Firefly Twisted Tube team racing and Open Weekend at Spinnaker Sailing Club

Perfect conditions blessed the Spinnaker Firefly Weekend at Blashford Lake on 17-18 October. After a season of easterlies and westerlies, which can shrink Spinnaker's modest 65 acres of sailing water to something nearer 30, a strong and (by Spinnaker standards, at least!) stable Force 4 north-north-easterly held for both days.

The result: 68 team races at Saturday's Twisted Tube, followed by a seven-race sprint series at Sunday's Firefly Open, a round of the 2026 Craftinsure Vines Series. In all, 58 competitors took part, with 18 entries for the Twisted Tube and 20 for the Open. A strong turnout, given that several class stalwarts were away celebrating the marriage of National Firefly Class Association Chair Jenny Smallwood to her Firefly crew, Philip Aldhous. As Firefly class legend Guy Davison put it: "We wish congratulations to the Happy Couple! Here's to many years of happiness and Fireflying!"

Saturday - Twisted Tube

The Twisted Tube's random-pairs format draws a wonderfully eclectic entry: seasoned Wilson Trophy champions lining up against team racers still cutting their teeth on the schools and university circuits. A few were rustier than others. Following the briefing from Chief Umpire (and Spinnaker Commodore) Tom Clay, there was a sudden rush for protest flags; a quick application of the Race Committee's scissors to a Lidl bulk-shopping bag produced several rather fetching, and crucially rule-compliant, red flags for those who had forgotten theirs.

Firefly Twisted Tube team racing at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Nigel Vick

Mel Sherrington had swapped her usual helm (and husband) for her son Toby, while Arthur Greaves teamed up with another Sherrington, Toby's younger brother Rowan, on a free entry courtesy of last year's champion helm Ed Smith, forced to withdraw shortly before the event. Last year's champion crew, Gilly Ansell, left high and dry by Ed, joined 2013-winning helm Chris Guy. The universities were out in force, with two boats from Southampton and four from Plymouth, among them newly arrived Plymouth fresher and Spinnaker regular Jaz McQuillan, sailing with her father Keith, fresh from victory at the Frensham Pond SC Solo Open. In the youth competition, last year's winners Claires Court School returned with a new line-up, joined by Freya Phillips, granddaughter of Spinnaker and Firefly class legends Tiggy and Greg, crewing for Jack Knapper.

Firefly Twisted Tube team racing at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Nigel Vick

After a long, dry summer, compounded by two weeks of reservoir drawdown to supply firefighters tackling August's A31 New Forest fires, Blashford Lake was blighted by climbing weed. The Race Committee laid the course in the deepest part of the lake, at the price of putting Dragon Island ominously on the right-hand side of the downwind leg: a rather more formidable obstacle than the virtual boundaries of a modern America's Cup course. But who wants to approach the third mark of a Digital S course on port tack anyway?

Firefly Twisted Tube team racing at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Nigel Vick

Toby & Mel meant business from the off, among the few boats ready for the 1027 warning signal; an AP gave the stragglers time to arrive, and the first race got away around 1040. By the 1245 lunch break 32 races were done, with Arthur & Rowan and Toby & Mel the teams to beat on five wins from seven apiece. The break was appreciated by competitors, umpires and race management alike: well-fed, watered and rested officials must surely make better umpire calls? I am certain the competitors would agree...

Firefly Twisted Tube team racing at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Nigel Vick

Race 44 proved decisive. Arthur & Rowan, paired with Southampton's Adam Aziz & Alessandro Frank Pegoraro, faced Toby & Mel, teamed with Plymouth's Ollie Thompson & Amy Ching. It came down to classic two-boat tactics on the final beat: Toby & Mel won the final manoeuvre to finish third, with Arthur & Rowan fourth, and the race win went to Toby & Mel and their partners. The two met again in Race 49, Toby & Mel now with David & Henry Cheshire, Arthur & Rowan with Kieran Bowsher & Rose Dale. Arthur & Rowan looked to have the upper hand, but Toby & Mel pinned Kieran & Rose in fourth while David & Henry stormed to victory: another race win for Toby & Mel.

Firefly Twisted Tube team racing at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Nigel Vick

Toby, ably assisted by his mum and following in his father's footsteps, nailed the races that mattered to claim the 2026 Twisted Tube title, with Arthur & Rowan a valiant second. Third place went down to the final race of the day, where Chris & Gilly, sailing with Henry Hawkes & Laura Jubb, got the better of Arthur's father Steve and crew Izzy Bretherton, helped by a decisive umpire call on the starboard lay line of the final beat. That secured third overall for Chris & Gilly, ahead of Ollie & Amy in fourth and Steve & Izzy in fifth, all three tied on 10 race wins, the ties broken easily by the new KSail race management software. Had the Organising Authority printed the schedule in A3, and had Steve & Izzy used the event-provided waterproof pouch, they might have secured a few more; failing eyesight and a disintegrating race schedule conspired in a few missed starts!

Firefly Twisted Tube team racing at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Nigel Vick

James Power & Esme Prower were best of the rest in sixth. In the youth competition, Monty Morgan & Ben Havelock of Claires Court School took the title with nine wins from 16 races, from Jack & Freya in second and Claires Court's Henry Adamson & Felix Reason in third. Racing was done by 1545, in time for a well-earned cup of tea in the clubhouse, some competitors joined by several generations of their families. At the prize-giving Toby Sherrington thanked the race teams, and the Organising Authority gave a special mention to KSail, whose excellent new race schedule allowed more racing than in previous years and dealt effortlessly with the tricky tie-breaks that so often blight random-pairs events. Wonderful support, both in the lead-up and on the day.

Twisted Tube team racing Results:

Sunday - Firefly Open

Saturday's breeze carried into Sunday. Ten boats from the previous day were joined by three local Spinnaker boats and seven visitors, the furthest-travelled from Llangorse Sailing Club in mid-Wales. Race Officer Pete May set a classic Spinnaker orienteering course: two decent beats (this is Spinnaker, after all), runs with plenty of tactical options, and a broad reach positioned in the most reliable breeze on the lake. The result was exhilarating sailing, with boats planing freely in gusts of 20 knots.

Race 1 went to Nigel Wakefield & Sally Wilson in the Ovington demonstration boat, which is to be raffled at the class's 80th Anniversary Dinner in November. They nailed the pin-end start and never looked back. Ollie & Amy led the chase, still in fine form after their fourth at the Twisted Tube, from Toby & Mel and Adam Aziz, now sailing with Martha Green. Finn Kameen, with dad Paul crewing, led the youth fleet in an impressive eighth.

Firefly Open at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Neil Lister

In pursuit of the seven-race target the Race Committee had shortened Race 1 to a single lap, which left places five to eighteen separated by under 20 seconds. Two-lap races were hastily reinstated, and a few scoring discrepancies were amiably resolved over lunch, to the considerable relief of a Race Committee that had begun to fear abandoning the race altogether. What a lovely bunch the Firefly class is!

Nigel & Sally won the pin and Race 2 as well, reeling in early leaders Lucy Boreham & Rachel Crebbin, who held on for second from Toby & Mel, with Barney Smith & Alannah Hebbert in hot pursuit. Race 3 saw Nigel & Sally make a rare mistake and finish outside the top five: Arthur Greaves, now with George Gillespie crewing, led start to finish from Lucy & Rachel and Adam & Martha. Finn led the youth fleet throughout the morning, with Jack & Freya and Henry & Felix trading places behind.

Guy Davison & Sally Wakefield, by now fully reacquainted with Blashford Lake's truly unique conditions, sailed beautifully to win Race 4 by a commanding margin. Most crews had abandoned the jib stick in the short, shifty legs, yet Sally's jib always seemed perfectly set, pole ready for Guy to take the waiting sheet. Truly impressive! Nigel & Sally took second, with Ed Morris, now single-handed, leading the chasing pack in third; his seven-year-old crew had decided three races in a day were quite enough, a perfectly understandable nod to traditional sailing customs.

Firefly Open at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Neil Lister

After a swift lunch, Race 5 was normal service: Nigel & Sally off the pin and leading throughout, from Guy & Sally and Ed Morris. Finn & Paul retired for the day, leaving Jack & Freya and Henry & Felix to battle for the youth honours.

Race 6 provided the drama. Ed Morris fancied a go at the pin end, until then the exclusive preserve of Nigel & Sally, and while the two enjoyed an animated discussion on the intricacies of RRS 11 and 15, Barney & Alannah pulled the trigger and went for the pin, arriving two seconds early. They duly circled round; Nigel tacked away to start mid-line on port; Ed was satisfied he had finally won the pin. All three reached the windward mark in quick succession, where Nigel and Ed were informed they were OCS. Barney & Alannah sailed cleanly away for the win, from Guy & Sally and local boat Ben Schooling & Lucy May, who improved steadily all day. Not bad, considering Lucy had been recruited that very morning and was crewing a Firefly for the first time. Surely not the last!

In the final race three boats again tussled for the pin: Nigel & Sally, Guy & Sally and Ed Morris. By coincidence or otherwise, Guy & Sally slotted in between the other two, with Ed furthest to port. Ed rounded the windward mark first and held on for the win, from Adam & Martha and Arthur & George, after plenty of place-changing around Blashford Lake's familiar snakes and ladders.

Firefly Open at Spinnaker Sailing Club - photo © Neil Lister

That gave Nigel Wakefield & Sally Wilson a comfortable overall victory. They could perhaps have gone ashore after their Race 6 OCS, but the racing was too close to call it a day! Guy Davison & Sally Wakefield took second overall, with Arthur Greaves & George Gillespie third. Racing was again complete by 1545, and competitors were treated to a scrumptious Regatta Tea: smoked salmon bagels left over from the umpires' lunches (how the other half live!) and a centrepiece batch of truly delicious brownies baked by Alannah Hebbert.

At the prize-giving Nigel heaped praise on Pete May and his team for running seven excellent races with minimal fuss. Pete, never one for the limelight, simply remarked: "with good wind anyone can look like they know what they are doing!" A modest assessment that rather undersells a superb volunteer effort across both days. Bravo to them all, and a huge thank you!

It was a weekend that showed the Firefly class at its best: excellent conditions, fiercely competitive racing, good humour and the camaraderie for which the class is renowned. There cannot be many dinghy classes where boats tussling for the lead span an age range of 65 years! A huge thank you to everyone who competed, officiated and volunteered, and we hope to see even more of you at next year's edition.

Open Meeting Overall Results:

Vines Series standings

The weekend has shaken up the Vines Trophy (helms and crews): Jono Pank leads on 8 points, but Nigel Wakefield was the big mover, jumping to second on 26, a single point clear of Jenny Smallwood & Philip Aldhous on 27. In the Top Stick, the crews-only championship, little changed: Freddie Pank leads on 15 points from Philip Aldhous on 27 and Isobel Bretherton on 29. With two events still to score, there is plenty left to sail for.

That nearly wraps up the 2026 Firefly circuit, with two events still to come: West Oxfordshire Sailing Club this coming weekend, followed by Bough Beech on 14 November to close out the season. And a reminder that there are only a few weeks left to qualify for the 80th Anniversary raffle, whether racing at your home club or on the circuit, with a brand-new Ovington Firefly (F4444), race-ready with Seldén spars, Hyde Sails and Covers, and a launch trolley from Sailboat Trailers, to be drawn at the Anniversary Dinner on 21 November. Remember that you must opt in by 14 November to be eligible for the draw (forms.gle/MSeCVBpEpvcyQp1v7). We look forward to seeing everybody at WOSC!

The 2026 Craftinsure Vines Series is proudly supported by Craftinsure. The National Firefly Class Association's named sponsor is Tideway Wealth.