Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst are RS400 Rooster National Tour Champions 2025

Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst - Mercedes Benz Belfast RS400 Eurocup and Noble Marine UK/Irish Nationals © Thomas Anderson / www.sdsphoto.pro

Congratulations to Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst, RS400 Rooster National Tour Champions 2025!

With the Pitsford finals sadly cancelled due to lack of water, the results stand from the Inlands, meaning that Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst from Beaver Sailing Club are crowned RS400 Rooster National Tour Champions 2025.

Tom Halhead and Paul Hilliar, Llandegfedd SC finished 2nd, with a win at the Southerns at Warsash and a close 2nd behind them at both the Sprints and the Winters.

3rd were James Alsop and Simon Edwards from Queen Mary, Sam Knight and Chris Bownes came in 4th, finishing ona high qwith their win at the (very windy) Inlands.

Ollie and Esther, the golden couple of the fleet proved their competence, winning 4 of the 5 events they sailed, across the full range of conditions and venues from the brisk North Easterlys at Queen Mary to the shifts at the Sprints, light winds at Bala and the legendary winds of storm Floris at Royal North of Ireland.

Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst (Eurocup winners and UK National Champions) - Mercedes Benz Belfast RS400 Eurocup and Noble Marine UK/Irish Nationals - photo © Thomas Anderson / www.sdsphoto.pro

The highlight of their season was the Eurocup and Nationals at RNIYC, with the nail-biting 'can we get out' last day that must have seen like a week to them as they sat waiting and Ollie's emotional thanks to Esther, who he said "he was immensely proud of" and "will soon be my wife!"

Huge thanks to Rooster for the tour sponsorship, special RS customised prizes and overall winners' vouchers, which have been emailed to the top 4. We are delighted to confirm that Rooster will once again sponsor the RS400 Rooster National Tour next year - see dates (regional tour dates still work in progress).

The season opener will be the popular Harken Sprints at Rutland. This year, the Northerns will be at Carsington and the Southerns once again at Warsash, after such a successful event there in 2025. The RS400s will be part of the massive RS Games at Travemunder Woche, ahead of the Nationals at Hayling Island, with a new Thurs-Sun 4-day September format following feedback from the class poll.

Ollie Groves and Esther Parkhurst flying - Mercedes Benz Belfast RS400 Eurocup and Noble Marine UK/Irish Nationals - photo © Thomas Anderson / www.sdsphoto.pro

Overall Results: