Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy is looking forward to welcoming 50 Flying Fifteens for the 2023 UK National Championships supported by UK Global between 21 - 24 September 2023. The championship consists of 10 races, with a maximum of 3 races per day.

Entrants have come from all over the country including Scotland, Blackpool, the Lake District, many of the central lakes and the South Coast. The largest contingents come from Parkstone Yacht Club and Hayling Island Sailing Club with nine boats from each entered. The entry list includes World Champions, European Champions, National Champions, regular club sailors and a wide variety of ages, including:-

 

• GBR3760 - Jeremy Davy & Martin Huett
  Multiple Flying 15 champions and all the proof you need that the boats long competitive life

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• GBR4002 - Ben McGrane & Russ Clark.
  Ben makes a welcome return to ‘lorry racing’. Sailing the Hyde works boat, can he go one place better than this year’s Osprey nationals?

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• GBR4005 - Fiery Chariot: Andy McKee & Richard Jones.
  Current European Champions and runners up at the 2019 worlds.

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•  GBR4021 – The Whopper & the Whippet: Steve Goacher & Tim Harper.
  Still trying to regain their confidence from the Capsize Of The Season, Steve from Royal Windermere YC is another multiple world champion with two different crews, Tim & Phil Evans.

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• GBR4029: Matt Mee & Chris Robinson.
  This year’s top GP14 team step into a borrowed boat. With Chris supplying sails from his Goacher loft, they’ll certainly notice the difference in the size of the spinnaker.

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• GBR4060 - Ffil the Greek: Andrew Jameson & James Grant.
  Possibly the best dressed crew in the fleet, if not the best behaved. A very much underrated pairing with the potential to surprise on and off the water.

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• GBR4071 - Floaty McFloatface: Richard Lovering & Chris Turner.
  What a pedigree. the current world champion boat and crew, teams up with top sail designer and ex 15 national champion, Ritchie. Could be the bookies favourite.

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• GBR4085 - Mr Potato Head: Shane MacCarthy & Richard Rigg.
  A multi-national team who are currently training in Ireland. Hopefully they’ll be ok swapping Guiness for ‘Fursty Ferret’ and other beers from our sponsors, Hall & Woodhouse.

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• GBR4102 – Raffi: Andy Tunnicliffe & Ian Hopwood.
  Sailing a Ginger hull with his own sails, this is their 3^rd year in the class, and it could be the breakthrough year.

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• GBR4112 – Maurice: Greg Wells & David Tulloch.
  Winners of this year’s Southerns in their new P&B fitted out Ovington. Greg & DT could be this year’s dark horses.

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• GBR4114 - Full Welly: Richard Whitworth & Trefor Jones.  
  After years of flirting with the Flying 15, multiple class champion Richard has finally gone and bought one. Winners of Poole week, this is their first trip outside the shire. Could they bring back the prize?

Our thanks to our sponsors UK Global, Sarah Hornby Art, Salcombe Gin, Allen, Ovington Boats and Goacher Sails.

Ian Cadwallader