ILCA Thames Valley GP series at Fishers Green Sailing Club
by Angie Meyer 13 Jun 10:15 BST
6 June 2026
A battle for podium - ILCA Thames Valley GP series at Fishers Green © Angie Meyer
The annual Thames Valley GP ILCA series at FGSC promised top tier racing from an extremely competitive fleet. With generous sponsorship for the event from Sailing Chandlery and a Trophy Shield for the first ILCA 7 up for grabs, it was all to play for.
The RO Chris promised separate scored results for each fleet, but make no mistake; it was a race to the finish for the favourites who instinctively placed themselves neck and neck for a shot at taking home the glory.
Sunshine and wind greeted 15 ILCA sailors and boats on 6th June at Fishers Green SC. The wind was a Southerly. It was building. And with the club anemometer on the blink those in the know were paying close attention to the local flock of geese.
The wind at Fishers Green SC is notoriously shifty and the geese know it. One minute you are flying along, the next you are face to face with a carp because the gust caught you off guard. It happens. And therefore it's not surprising that the geese have a strategy.
But what about our ILCA competitors?
Race 1 saw a congested pin end start and a most awkward decision by 179856 who tried and failed to port tack the fleet. The course was a beat up to 8, reach down to 4, beat back up to 11 and a run down the lake to 6. A clean getaway though for Vince Christian ILCA 6 who stormed quickly into the front of the fleet hotly pursued by Mike Atkinson ILCA 7. They say when in doubt follow the goose. This makes sense, because geese integrate wind information with visual and magnetic cues to enhance their stability. But on this race the geese were seeking shelter and the only cue was a very dark cloud bearing down on the race course threatening to obliterate the sunshine.
Race two followed and with a last minute wind shift the entire fleet piled onto the committee boat side, this time 179856 over the line on recall and Vince, Mike, and Daisy Cox ILCA 4 neck and neck on the first tack. What a race! Things became even more interesting then when the fist squall moved in and several sailors went for a swim. Where are the geese to guide you when you need them? Great performances by Harry Stewart ILCA 6 and Daisy and Mike but in the end Vince Christian ILCA 6 sailed away from the fleet to win on the water by a clear margin.
Time for lunch then, an opportunity to regroup and rethink strategy over a chicken curry. Was the right favoured? I couldn't say but there was talk of geese. They say determination keeps the journey alive, driving individuals to persist when progress feels slow and obstacles seem insurmountable. I would add that a first class chicken curry also seems to do no harm as the tables as the competitors returned to the race course with fire in their bellies.
Race 3 saw a clean start by all, and Vince taking another bullet straight off the line followed closely by 215492 in his ILCA 7 and 190843 in his ILCA 6. The course was now a beat up to 9, spreader to Z, and a home straight down the lake to 5. And as yet another squall moved in RIB volunteers Bill Noakes, Jess Mancini, John White and yours truly had their hands full with more capsizing. Never a dull moment at the green with several dramatic capsizes!
It was an understandably diminished fleet that saw the final race of the day under way, with several retirees including one injured sailor. Race 4 saw further stiff competition between Matteo Mancini ILCA 6 and Andrew Hill-Smith ILCA 7, Harry 209795 and Daisy 223451 all putting in fine performances in challenging conditions.
The numbers tell the story: 4 races, 15 entries; 13-25mph with gusts to 32mph; over 20 capsizes on the day; competitors across three fleets ILCA 4, IILCA 6 and ILCA 7; and competitors ranging in age from 12 years all the way up to Grand Master. And a lot of geese!
It is fair to say that the Thames Valley ILCA GP hosted by Fishers Green Sailing Club delivered top tier racing in some challenging conditions, and congratulations to our FGSC ILCA 2026 podium places and prize winners including:
1st ILCA 4 - Daisy Cox
1st ILCA 6 - Vince Christian
1st ILCA 7 - Andrew Hill-Smith
Spot prize to first Grand Master, Jonathan Stirling
Thanks again to our event Sponsors Sailing Chandlery; to our Commodore turned chef Kevin and Jane O'Brien for a delicious lunch; and thank you again to all the volunteers including those FGSC members who provided safety cover on RIBs.
Further news and event coverage of FGSC events, including all open events, can be found on our social media channel @fishersgreensailingclub and www.fishersgreensc.org.uk
See also: Thames Valley Grand Prix results so far