Please select your home edition
Edition

I.O.M Winter Series Round 6 at Lincoln Radio Sailing Club

by Paul Kelly 22 Dec 2025 16:38 GMT 21 December 2025
Lincoln I.O.M Winter Series Round 6 - Mick Cooper checking mast rake © Mick Chamberlain

In a bold display of optimism, helms managed a ten-race series on the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year. Fortunately, IOM racing moves at a blistering pace.

A few regular faces were notably absent - whether they were caught up in last-minute Christmas shopping or had opted to celebrate the solstice at Stonehenge instead remains a mystery. However, a strong fleet of 14 helms turned out, all bidding for victory.

Despite the unpromising conditions during the journey to the club, with rain lashing windscreens and spirits dampening en route, the weather gods smiled upon Lincoln once racing commenced.

The rain held off throughout the day, allowing all ten races to be completed in dry conditions - a welcome reprieve that was no doubt appreciated by skippers. The wind was light, rarely exceeding 5 kts, so A rig was the order of the day.

Special thanks go to Darin Ballington and Pete Walters for their efforts in setting up the course & equipment before racing, ensuring everything was ready for a prompt 10 am start.

Pete Walters (Venti sail #65) dominated the day's racing, claiming victory with an impressive 12.0 points from the ten races (with two discards). His consistency was remarkable, highlighted by him taking 5 race wins and when utilising his discards not counting any race outside the top three across the day. This masterclass in consistency saw him take the top spot with a comfortable margin.

Tim Hand (Britpop sail #134) secured second place overall with 19.0 points. Tim showed strong form with two victory's and demonstrated excellent consistency throughout the fleet. Hand has qualified for the World Championships at Datchet next year, demonstrating the high calibre of competition at Lincoln.

Roger Crates completed the podium in third position, also sailing a Venti (sail #30), finishing on 20.0 points. Crates opened strongly with a commanding win in race 1 and maintained solid positions throughout, proving the Venti hull's competitiveness in the conditions.

Darin Ballington (Pikanto sail #98) finished fourth with 27.0 points. Like Hand, Ballington has also secured his place at the Datchet World Championships, underlining the quality of racing at Lincoln where world-class sailors regularly compete.

Mick Chamberlain rounded out the top five with 29.0 points in his Venti (sail #46). Chamberlain showed flashes of brilliance with a race win in race 7.

Chris Elliott (Britpop sail #74) finished sixth on 47.0 points after a challenging day that included some higher-placed finishes. The battle intensified further down the fleet, with Martyn Aspinall, Mick Cooper, Paul Kelly, and Adrian Cripps all finishing within twenty points of each other.

The conditions clearly suited a variety of hull designs, with Venti, Britpop, and Pikanto hulls all featured prominently in the results, showcasing the competitive nature of IOM racing.

The slightly older designs on show today were very much in the mix and not far off the leaders with the Vision and Robot of Peter and Ron both getting some excellent mid fleet results at times.

Grateful thanks go to everyone who helped pack away at the end of the day - many hands made light work, ensuring the club was left shipshape for the festive season.

Round 6 Results:

PosSkipperSail NoHullR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9R10Pts
1Pete Walters65Venti213191121412
2Tim Hand134Britpop1281023413319
3Roger Crates30Venti641562232120
4Darin Ballington98Pikanto3322314854527
5Mick Chamberlain46Venti5753141045229
6Chris Elliott74Britpop13546766671547
7Martyn Aspinall91Alioth11874583138851
8Mick Cooper39Venti461011879119760
9Paul Kelly144V1010111584971010664
10Adrian Cripps80Venti7999101211961570
11Richard Jutsum89Viss910121214558121071
12Ron Austen48Robot814614131313711980
13Peter Guest27Vision141313712101212131190
14Chris Graves11Britpop12121113111115151515100

Related Articles

MYA Scottish District IOM Travellers at Buchanness
Forehill Reservoir has elevated walkways and clear open water The third event of the 2026 MYA Scottish District IOM Travellers Series was hosted by Buchanness MYC near Peterhead. Forehill Reservoir, with its elevated walkways and clear open water, is renowned for delivering quality radio sailing. Posted on 22 Sep Lincoln IOM Summer Series round 12
It was a great morning racing in almost perfect conditions A lively morning greeted the 8 skippers - sunshine and a brisk B-suit breeze from just North of West. In the absence of an OOD, Tim got stuck in to sort a great beat-and-run course on the South bank. Posted on 20 Sep MYA IOM Ranking Weekend at Barton's Point
Punchy starts, aggressive first beat positioning and minimal mistakes The club is situated at Barton's Point on the NW corner of the Isle of Sheppey. The venue has a unique beauty where there are enough hotels and camp sites to house a sizable fleet, as well as a secure compound on site for camping and motor homes. Posted on 15 Sep Lincoln IOM Summer Series round 11
BritPops still in charge, but interesting to see six different designs on show Another fine day at Lincoln. Fourteen skippers in attendance, and at 0930 very little wind was on the cards. But while Darin was out in the dinghy, a little rustle here and a little rustle there, and by briefing time we had a steady breeze from the South. Posted on 7 Sep Lincoln IOM Summer Series round 9
Sun cream and shady hats were the order of the day Thirteen skippers turned up on this bright, hot sunny morning for round 9 of the IOM summer series, despite the forecast of light, variable winds. Posted on 3 Aug Lincoln IOM Summer Series round 8
It was a day where consistent sailing showed The racing started promptly at 10.00 with Chris Elliott (OOD) and Darin Ballington spending over 30 minutes to set a challenging course in a very difficult wind direction that was swinging by 10-15 degrees. The weather was great. Posted on 20 Jul Lincoln IOM Summer Series round 7
A great course set up, and the full length of the South Bank was used A good breeze from just North of west was blowing when we arrived, and questions were asked as to what rig to put on. A rig was the choice, and it was perfect as over the course of the morning the breeze lightened. Posted on 6 Jul Lincoln IOM Summer Series round 6
Great breeze, great turnout, and smiles all round Another fine day at Lincoln, great breeze, great turnout, and smiles all round. A bit of a switch around on the OOD front but with Darin and Tim on site early, things were well advanced by the time the main body of skippers arrived. Posted on 22 Jun MYA Scottish District IOM Travellers Round 2
Twelve IOM skippers gathered at Paisley Model Yacht Club Twelve IOM skippers from across Scotland and one from south of the border assembled at Barshaw Park, Paisley for the second round of the 2026 MYA Scottish District's IOM Travellers series. Posted on 2 Jun Championships shine, AC wakes, SailGP adapts
So much has been going on that it's tricky to even know where to start What a week for sailing! So much has been going on that it's tricky to even know where to start. There have been so many highlights, both in terms of the events I attended in the UK and what has been happening further afield. Posted on 26 May
Copyright 2026 YY Online Services Ltd. registered in England no. 7895890
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy