In the event the weather did not play ball for the whole weekend but Bill Barker, the Race Officer, and his team did a fantastic job to complete six points races in challenging conditions.

Friday dawned a bit murky. The proposed schedule was to have a practice race followed by the first two points races of the Championships back to back. Because of the poor visibility the decision was taken to race in the harbour rather than in the bay. The fleet launched into a south-westerly of 8 to 10 knots. Unfortunately, as the practice race started, the weather closed in and it was difficult to see the windward mark and gybe mark. By the time the leaders were racing on the second reach of the triangular course their nearest competitors were very barely visible and the leeward mark could not be seen. The race was finished at the end of the first triangle and won (we think) by Brian Lamb and Sam Pygall who took home the Idler’s Bucket for their efforts. The fleet was then sent ashore in close company marshalled by the RIBs. Conditions did not improve and the first and second points races were postponed to the following day.

The forecast for Saturday was for better conditions and when the competitors arrived for the briefing it looked as though we may manage to sail four races and partly catch up with the schedule. In the event, a sea fog rolled in as the fleet was about to launch. The Race Officer sensibly postponed the racing until later in the afternoon. By 1600hrs the fog had dispersed and the fleet enjoyed three races before returning to the shore after 1900hrs. The first two of these races were sailed in 5 to 7 knots but by the time the third race started the wind was softening further. The Race Officer shortened the third race at the end of a very slow first reach but even then some boats failed to finish within the time limit and were given their places on the water. Most boats were towed home.

Sunday promised to have the sunniest conditions. The wind had gone round to the south east and before the fleet launched it looked as though it would be possible to complete four races by having an earlier start. Unfortunately, once again, Zephyros declined to play ball. The wind machine switched off just before the fleet launched and a further postponement was necessary. When the wind returned there was enough time to complete just three races. The first beat of the first race of the day was sailed in the strongest wind of the weekend with boats fully powered up. However, as before, the wind quickly softened and by the time third race started lottery funded conditions prevailed and several of the front runners sailed their discards.

In spite of all these difficulties, racing was close throughout the fleet. From the six completed races there were five different winners. The winners of the Championship overall won only two races but above all were the most consistent boat in the fleet. Congratulations go to Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend from Rollesby Broad SC who won the Championship once more. They also took home the Plymouth Trophy as winners of the fourth points race. Runners up were Len Jones and Peter Mitchell from Medway YC who also won the Aln Trophy for the second race of the Championship. In third place were former champion Guy Marks and Mel Titmus from Bough Beech SC who also won the first points race and with it the Lionel Monk Trophy.

The other race winners were Richard Stone and Catherine Gore from Medway YC who won the third points race and the Ian Proctor Trophy. Colin May and Sarah Wallis from Parkstone YC won the last completed points race and the Bill Hodshon Trophy.

It was interesting to see many new faces in the fleet this year, several of them performing very well. Not new faces, but not seen in a Wayfarer for a decade, were Geoff and Nick Hodshon who returned to the fleet for the first time since the 50th Anniversary Championships sailing their 60-year-old Wayfarer, Nipegegi, (W198). Together with their late father, Bill, Geoff and Nick have won the National Championships a total of five times in Nipegegi. Geoff, Nick and their sister Penny were delighted to present the Bill Hodshon Trophy to Colin and Sarah.

Similarly, Liz Feibusch competed in her boat and was very pleased to present the Wansfell Trophy to Monica Schaefer as the best placed lady helm overall. Monica and her crew, Miriam McCarthy from Greystones SC, Co Wicklow, also won the Hartley Boats Trophy as best placed overseas entry.

The winners of the Silver fleet and best placed newcomers were Ian Foxwell and Trevor Cox from Medway YC. Winners of the Bronze fleet were UKWA Cruising Secretary, Andrew (Boris) Morrice and Chris Yerbury from Bristol Corinthian YC. Mark and Jane Lee from Medway YC won the Pert Platter as best placed husband and wife team, Tony and Nathan Geary from Waldringfield SC won the Carrick Trophy as the best placed double generation team. Medway YC won the Club Team Trophy.

Of course, a Championship in a class like the Wayfarer is not only about the racing and taking home the silverware, although that’s important. It’s about renewing old and making new friendships, sharing stories and experiences. Frustrating though the delays might be, there were plenty of opportunities to drink tea or beer together, to visit the local area, to boat bimble or complete some more mundane chores. Datchet sailors went to watch the beach volleyball in Weymouth (I assume there’s not much sand in Slough, that’s why they went, right?), Mark Lee detuned and retuned his boat (very successfully as it turned out) and had time for a round of golf (a championship ritual) and Mike Mac managed to organise an alfresco haircut. Our hosts couldn’t have done more to feed and entertain us. The bar was often open, there were meals morning, noon and night and a live band on Saturday evening which compelled even the most dance-floor-shy to play air guitar in the dinghy park (he thought it was dark and couldn’t be seen doing the Shadow’s walk to the famous sound of Apache!). Thank you to everybody at Castle Cove SC for all their hard work. This was a fitting way to celebrate the boat’s 60th birthday.

– Tim Townsend

(To view this article with full results table included please see the Racing Results page). 

Summary. One practice race completed which was won by Brian Lamb and Sam Pygall (well done) but no points races. BBQ tonight and try again tomorrow.

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Day 2 – still foggy!

Fog persisted on day 2 of the Nationals which caused a further postponement. However, the PRO made an inspired decision to review the conditions at 1500 hours. The fog had started to disperse by then and we managed to get in three short races. Two of these were sailed in a reasonably steady force 2 but the wind was starting to soften by the third race and faded away at the end of the first beat causing the race to be shortened at the end of the first reach. Race 1 was won by Guy Marks and Mel Titmuss. Race 2 was won by Len Jones and Pete Mitchell while Race 3 was won by Richard Stone and Catherine Gore. Mike Mac and Simon Townsend finished second in each of the three races sailed.

Overall results so far (top five):-
1st Mike Mac and Simon Townsend, (6)
2nd Len Jones and Pete Mitchell (7)
3rd Guy Marks and Mel Titmuss (15)
4th Bill Whitney and John Shelton (18)
5th Richard Stone and Catherine Gore (20)

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Day 3 – final day

Sunday started early with a nice Easterly as we gathered at 9.00 ready to be released for up to four races. Unfortunately the wind then shut off and we endured yet another postponement for a couple of hours.

However we eventually got away and completed three further races before the cutoff.

Overall winners:
1st Mike Mac and Simon Townsend
2nd Len Jones and Pete Mitchell
3rd Guy Marks and Mel Titmus
4th Richard Stone and Catherine Gore

-Tim Townsend 

The plan will be to run 6 races in the harbour over the two days. Racing will be over championship style courses (laid buoys) and with a committee boat start. Those who want to stay over until Bank Holiday Monday will be very welcome to take part in a Charity handicap race around the cans.

Boat parking will be at Tudor SC which has the largest compound to accommodate visitors. Camping will be available at Langstone SC for a small fee. Socials will be shared around the three clubs.

The entry fee is likely to be in the region of £35-40 plus the UKWA levy but the entry fee will include some food.

More details to follow in due course…

In the first race of the day enthusiasm got the better of the fleet at the start which resulted in a general recall. The second start was clean. Michael McNamara/Simon Townsend led at the first mark followed by Guy Marks/Mel Titmus and Tim/Jacqueline Townsend with the peleton close behind. An incident at the first mark saw Andrew and Tom Wilson doing turns. The race progressed for a couple of laps with places at the front unchanged, but at the second leeward mark the Townsends misjudged a spinnaker drop and lost several places. Meanwhile the Wilsons were charging through the fleet and eventually got the better of Marks/Titmus. McNamara/Townsend, the Wilsons and Marks/Titmus took the first three places with Nigel/Michael O’Donnell coming through to claim 4th.

The second race got away first time. On this occasion it was Marks/Titmus who flew out of the blocks chased by the Wilsons and Len Jones/Jamie Lea. McNamara/Townsend rounded the first windward mark in about sixth place and by the time they had got past the bulk of the fleet Marks/Titmus and the Wilsons had a comfortable lead. The Wilsons eventually got the better of Marks/Titmus to take the win, McNamara/Townsend coming through to take 3rd and Len Jones 4th.

The third and final race of the day also got away first time. Now it was the turn of Richard Stone/Catherine Gore to get away well and they led for a part of the race until swallowed up by McNamara/Townsend who went on to take their second win. The Wilsons and Marks/Titmus resumed their battle eventually overtaking Stone/Gore to finish 2nd and 3rd respectively. Positions 4th-7th finished within a few seconds of each other, the nod going to Adam Wickenden/Stuart Hall.

On Saturday evening most of the fleet decamped to the Ostrich in Colnbrook, a 12th century Inn whose patrons, legend has it, had come to a sticky end in the past. Not on this occasion. A good time was had by all and we agreed to meet again on Sunday morning to see if we could improve our positions in the overall standings.

Alas, Sunday dawned with no wind overhead, little wind forecast and a mist which was turning to rain. The race officer abandoned the day’s racing and so the positions overnight stood for the Championship.

The winners of the Wayfarer Inland Championship for the twelfth time were Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend. Runners-up were Andrew and Tom Wilson. The podium was completed by Guy Marks and Mel Titmus. Michael thanked the race officer, the organising club and home fleet for the event and their hospitality.

The next event in the Craftinsure National Circuit and Travellers Series is at West Oxfordshire Sailing Club on the 21/22 April. This is an open meeting and also the Wayfarer Junior Championship.

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	Pts
1st	10648	Michael McNamara	Simon Townsend	Rollesby Broad SC	1	(3)	1	2
2nd	11093	Andrew Wilson	Tom Wilson	Datchet Water SC	(3)	1	2	3
3rd	11050	Guy Marks	Mel Titmus	Bough Beech SC	2	2	(3)	4
4th	11226	Len Jones	Pete Mitchell/Jamie Lea	Medway YC	(DNF)	4	7	11
5th	11012	Tim Townsend	Jacqueline Townsend	Medway YC	5	(6)	6	11
6th	10974	Richard Stone	Catherine Gore	Medway YC	(12)	7	5	12
7th	11170	Brian Lamb	Sam Pygall	Wilsonian SC	7	5	(13)	12
8th	10710	Adam Wickenden	Stuart Hall	Silver Wing SC	(13)	9	4	13
9th	11189	Nigel O'Donnell	Michael O'Donnell	Swarkestone SC	4	(12)	11	15
10th	10686	Brian McKenzie	Liz McKenzie	Medway YC	6	10	(12)	16
11th	10921	Tony Cooper	George	Datchet Water SC	(9)	8	9	17
12th	10688	Bill Whitney	Lisa Whitney	Shoreham SC	10	(13)	8	18
13th	10994	Neil Fletcher	Sarah Northey	Waldringfield SC	8	(11)	10	18
14th	9416	Scott Hamilton	Bob Maddox	Datchet Water SC	11	15	(16)	26
15th	11183	Mike Weighill	Carl Martin	Swarkestone SC	14	(16)	14	28
16th	10828	Derek Lambert	Oliver Lanson-Gore	Datchet Water SC	(DNS)	14	15	29
17th	11129	Paul Hughes	Tracy Villa	Arun YC	15	(17)	17	32
18th	?	Simon Etter	Sue Risbridger	Datchet Water SC	16	(18)	18	34
19th	8454	Laura Hodges	Matthew Hodges	Datchet Water SC	17	(19)	19	36

 

As well as the trophies, glassware and bottles awarded to the winners of the National Circuit and Travellers Series, we will be repeating the grand end of season Prize Draw with generous prizes from Craftinsure, McNamara Sails and Hartley Boats. This was a great success in 2017 with the winners walking away with a year’s free boat insurance, an undercover and a genoa as well as many smaller prizes. As with last year you have to be in it to win it. The more events a boat competes in, the greater its chances of winning in the Draw. The (original) Notice of Race for the Craftinsure National Circuit and Travellers Series (and the rules of the Prize Draw) can be found here.

Date	Venue	Event	Fresh/Salt
7-8 April	Datchet Water SC	Inland Championships	NCS #1 (F)
21-22 April	West Oxfordshire SC	Open Meeting and Junior Championships	NCS #2 (F)
1-3 June	Castle Cove SC	National Championships	NCS #4 (S)
28-29 July	Waldringfield SC	Eastern Area Championships	NCS #5 (S)
25-26 August	Langstone Harbour	Western Area Championships	NCS #3 (S)
8-9 Sep	Medway YC	Southern Area Championships	NCS #6 (S)
6-7 October	Swarkestone SC	Swarkestone Open Meeting	NCS #7 (F)
10-11 Nov	Bough Beech SC	Season Finale	NCS #8 (F)

Diligent readers will notice there are only seven events listed (above), not eight*. This is because Shoreham SC, which was due to host the Western Area Championships in May has regrettably had to cancel the event because its new launching ramp will not be completed. The UKWA is actively looking for a club to host the Western Area Championships in mid-May or late August. If you think your club can help please email the UKWA Racing Secretary, Tim Townsend, at [email protected] Any suitable venue west of Hastings will be considered west enough to host a Wayfarer Western Championship!

Who’s competing at the Inlands? A number of the main protagonists have threatened to start the season at Datchet. These include all of the podium placed teams from the 2017 National Circuit Series, Michael McNamara/Simon Townsend, Andrew/Tom Wilson and Len Jones/Jamie Lea or Pete Mitchell. They will be joined by the enthusiastic and competitive fleet from the host club, and many visitors from the South and Midlands. It looks like it will be a keenly contested weekend with six races scheduled and a social on Saturday night.

How have the teams been warming up? The Datchet fleet has raced most Sunday mornings all winter, so is well practised. Guy Marks and others have been competing at the Bough Beech Icicle, Guy comfortably winning the series. Further north, Wayfarers have been competing in the Blithfield Barrel. Andrew and Tom Wilson have been racing at Datchet but also flying the flag for the Wayfarer Class at the GJW Direct Sailjuice Winter Series 2017, finishing on the podium at each of the three events in which they competed. Michael McNamara has been spotted cycling up and down the hills of Norfolk in a concerted effort to improve fitness levels. Doubtless, Simon Townsend has been doing something similar on the South Coast (but with hills). Bionic Len Jones has a new boat and new body parts (I’m sure titanium is not allowed on the boat) so he will be as quick as ever. No doubt the top few will be quick and well sailed but the exciting thing about each new season is that last season’s pecking order is consigned to history. The Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit and Travellers Series is shaping up to be a series to savour.

– Tim Townsend

* Happily, since Tim wrote this article a venue has been found, and the table reflects this eighth event 

… and here’s another participant’s feedback:-

“A most enjoyable weekend organised by John and Matt. Unusually the weather was kind with plenty of sun, almost enough wind and no rain!”

-Nick Giles W9922

There will be a full write-up in the next edition of Wayfarer News.

Racing started after a short delay on Saturday with three races back to back on a classic triangle/sausage course. The pattern for the weekend’s racing was set early on with Len Jones and Jamie Lea taking an early lead followed by Andrew and Tom Wilson. Racing behind these two was close with several place changes before Derek Lambert and Oliver Gore Lawrenson got the nod for third.

The second race of the day was again led from the start by Jones/Lea, although positions at the windward mark were close with Lambert/Lawrenson and the Wilsons close behind. Jones/Lea led from start to finish with the Wilsons finishing second and the Tim and Jacqueline Townsend just pipping Lambert/Lawrenson for third.

By the time the third race started the wind had increased and there was sporadic rain and claps of thunder. This time Jones/Lea and the Wilsons exchanged positions a few times during the race before Jones/Lea pulled clear to take their third win of the day. The Townsends finished third in this race too, a comfortable distance in front of the pack.

Sunday dawned with the promise of more wind than the previous day. There was more wind, true, but not as much as forecast, and the fleet generally coped well with the slightly tougher conditions. Although Jones/Lea had dominated the first day’s results, they could still theoretically be beaten if the Wilsons won all of Sunday’s races. Andrew and Tom did their very best to beat the odds by enjoying a very close fourth race with Jones/Lea; the lead changed hands several times and at the finish it was the Wilsons who took their first win of the weekend. Tony Cooper and Neil Hume got their best result of the weekend holding off the Townsends to claim third place. After a distinctly average (for them) first day this also saw a resurgence of form from Nigel and Michael O’Donnell until they had a brief inversion just after the second gybe mark while lying fifth.

The fifth race was also a humdinger. The Townsends were OCS (and took nearly two minutes to extricate themselves and return to the start!). However, at the front, it was Jones/Lea and the Wilsons going at it hammer and tongs, once again exchanging the lead several times. In the closing stages of the race the Wilsons held a slim lead but they were unable to hold off the series leaders who took a narrow win and, with it, the Championship. Lambert/Lawrenson took third in this race and went into the final race with one foot on the third step of the podium.

With the runners up spot guaranteed the Wilsons exchanged positions for the final race of the event. Rumour has it that Jones/Lea also intended to swap positions in the boat but abandoned the project after an adverse risk assessment! The race began with a general recall, but got away cleanly at the second time of asking. Jones/Lea took an early lead and led throughout. The Wilsons proved it’s all about the team (not just the helm) by taking the runners up spot from the Townsends. The O’Donnells planed across the finish line in fourth place for their best result of the weekend as the wind started to build inexorably.

Overall Jones/Lea dominated the weekend’s racing, winning five of the races, although often only after tussles with the Wilsons who secured a comfortable second place. The Townsends’ third place in the final race was enough to see them step onto the podium at the end.

This was the sixth event of the Craftinsure National Circuit and Travellers Series for the UK Wayfarer Class and the results mean that the Wilsons continue to lead although Jones/Lea have closed the gap to 0.5 points, with just two events to go. Bill Whitney and Lisa Whitney/John Shelton lie in third place but the Townsends move up to fourth overall.

Datchet Water SC put on a good event, with excellent race management and lots of assistance on the shore from students of Brunel University who helped launch and recover the boats. Club Commodore, Mike Becket, presented the prizes. Thanks to all of them, and also to Neil Hume who provided much of the material for this report.

(To see this report including the table of results please visit the Racing Results page) 

This year’s event attracted well over 30 boats and, just like all families, welcomed a host of new members and a few prodigal sons alike. The sailing ranged from relaxed to rigorous and the craft were kept in a seaworthy condition through the attentions of Matt Sharman and Ralph Roberts, who attended at the start of the event to ensure no one was left high and dry. Chief Privateer Brian White did a fantastic job of matching sailors to conditions and locations, ensuring everyone had a wonderful time on the water and no-one visited Davey Jones’s Locker. A special mention goes to Adam Jenkins (12) for sailing with the fleet to Aira Force single-handed in a Topper, with the Wayfarer mothership providing the transport back and demonstrating perfectly the character of the Gathering.

This year welcomed the return of ‘The Band’, who provided a live musical backdrop to the relaxed evening atmosphere in the Ullswater Yacht Club Clubhouse. Julie Foreman’s quiz night was made even more popular with the awarding of prizes donated by Hartley Boats for the winners. Beer-O’Clock followed the traditional format but Dougie and Hannah Young made it noticeably more popular with the addition of an event shelter!

As ever, the final night’s festivities concluded with ‘Wayfarers Got Talent!’ hosted by Peter Bones who, along with Liz Bones coordinated the social events and donated the world’s hardest Ullswater jigsaw puzzle to the club as a thank you for their unerring support. Sailing was celebrated through music, dance, song, poetry and prose during an occasion that once again went well beyond expectations.

A big thank you to all who contributed, see you next year!”

-Mark Foreman