Craftinsure Supernova open meeting 2026 at Cotswold Sailing Club
by Cliff Milliner 14 Mar 20:19 GMT
14 March 2026
Supernovas at Cotswold © David Prowting
The Craftinsure Supernova Open at Cotswold SC was held on the 14th March. A lower entry than normal with just 12 entries including 3 visitors were greeted with sunny skies and light and shifty winds, so the race officer Ray Workman did a great job of set a nice course with a decent beat and a verity of runs and reaches to get around the lake.
With the wind strength ranging from 3-8 knots within the space of a few boat length and 40 degree shifts it was an eyes out of the boat sort of day and with lots of opportunity to make big gains or even bigger losses.
In the first race Olli Crocker, Matt Williams, Chris Hawley and Paul Undrell made the best of the first beat to lead at the windward mark closely followed by Milliner, and Young. Milliner pulled through to the lead from Hawley until Crocker hooked into a big right shift on the middle lap to sneak into the lead. In the end Milliner took 1st from Crocker and Hawley in 3rd.
After the traditional fantastic lunch, they ventured out for races 2 and 3, with the wind was just as shifty and gusty, but lovely and sunny!
For race 2 Gifford and Undrell lead at the top mark and gybed on the run searching for breeze, but Crocker carried on to find the best of the wind, with Milliner in the middle of the course. These 2 had a close battle until Milliner hooked into a nice left shift up the final beat to pull away to the lead which he held to the finish from Crocker and Young in a solid 3rd.
For Race 3 the RO tried a windward leeward course and the wind filled in a tad but it was still shifty. Coming from the port end Milliner tacked and crossed the fleet to lead at the top mark, leaving Crocker buried deep. Hawley again held a nice 2nd from Young. With the wind shifting around sometimes the course was a bit one sided, so the RO shortened the course, with Milliner, Hawley and Young taking the top 3.
During prizegiving all the sailors feasted on tea and cakes. Overall, Milliner taking the trophy with 3 race wins, with Crocker showing his winter form in second and Hawley in 3rd.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 1357 | C Milliner | Cotswold SC | ‑1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2nd | 1162 | Oliver Crocker | Costwold Sc | 2 | 2 | (DNF) | 4 |
| 3rd | 1333 | C Hawley | Bartley SC | 3 | ‑4 | 2 | 5 |
| 4th | 1358 | G Young | Cotswold SC | ‑5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 5th | 1248 | M Williams | Costwold SC | 4 | ‑9 | 4 | 8 |
| 6th | 1362 | P Undrell | Costwold | ‑6 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 7th | 1137 | Jon Wood | Avon SC | ‑7 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| 8th | 1201 | Chris Williams | Costwold SC | ‑10 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| 9th | 1203 | S Johnson | Cotswold SC | ‑9 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 10th | 1274 | A Gould | Cotswold SC | 8 | 8 | ‑9 | 16 |
| 11th | 1234 | Nick Whiles | Girton | ‑11 | 11 | 10 | 21 |
| 12th | 1355 | W Gifford | Costwold SC | (DNF) | DNF | DNS | 26 |