2025 GP14 Victor Trophy at Welsh Harp Sailing Club

by Adeel Khan and Dennis Adams 22 Oct 09:23 BST 18 October 2025

Seven visiting helms with most borrowing boats from harpers in a fleet of 24 boats seemed more like an Areas Championship rather than a Southern Travellers event.

The visiting national champions Jasper Barnham (Snettisham Beach SC) and Graham Sexton (Fishers Green SC) were given some trouble from the local race leaders Maurice Cleal/Romek Kowalewski, who led the second race until they got a header on the windward mark causing them to touch it and do a penalty. This was the only significant challenge to the two horse race in the front of the fleet over the day's four races.

Third place was contested between four boats; two local and two visiting. The visitors got it, with the Sharon and Paul Freeland from Llandegfedd SC showing great consistency to win that prized podium spot. Locals Alain Renaud/Will MacDonald and Steve Cooper/Hannah Liptrot made them work for it in the last two races. Paul Trubridge/Matt Hall from Frensham Pond SC were the other pairing in the mix with their best finish in 4th spot in the second race.

The top silver spot had the local battle between two Welsh Harp pairings - Liz Guest/Nat Spurling and Sue Tomkins/Roger Jeffs - with both getting two first silver results in two races each. Their results were intermingled with the top bronze finishers locals Adeel Khan sailing for the first time with Carla Conestro and Chris Hall visiting from Fishers Green sailing for the first time with local sailor Emily Towers. In the end top Silver spot went to Sue Tomkins/Roger Jeffs and top bronze spot to Chris Hall/Emily Towers.

Bolton boys Paddy Lambton and Liam Dempsey kept improving throughout the day with a 14th finish in the last race as they got used to their borrowed boat from a friendly harper. Another pairing of note were locals Jamie Isles and accomplished youth sailor Anna Thomas who had previously made her mark on the cadet fleet. All eyes on the last calendar event of the GP14 class Association with the National Youth Championships in Bolton 24th-26th October.

The Victor Trophy consists of specially mounted model of a Handley Page Victor bomber. This recognises the contribution of the Handley Page company to sailing in the Welsh Harp during the 1950s and beyond. The Victor was one of the "cold war" aircraft that is most associated with them. Unfortunately, this trophy is so unique that it is not allowed to be moved from its home.

Jasper Barnham and Graham Sexton were allowed the rare privilege of holding the Victor Trophy, before having to return it for safe keeping. "Always a great welcome" as Jasper Barnham summed it up in his victory speech while praising the organisers he added, "competitive sailing throughout the fleet, and delicious lunchtime curry of restaurant standard was a real bonus".

Overall Results:

Pos	Fleet	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1st	gold	14125	Jasper Barnham	Graham Sexton	Snettisham Beach/Fishers Green SC	‑1	1	1	1	3
2nd	gold	14292	Maurice Cleal	Romek Kowalewski	Welsh Harp SC	‑2	2	2	2	6
3rd	gold	13611	Sharon Freeland	Paul Freeland	Llandegfedd SC	3	3	4	‑5	10
4th	gold	14110	Steve Cooper	Hannah Liptrot	Welsh Harp SC	‑11	5	3	4	12
5th	gold	14190	Paul Trubridge	Matt Hall	Frensham Pond SC	5	4	7	(DNS)	16
6th	gold	14159	Alain Renaud	Will MacDonald	Welsh Harp SC / Wembley SC	8	‑10	6	3	17
7th	silver	13811	Sue Tomkins	Roger Jeffs	Welsh Harp SC	9	‑11	5	8	22
8th	bronze	13484	Chris Hill	Emily Towers	Fishers Green SC / Welsh Harp SC	6	‑12	11	6	23
9th	silver	14300	Liz Guest	Nat Spurling	Welsh Harp SC	4	9	‑17	11	24
10th	gold	13696	John Curran	Mark Greenstreet	Welsh Harp SC	7	6	12	‑15	25
11th	bronze	13456	Adeel Khan	Carla Canestro	Welsh Harp SC	10	8	9	(SCP)	27
12th	bronze	13887	John O'Sullivan	Quentin Drain	Welsh Harp SC	12	13	8	‑17	33
13th	silver	13818	Andy Shrimpton	Maria Kireeva	Welsh Harp SC	13	7	14	‑20	34
14th	silver	13299	Jamie Isles	Anna Thomas	Welsh Harp SC	15	‑17	13	10	38
15th	silver	13532	Ricardo Chacon	Guy Harden	Welsh Harp SC	‑21	16	18	9	43
16th	bronze	14044	Richard Connett	Serena Counsell	Welsh Harp SC	17	15	‑23	12	44
17th	silver	13980	Yossi Shahar	Tom Jackson	Welsh Harp SC	(SCP)	18	10	18	46
18th	bronze	13584	Nick Yannakoyorgos	Caro Mitchell	Welsh Harp SC	‑23	19	16	13	48
19th	silver	4	Andy Wadsworth	Cathy Howard	Brixham YC/ Paignton SC / WHSC	14	‑20	15	19	48
20th	bronze	13941	Dennis Adams	Sarah Lohan	Welsh Harp SC	‑20	14	19	16	49
21st	bronze	14131	Paddy Lambton	Liam Dempsey	Bolton SC	18	‑23	22	14	54
22nd	silver	13603	Sophie Blanchard	Anthony Bourke	Welsh Harp SC	19	‑21	20	21	60
23rd	bronze	13342	Richard D'Cruz	Sherden Timmins	Welsh Harp SC	‑22	22	21	22	65
24th	bronze	9	Liam Hanna	Katie Reilly	Burnham SC	24	24	(DNS)	DNS	73