Craftinsure Lark Inland Championships 2026 at Northampton Sailing Club

Ed Bradburn and Holly Evans. overall winners - Craftinsure Lark Inland Championships at Northampton © Stuart Allen

Fourteen Larks travelled to Pitsford Reservoir for this year's Craftinsure Lark Inlands. Crews came from as far as Dittisham and Waldringfield, and five races were sailed over the weekend.

Saturday brought sunshine with a light west-south-westerly of around 5 knots, with occasional stronger gusts with some big shifts.

Three races were completed, with very close racing throughout the fleet. Ed Bradburn and Holly Evans (South Staffs) scored 1, 1, 2 for the day. John and Victoria Brickwood (Mowgli, Frensham Pond) made a strong start with a pair of seconds, and Stuart and Nick Hydon (Well Dodgy, Dittisham) took the third race by the smallest margin of the weekend.

Samuel Bailey and Mia Hately (Allergic To Water, South Staffs) were models of consistency, never finishing outside the top four in any race.

The racing was just as tight further back. In the first race, barely a quarter of a minute separated Nigel and Fiona Denchfield (Buffy), George Cox-Olliff and Lewis Walker (Cleopatra), and Nigel Scott and Tegwyn Roberts (Brian).

Sunday was a very different day. The breeze swung round to the south and built through the morning to 10-13 knots, with gusts into the twenties, and two more races sailed. Ed and Holly added a 1 and a 2 and with it the overall win. The Hydons finished strongly with a second and a win, lifting them to second overall, clear of the Brickwoods in third. Guy Brearey and Emily Krailing (Problem Child, RTYC) had their best race of the weekend with a third in race four.

Nigel Scott and Tegwyn Roberts climbed to fifth in the final race. The battle for fifth overall went down to the wire: Emma Harris and Matt White (Bob, Waldringfield) edged it by a single point from Stuart and Julia Allen (Fluffy Thwarts, Banbury).

Youngest competitor, Lewis Walker - Craftinsure Lark Inland Championships at Northampton - photo © Stuart Allen

A huge thank you to Northampton Sailing Club for an excellent weekend of racing and hospitality. The race team ran some excellent racing in the shifting conditions and a good time was had by all. Thanks also to Craftinsure for their continued support of the class, and to everyone who travelled to make it such a friendly and competitive fleet. We look forward to coming back as always.

The Travellers Series continues at Itchenor on 3-4 October, followed by the Winter Championships at South Staffs on 28-29 November.

Stuart and Nick Hydon, second overall - Craftinsure Lark Inland Championships at Northampton - photo © Stuart Allen

Overall Results:

John and Vicky Brickwood, third overall - Craftinsure Lark Inland Championships at Northampton - photo © Stuart Allen