IOM Ranking 1 & 2 at West Lancashire Yacht Club

by Nigel Barrow 10 Mar 18:52 GMT 7-8 March 2026

IOM Ranking 1 & 2 at West Lancs - Rounding the leeward mark © A Tickle

IOM Ranking 1 & 2 at West Lancs - Ranking 1 winner Brad Gibson with Vice commodore Andy Ashworth © A Tickle

IOM Ranking 1 & 2 at West Lancs - Ranking 2 winner Rob Walsh with Commodore Andrew Hall © A Tickle

A weekend of fine margins, fickle breezes and first class hospitality

West Lancashire Yacht Club, long celebrated for the legendary 24 hour race, is rapidly carving out a parallel reputation as one of the North's premier radio sailing venues. With its expansive lake, generous clubhouse facilities, ample parking and motorhome power points, it is little wonder the IOM fleet descended in force for the latest Ranking 1 and 2 weekend.

Saturday - A Game of Patience and Precision

Competitors awoke to a cold, breathless morning. At 7am the lake lay perfectly still, a mirror reflecting Southport's historic industrial skyline. By 8am the car park was buzzing as skippers prepared boats for measurement and sought every last tuning advantage in the marginal breeze.

Inside the clubhouse, measurement was running with clinical efficiency. Fins, bulbs and all up A rig weights were checked with Paul Middleton's meticulously calibrated scales - complete with gloved hand handling of the reference weights, leaving no doubt about their accuracy. A few bulbs required a discreet drill out to shed a couple of grams, but the fleet soon passed through and headed lakeside.

The early practice session revealed the challenge ahead: a whisper of south easterly wind, barely enough to move an IOM. As briefing concluded, the breeze faded entirely, leaving the race team with a difficult opening to the day.

When the wind finally returned, the seeding races were sailed in the lightest of airs. Brad Gibson, as expected, dispatched his heat with trademark composure, while Simon Clark and Martin Roberts took the others.

A dramatic 90 degree shift to the southwest after Race 2 forced a full course relocation to the southern shore. Once reset, racing resumed - and the tactical battleground sharpened.

Edwards the Wind Whisperer

In Race 2, Tony Edwards read the new breeze to perfection. Starting at the windward end, he tacked early onto port, hit the lay line with precision and crossed the fleet for a commanding win in his new R2V2. Gibson followed, with Craig Richards third.

Race 3 saw Edwards attempt the same move, but this time Gibson and Josh King were ready. King took the win, Gibson second, Edwards third.

Race 4 delivered another shuffle: Richards claimed victory, Gibson again second, and Peter Stollery third. Gibson's relentless consistency secured him the day's overall win, with Edwards second and King third. Remarkably, every sailor except Gibson carried at least one poor result - a testament to the fleet's depth and the punishingly light conditions.

Sunday - Light Again, but No Less Demanding

Sunday dawned with another gentle SE breeze. Seeding races got away cleanly, with Gibson, Darin Ballington and Steve Cockerill taking the honours. Thereafter, consistency became the rarest commodity on the lake.

Rob Walsh mastered the fickle shifts better than anyone, never finishing worse than seventh. The standout moment came in Race 3, when several front runners - including Gibson and Nigel Barrow - miscounted laps and sailed a fourth circuit. Rob McIntosh, correctly tallying the course, slipped through to take the win, followed by Duncan Ellis and Walsh.

Walsh's steady hand earned him the day's victory, with Stollery second and King completing his second podium of the weekend.

Design Watch - A Fleet in Flux

With rapid development across the IOM class, the results offered a fascinating snapshot of current form.

Day 1 Top Designs:

3D printed Post Punk
3D printed Proteus
R2V2 (Robot Yachts)
Pop
Five BritPOPs in the top 10
One Venti

Day 2 Top Designs:

BritPOP dominant
3D Post Punk
3D Proteus
Venti
The new MINT from Joysway making an appearance

The variety at the front underlines the class's ongoing innovation and the competitiveness of modern designs.

A Club That Delivered

West Lancashire Yachts Club excelled as host. Alan Tickle deserves particular praise for orchestrating parking in a space seemingly too small for the fleet - yet somehow accommodating everyone - before donning multiple hats throughout the day to keep the event running smoothly.

Peter Baldwin and the race team managed extraordinarily difficult conditions with professionalism and calm. Inside, the clubhouse team provided warmth, free tea and coffee, hearty lunches and homemade cakes. Even the Commodore and Vice Commodore took turns presenting prizes.

The club's efforts were widely appreciated, and their reward is significant: hosting the 2027 DF65 European Championship.

IOM Ranking 1 & 2 at West Lancs - The clubhouse with plenty of space for boat rigging - photo © A Tickle

A Memorable Weekend

Despite the light winds, the racing was intense, tactical and unforgiving - exactly what a top level IOM ranking weekend should be. The fleet left Southport full of praise for the venue, the volunteers and the racing. West Lancs has firmly established itself as a premier radio sailing destination, and the community will be eager to return.

Ranking 1 Results:

Pos	Skipper	Sail No	Club/City	Hull	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1	Brad Gibson	42	Birkenhead RS&PC	Post PUNK	1	2	2	2	4	7
2	Tony Edwards	75	Yeovil DMBC	R2V2	4	1	3	4	11	12
3	Josh King	26	Windrush RYC	Pop!	3	16	1	7	6	17
4	Craig Richards	112	Datchet Radio Sailing	Proteus	16	3	12	1	3	19
5	Peter Stollery	39	Guildford MYC	BritPOP!	2	11	9	3	5	19
6	Rob Walsh	25	Fleetwood MY&PBC	Venti	9	6	5	11	8	28
7	Duncan Ellis	37	Norwich MYC	BritPOP!	5	10	8	6	10	29
8	Darin Ballington	98	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	BritPOP!	4	8	7	10	20	29
9	Simon Clarke	94	Windrush RYC	BritPOP!	1	4	17	9	16	30
10	Martin Roberts	22	Birkenhead RS&PC	BritPOP!	1	19	13	16	1	31
11	Shaun Priestley	67	Fleetwood MY&PBC	SV	5	23	6	5	17	33
12	Nigel Barrow	54	Datchet Radio Sailing	VISS	6	5	11	19	31	41
13	James Edwards	188	Yeovil DMBC	BritPOP!	3	14	4	21	41	42
14	Paul Middleton	52	Fleetwood MY&PBC	V12	2	13	10	18	35	43
15	Roger Crates	30	Askern RSC	Venti	4	18	25	15	7	44
16	Graham Elliott	09	Birkenhead RS&PC	BritPOP!	8	9	15	20	13	45
17	Mark Rose	38	Fleetwood MY&PBC	BritPOP!	5	17	14	14	19	50
18	Julia Hancock	24	Hampton Court MYC	BriPOP!	7	36	43	8	2	53
19	Robert McIntosh	64	Birkenhead RS&PC	Venti	10	12	21	25	18	61
20	Pete Walters	65	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	Venti	2	15	20	32	24	61
21	Tim Hand	134	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	BritPOP!	7	31	22	24	12	65
22	Brian Summers	07	Tayside RSC	Proteus	11	30	24	17	15	67
23	Gordon Allison	62	Paisley MYC	Proteus	6	7	19	39	37	69
24	David Donin	16	Gosport MYBC	Venti	14	51	16	24	23	77
25	Simon Fairman	71	Manor Park Radio Sailing Club	Alioth	18	27	33	12	21	78
26	Alan Bennett	178	Etherow Model Boat Club	BritPOP!	3	20	28	28	28	79
27	Steve Cockerill	27	Emsworth	BritPOP!	17	44	39	13	14	83
28	Oliver Stollery	04	Guildford MYC	BritPOP!	11	32	32	33	9	84
29	Mike Drew	18	Fleetwood MY&PBC	BritPOP!	7	28	36	24	26	85
30	Austin Guerrier	68	Datchet Radio Sailing	Venti	9	25	38	27	25	86
31	John Tushingham	133	Keighley & District MES Ltd	Mint	10	21	41	26	30	87
32	Mick Chamberlain	46	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	Venti	8	26	23	34	39	91
33	Andrea Roberts	63	Birkenhead RS&PC	BritPOP!	21	58	18	31	22	92
34	Martyn Aspinall	91	Rotherham MYC	BritPOP!	6	24	34	30	33	93
35	John Taylor	28	Fleetwood MY&PBC	Gillette	10	29	29	29	27	95
36	Simon Thomson	101	Greenock MY&PBC	BritPOP!	9	22	31	38	53	100
37	Buzz Coleman	12	Coalhouse Fort RYC	Vision	13	33	30	36	48	112
38	Colin McGinnis	45	Tayside RSC	Buzz 3	14	43	27	41	32	114
39	Anthony Marshall	33	Eastbourne & District MYC	Venti	15	39	26	35	50	115
40	Ben Harker	122	Huntingdon RYC	H6O	8	38	58	41	34	121
41	Roy Stevens	154	Scarborough MYC	BritPOP!	15	53	35	43	29	122
42	Richard Ennos	84	Kinghorn Radio Sailing Club	Ariel	11	35	37	50	51	133
43	Clive Harries	116	Keighley & District MES Ltd	Vision	12	37	42	42	46	133
44	John Berry	79	Etherow Model Boat Club	BritPOP!	16	34	50	44	42	136
45	Jonathan Kneale	05	West Cornwall RSC	V 11	13	45	44	37	49	139
46	Ian Nolan	00	Norwich MYC	BritPOP!	12	49	48	48	36	144
47	Ted Johnston	166	Paisley MYC	BritPOP!	17	41	45	45	41	144
48	Alan Watkinson	23	Birkenhead RS&PC	Corbie 5	12	40	47	47	55	146
49	John Tideswell	88	Keighley & District MES Ltd	BritPOP!	14	58	46	46	44	150
50	Richard Jutsum	89	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	Viss	13	46	49	55	43	151
51	Tracey Ballington	49	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	BritPOP!	20	42	41	53	54	156
52	Martin Hutchinson	99	Carrickfergus MBC	MX14	18	58	52	49	38	157
53	Robin Gray	76	North Down Model Yacht Club	Alioth 4	15	48	58	51	47	161
54	Lloyd Watson	131	Windrush RYC	BritPOP!	16	54	51	54	45	166
55	Lee Mutlow	60	Woodspring MSC	Vision	18	50	58	52	52	172
56	John Hunter	175	North Down Model Yacht Club	Alioth v4	19	47	58	58	56	180
57	Desmond Howell	78	North Down Model Yacht Club	Gillette	17	52	58	56	58	183

Ranking 2 Results:

Pos	Skipper	Sail No	Club/City	Hull	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1	Rob Walsh	25	Fleetwood MY&PBC	Venti	4	1	3	7	1	9
2	Peter Stollery	39	Guildford MYC	BritPOP!	3	6	6	1	3	13
3	Josh King	26	Windrush RYC	Pop!	4	7	10	2	2	15
4	Graham Elliott	09	Birkenhead RS&PC	BritPOP!	2	9	4	3	6	15
5	Brad Gibson	42	Birkenhead RS&PC	Post PUNK	1	3	22	15	5	24
6	John Tushingham	133	Keighley & District MES Ltd	Mint	3	2	11	10	13	26
7	Robert McIntosh	64	Birkenhead RS&PC	Venti	13	29	1	6	7	27
8	Duncan Ellis	37	Norwich MYC	BritPOP!	9	26	2	14	4	29
9	Martin Roberts	22	Birkenhead RS&PC	BritPOP!	3	8	13	13	8	32
10	Craig Richards	112	Datchet Radio Sailing	Proteus	6	15	7	5	23	33
11	Darin Ballington	98	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	BritPOP!	1	18	17	4	15	37
12	Alan Bennett	178	Etherow Model Boat Club	BritPOP!	10	4	19	8	18	40
13	Nigel Barrow	54	Datchet Radio Sailing	VISS	5	5	9	21	23	40
14	David Donin	16	Gosport MYBC	Venti	6	12	5	18	36	41
15	Ben Harker	122	Huntingdon RYC	H6O	8	11	14	12	16	45
16	John Taylor	28	Fleetwood MY&PBC	Gillette	4	13	12	17	25	46
17	Austin Guerrier	68	Datchet Radio Sailing	Venti	7	10	20	24	11	48
18	Steve Cockerill	27	Emsworth	BritPOP!	1	20	8	22	27	51
19	Tony Edwards	75	Yeovil DMBC	R2V2	8	23	23	11	10	52
20	Paul Middleton	52	Fleetwood MY&PBC	V12	6	14	16	20	29	56
21	Buzz Coleman	12	Coalhouse Fort RYC	Vision	8	17	15	24	20	60
22	Roy Stevens	154	Scarborough MYC	BritPOP!	5	16	18	29	26	65
23	Mick Chamberlain	46	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	Venti	7	32	33	16	12	67
24	Oliver Stollery	04	Guildford MYC	BritPOP!	5	19	30	19	33	73
25	Shaun Priestley	67	Fleetwood MY&PBC	SV	2	24	41	51	9	76
26	Julia Hancock	24	Hampton Court MYC	BriPOP!	12	45	52	9	14	80
27	Simon Fairman	71	Manor Park Radio Sailing Club	Alioth	2	21	29	30	34	82
28	Mark Rose	38	Fleetwood MY&PBC	BritPOP!	13	31	28	25	17	83
29	Simon Clarke	94	Windrush RYC	BritPOP!	11	22	35	32	19	84
30	Pete Walters	65	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	Venti	9	27	25	26	24	84
31	Andrea Roberts	63	Birkenhead RS&PC	BritPOP!	14	25	21	36	32	92
32	Brian Summers	07	Tayside RSC	Proteus	10	28	27	37	48	102
33	James Edwards	188	Yeovil DMBC	BritPOP!	10	36	24	34	35	103
34	Simon Thomson	101	Greenock MY&PBC	BritPOP!	11	33	32	33	28	104
35	Ian Nolan	00	Norwich MYC	BritPOP!	7	34	26	39	44	106
36	Tracey Ballington	49	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	BritPOP!	15	55	31	31	38	115
37	Jonathan Kneale	05	West Cornwall RSC	V 11	17	41	42	27	31	116
38	Colin McGinnis	45	Tayside RSC	Buzz 3	11	39	48	49	21	119
39	Richard Ennos	84	Kinghorn Radio Sailing Club	Ariel	18	53	36	28	37	119
40	Anthony Marshall	33	Eastbourne & District MYC	Venti	12	38	44	47	30	124
41	Martyn Aspinall	91	Rotherham MYC	BritPOP!	13	37	38	41	39	127
42	Ted Johnston	166	Paisley MYC	BritPOP!	12	50	34	38	50	134
43	Tim Hand	134	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	BritPOP!	9	30	41	58	58	138
44	George Bennett	180	Etherow Model Boat Club	BritPOP!	16	44	55	35	49	144
45	Grant Rowe	96	Keighley & District	Departure	16	52	43	43	42	144
46	Clive Harries	116	Keighley & District MES Ltd	Vision	20	58	37	46	43	146
47	Geff Kay	139	HOTTH	Isotonic	18	48	41	42	46
48	Lee Mutlow	60	Woodspring MSC	Vision	18	42	50	53	40	150
49	Gordon Allison	62	Paisley MYC	Proteus	17	43	45	45	58	150
50	John Tideswell	88	Keighley & District MES Ltd	BritPOP!	15	54	51	41	45	152
51	Richard Jutsum	89	Lincoln Radio Sailing Club	Viss	14	49	46	44	51	153
52	Robin Gray	76	North Down Model Yacht Club	Alioth 4	14	40	49	52	52	155
53	Martin Hutchinson	99	Carrickfergus MBC	MX14	15	51	47	48	47	157
54	John Hunter	175	North Down Model Yacht Club	Alioth v4	17	47	54	54	41	159
55	Mike Drew	18	Fleetwood MY&PBC	BritPOP!	19	35	58	58	58	170
56	Lloyd Watson	131	Windrush RYC	BritPOP!	19	56	53	50	55	177
57	Roger Crates	30	Askern RSC	Venti	16	46	58	58	58	178