Finn UK Masters Championship at Hayling Island Sailing Club

by Lawrence Crispin 30 Apr 07:49 BST 25-26 April 2026

35 eager Finn sailors entered this year's UK Masters Championship, ably hosted by Hayling Island Sailing Club over the 25-26 April.

This year's competitors included a couple of legends of the Finn fleet, Rob McMillan from Australia, the current IFA President, and Filipe Silva from Portugal, a recent World Masters champion, plus Cameron Tweedle, a recent three-time National Champion. It was great to see many new sailors in the fleet and several returning Finnsters. Several new Finn clubs were represented, with three entries from Rutland and Blackwater apiece, proving that it’s more fun to travel to BFA events with your mates and save on travel costs.

A 5-8 knot south easterly with sunshine was forecast for Saturday, and racing was held in Bracklesham Bay, east of Chichester Harbour, off the Witterings. In race one at the top mark, the fleet was led round by Lawrence Crispin from Stone SC, closely followed by John Greenwood of West Kirby SC, a two-time World Masters champion, followed by Silva and McMillan. These positions more or less stayed the same until the last downwind, when Tim Carver from Warsash SC, noticing a tide change, gybed early at the top mark and managed to pass all five boats and crossed for a deserved win. It was noticeable that the top sailors at the front of the fleet followed the wind shifts closely downwind, frequently gybing to maintain the optimal VMG to the bottom gate.

In race two the ever-consistent Greenwood and John Heyes from Warsash SC led round the top mark, these two had a great battle round the course, with Greenwood getting the nod as they crossed the line.

Race three sailed in a decreasing wind; most of the fleet headed out to sea hoping for a possible clocking sea breeze, but a few stayed left and were rewarded with a touch more wind. Daniel Dixon from Blackwater SC, with superior upwind speed, led round the top mark followed by Greenwood and local sailor Mark MacDonald from Mengeham Rythe SC .

As the fleet crawled downwind in the dying wind, the race officer wisely decided to shorten course, and Dixon crossed for the win with a sizeable gap behind.

Sunday dawned with a chilly wind of 10-15 knots, and cloudy skies greeted the sailors for day two, with racing taking place on the more traditional area of Hayling Bay.

In race four started in a choppy sea, with the breeze gusting to 18-20 knots, the majority of the fleet heading left into the shore to keep out of the ebbing tide. Rob McMillan led, followed by a Cam Tweedle, a successful product of the BFA Under 23 squad and recent three-time British champion. The consistent Rob McMillan managed to stay comfortably ahead and crossed for his only win of the weekend.

Race five was almost a repeat of race four, with the fleet heading left, but this time headed by Tweedle, followed by the pretenders of McMillan, Silva and Crispin. On the last run a storming Nick Craig, a multiple world champion in numerous classes, overtook the pretenders with his superior downwind technique, but he was unable to catch race winner Tweedle, who showed strong athleticism in his downwind technique to match Craig’s speed.

Race six was sailed in a declining breeze but still with an awkward sea state, and so was far more tricky with an oscillating wind and a turning tide. This was not a problem for 2026 UK Masters champion John Greenwood, who cemented his overall victory with a dominant win.

The UK Finn fleet continues to attract the top sailors, and the standard of competition at this year’s Masters event was particularly high. The depth in the fleet provided close and friendly racing for all levels of experience, across a whole range of wind conditions.

Thanks must go to HISC for hosting yet again a professionally run regatta, and it was good to see a sprinkling of new faces in the fleet, which bodes well for the rest of the season ahead.

Overall Results:

pos	Helm	Cat	Sail No	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1st	John Greenwood	GGM	GBR5	WKSC & Blithfield Sailing Club	2	1	2	3	‑6	1	9
2nd	Rob mcmillan	GGM	AUS 2	RPAYC	‑3	3	3	1	3	3	13
3rd	Filipe Silva	M	POR21	CNC	4	4	‑10	5	4	2	19
4th	Lawrence Crispin	GGM	74	Stone SC	5	6	‑7	2	5	5	23
5th	Tim Carver	GGM	GBR8	Warsash Sailing Club	1	‑13	4	9	7	4	25
6th	NICK CRAIG	GM	2	Warsash Burghfield Frensham LoS	6	‑26	8	4	2	8	28
7th	Daniel Dixon	GM	GBR717	Blackwater sc	‑12	8	1	8	9	7	33
8th	Richard Sharp	GM	GBR 90	Emsworth Slipper	8	9	5	7	8	(DNC)	37
9th	Cam Tweedle	U40	GBR 64	Hyde Sails	9	‑24	15	6	1	9	40
10th	Michael De Courcy	GGm	21	HISC	7	‑20	17	10	10	10	54
11th	Mark Macdonald	M	GBR 119	MRSC	‑25	5	14	11	12	13	55
12th	Mark Spruce	GGM	GBR 776	Warsash SC & Lee on Solent SC	14	14	‑16	16	13	6	63
13th	John Heyes	GGM	GBR 61	Warsash SC	13	2	(DNF)	14	23	16	68
14th	David Hitchcock	GGm	48	HISC	15	16	13	13	11	(DNC)	68
15th	Jon Simpson	GM	715	Blackwater sc	‑24	19	19	12	14	12	76
16th	Richard Evans	M	AUS 25	Blackwater	18	22	‑23	15	15	14	84
17th	Roman Khodykin	M	13	HISC	10	30	(DNF)	18	16	11	85
18th	RUSSELL NEW	M	GBR40	Christchurch SC	16	‑23	12	22	20	15	85
19th	Mark Cooper	GM	738	Burghfield SC	‑29	25	9	19	21	19	93
20th	Paul Carrington	GM	124	NBYC	17	17	20	‑21	19	20	93
21st	Adrian Ward	GM	708	HISC	20	11	‑29	25	22	17	95
22nd	Simon Radford	GGM	45	HISC	11	12	27	‑28	27	24	101
23rd	Matthew Webb	GM	GBR 26	Blithfield Sailing Club	26	(UFD)	18	17	18	22	101
24th	Chris Waples	GGM	12	HISC	19	28	(DNF)	20	17	18	102
25th	Owen Davies	GGM	721	Bosham SC	21	10	21	‑29	28	23	103
26th	Nick Logan	M	668	Rutland SC	23	15	11	23	(DNC)	DNC	105
27th	Ivan Burden	GM	750	Netley	22	18	6	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	112
28th	Neil Peters	GGM	67	Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club	27	27	22	24	24	(DNC)	124
29th	Gareth Tweedle	GM	GBR71	Emsworth SC	30	7	24	(DNF)	DNC	DNC	127
30th	Nick Mason	GGM	16	Emsworth Slipper	28	‑31	26	26	26	21	127
31st	Tom Watkins	U40	63	Itchenor	‑32	29	25	27	25	25	131
32nd	Ian Frayne	GGM	30	HISC	31	21	28	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	146