busy race management team.

Weather & Race Management

The weekend was dominated by the arrival of Storm Amy, which swept through on Saturday with winds well above safe limits. The Race Officer, in consultation with the class captains, made the prudent call to abandon all racing on the opening day. While disappointing for sailors ashore, the decision was clearly the right one; gusts over 30 knots left Chew Valley unsailable, and the fleet enjoyed the excellent hospitality of the host club instead, whilst some went fishing and others decided to come down a day later.

On the Saturday evening, most stayed and enjoyed the frivolities of a curry social. With not much curry thrown, and the UEA Freshers washing up, many beers were drunk, and all enjoyed an enjoyable night in great company. Some members of the fleet - the student population - decided that the best method of match prep for the following day was a night out in Bristol. Unsurprisingly, it was those members who looked worse for wear upon arrival the following day.

Sunday dawned to very different conditions: a moderate westerly breeze, with the occasional massive gust but entirely sailable, allowing the Race Committee to deliver a full programme of four back - to - back races. With the series shortened to one day, the pressure was intense — there would be no margin for error...

Race Highlights

With only four races to decide the championship, consistency was paramount. Each start line was hotly contested, sometimes too much so, with crews eager to establish an early lead.

The first race set the tone. Terry Hacker and Tim Evans of Southampton University (Institution Ovi) rounded in first, with Alex Baxter and Ella Vincent (Gemini Too) in hot pursuit. However, it was the pairing of Cousins Will (UEA University) and Freddie Pank (Pogie) who managed to go past these two on the first and second reach, sailing over the top of both of them and never looking back. Unfortunately for Team Baxter/Vincent, their kindly lent boat experienced gear failure - a continuous kicker wrapping through the mainsheet block - which forced them to make a mid-race stop when clear in third. Apparently, letting out the mainsheet was an important exercise in the massive gusts. Therefore, it was Team Pank in First, Hacker/Evans second and Davey/Allen (Mustard) in third.

The second race proved trickier, with shifts favouring the right-hand side of the course off the start. Hacker/Evans judged it perfectly and hiked like absolute machines to round just ahead of Baxter/Vincent. Team Pank once again went past Baxter/Vincent, as did Thommie Grit and Rosie Madin from UEA (Drunken Sailor). The second beat was one of massive snakes and ladders. Whilst Hacker and Evans sat on Team Pank and once again stretched their extraordinarily able legs, Team Grit/Madin managed to sneak past. Indeed, down the final downwind leg, team Grit/Madin pushed Hacker/Evans hard, being right on their transom by the end. The title race was very much alive at this point, with multiple boats in contention.

Races three and four were decisive. Race three involved a general recall, with many suggesting that Baxter/Vincent were once again 'miles over the line'. However, with the Black Flag present, it was unfortunately Sophia and Dom Johnson (Spaghetti) who had fallen foul (Baxter was heard, audibly despite the wind, giving a sign of relief at the finish). The top three boats were very orderly throughout this race, extending a good lead over the rest of the fleet and each other, finishing with Team Pank in First, Hacker/Evans in second, and Baxter/Vincent in third.

Tideway Firefly Inlands at Chew Valley Lake - photo © Rob Higgins

Reading the pressure lanes and the monumental righties that started to come in during race three proved crucial. In the final race of the series, Team Pank nailed it, leading starting near the boat and sailing across on starboard until the lay line, leading comfortably the entire way around, whilst keeping a watchful eye over Hacker/Evans.

Meanwhile, a close battle had unfolded for the final podium position. Grit/Madin started tacking on Baxter/Vincent early, and I mean early, halfway up the first beat. Rounding closely together. It then proved a nip-and-tuck race throughout, in what was increasingly absolutely honking conditions. Baxter reported letting off so much rig tension that his boom was on the transom for the first time ever, sailing a Firefly Inlands. Grit/Madin by this stage were tacking on Baxter/Vincent whenever they did. By the penultimate leeward mark, there was another in a long series of 'mirror-related carnage' and a quick tacking battle pursued. There was an audible disagreement between Baxter/Vincent, reported their first sailing domestic since back when Baxter knew how to sail - something along the lines of 'YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHEN YOU WANT TO TACK' and consequently, it looked like Grit/Madin had got it covered, only for a big righty, and Baxter/Vincent's superior upwind speed for them to sail through Grit/Madin. Both teams thought Baxter/Vincent had done enough. However, some changing room discussions revealed that Gritt hadn't realised Baxter had had to make a pit stop in race one, and Baxter simply couldn't count; thus, Grit/Madin had the final podium place on countback. They could've had a far easier race.

A further mention must go to the School Sailors and the University's freshers who braved the conditions on a particularly blustery day. There were some particularly spicy capsized amongst many experienced heads. We think Damian Boreham and Leila Farmer (Freida) set the unfortunate record of the most. Steve Greaves and former class chairwoman Caroline Battrick (Cumulus)- reunited after many years, a marriage and children- deserve a particular shout-out for a simply magnificent windward capsize on the final leg of race three.

In terms of broader prizes, the first under-21 helm and the first institution boat went to Terry Hacker. The class is overjoyed that it is clear that any student team racer around the country can take an Ovington Firefly to a major event and win races. The first female helm was Imogen Wade of Bath University, again, in an institutional Ovington built Firefly. The first under-18 was Sophia Johnson, skilfully crewed by Dad, Dom.

Tideway Firefly Inlands at Chew Valley Lake - photo © James Bennett

Overall Results:

Thanks

Despite the frustration of losing Saturday to the storm, Sunday's four-race shoot-out provided tight, tactical racing and a worthy championship test. For me personally, it was a thrill to secure the Inland title at Chew Valley, particularly with my Cousin Freddie Pank crewing who now has more inland championships than his dad Jono in quite a few less years.

On behalf of the fleet, I would like to extend my warm thanks to Chew Valley Lake SC for their excellent organisation and hospitality, and to the Race Committee and volunteers who ensured that racing was safe and well-managed in challenging conditions.

The Firefly fleet looks forward to the 2026 Inlands, hopefully with calmer weather and equally competitive racing in our 80th year. Our continued thanks to Tideway Wealth Management, our headline sponsors for 2025-2026 and to Clifton College for generous gifts to the event volunteers.