Palnackie Race 2026 at Solway Yacht Club
by Ian Purkis 19 Oct 11:19 BST
Excalibur, the Osprey of Stephen Gaughan and Anna Milne, heading upstream while the rest are heading back downstream - Palnackie Race at Solway © James Colbeck
After another successful sailing season at the Solway Yacht Club, it was the final event of the year, the rescheduled Palnackie Race. Coming hot on the heels of a great two-day ILCA 4, 6 & 7 training session attended by 28 young sailors, it was run by Molly Sacker, the UK Sailing Team's ILCA 6 National Champion and Olympic hopeful for the women's singlehanded class in 2028,
In glorious bright Autumn sunshine but only very light wind, Race Officer Dewi Williams briefed the competitors, and all agreed to start the race fifteen minutes early to make the best of what wind there was. As tradition, it was a 90-minute pursuit race. First away was scratch boat, Alec Gendinning, making a change from his familiar Laser Vortex and junk-rigged yacht, now in his newly acquired Wanderer. Ian and Margaret Purkis followed in their Firefly with John Broadbent and Louise Allan (GP14) third away, the rest progressively further back, the fast rated Osprey of Steve Gaughan and Anna Milne last to start.
Up through the twists and turns of the River Urr and avoiding the shallows and mudbanks, it is tricky, but John and Louise caught up the Purkis' Firefly as they rounded the elbow before catching and passing Alec in the Wanderer. Round a few more bends and with the turning buoy set short of Palnackie Harbour now in sight, John and Louise were building a clear lead. Richard Colbeck (ILCA7) and Stewart Mitchell (Finn) were closing. It was now a close contest between the next four boats Alec and Richard round the mark, followed the Purkis crew and Stewart, the last two stuck briefly in a windless spot.
Back down stream it seemed John and Louise had the race won but approaching the Devil's Reach, they misjudged their clearance from the mud, ran hard aground and had the frustration of watching the leading group all sailing past. It was now very close between Stewart's Finn and Richard's ILCA7. Recovering into fifth John and Louise could only look on. Meanwhile after swapping places several times, Ian and Margaret finally got ahead of Alec and as the 90-minute finish approached, it looked like a win for Stewart but at the crucial moment Richard gained a precious lift, luffed him, to win by no more than twelve inches! As always, the best pursuit races end with the closest possible finish.
Nevertheless, thanks to competing in every pursuit race over the 2026 season, Steve Gaughan's 6th place was enough to reward him with the overall pursuit race series win.
Results:
1st Richard Colbeck (ILCA 7)
2nd Stewart Mitchell (Finn)
3rd Ian and Margaret Purkis (Firefly)
4th Alec Glendinning (Wanderer)
5th John Broadbent and Louise Allan (GP14)
6th Steve Gaughan and Anna Milne (Osprey)
7th Keith Veasey (Finn)