The Flying Fifteen Northern Championship hosted by Ullswater Yacht Club concluded as a fantastic success, providing competitors with a masterclass in tactical racing.
Held over a weekend of highly challenging conditions, the fleet was tested by a wind that varied greatly in both its direction and raw strength.
Day One: Shifting Winds and Strategic Laps
The regatta kicked off smoothly, with the first race getting away cleanly from the start line. However, the capricious wind soon began to make its presence felt. The second race saw the fleet push too hard, resulting in the weekend's only general recall. Once the fleet finally got away, a significant wind veer forced race management to shorten the course.
In a creative adjustment to the shifting conditions, the third race was set directly across Ullswater. This layout produced four fast, short laps that compressed the fleet tightly together by the final leg, sparking an excellent mix of results and reshuffling the leaderboard. After a gruelling day on the water, competitors traded their lifejackets for evening wear, enjoying a fantastic, well-earned meal in the clubhouse.
Day Two: Down to the Wire
The second day proved even more mentally taxing for the crews. With the wind swirling from all directions, the Ullswater Yacht Club race management team had their work cut out for them, adjusting and changing the course several times to secure a fair line.
Their persistence paid off. Once a stable course was established and the starting gun fired, the fleet locked into fierce competition for the podium places. The entire regatta remained exceptionally close; during the final sail back to the clubhouse, intense discussions echoed between the boats as crews frantically calculated the points to figure out who had secured the title.
In the end, the math revealed just how tight the racing had been: only 1 single point separated the top four boats, with the entire Championship ultimately decided on the very last race.
Tony Woods and Innes Armstrong of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club clinched the overall victory in a breathtaking tie-breaker finish, matching Andy McKee and Richard Jones on 9 net points but sealing the title in the final race. Michael Preston and Mike Harris of Blackpool & Fleetwood Yacht Club secured a close third place overall with a final score of 10.0 net points.
Appreciation
A huge vote of thanks must go to the entire race organisation team, the shore team, and the hospitality crew at Ullswater Yacht Club. The dedicated volunteers worked incredibly hard over the whole weekend to ensure the event ran seamlessly despite the challenging weather conditions.
Jack Allan
Overall Results:
| Pos |
Sail No |
Helm |
Crew |
Club |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
Pts |
| 1st |
4051 |
WOODS Tony |
Innes Armstrong |
Royal Windermere Yacht Club |
1 |
2 |
‑8 |
5 |
1 |
9 |
| 2nd |
4150 |
MCKEE Andy |
Richard Jones |
Dovestone Sailing Club |
‑3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
9 |
| 3rd |
3733 |
PRESTON Michael |
Mike Harris |
Blackpool & Fleetwood Yacht Club |
‑7 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
10 |
| 4th |
4124 |
TUNNICLIFFE Andrew |
Ali Rimmer |
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club |
2 |
4 |
(OCS) |
2 |
2 |
10 |
| 5th |
3917 |
ABBATT Jon |
Andrew McAlea |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
5 |
‑6 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
16 |
| 6th |
4130 |
TATTERSALL Adrian |
John Mathie |
PYC |
9 |
‑13 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
26 |
| 7th |
4109 |
CHANDLER David |
Nicola Abbatt |
Ullswater Yacht club |
10 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
(OCS) |
30 |
| 8th |
3787 |
MILLINGTON Catherine |
Simon Millington |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
‑13 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
7 |
37 |
| 9th |
3944 |
FLETCHER Wayne |
Jess Roberts |
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club |
4 |
5 |
7 |
(DNS) |
DNS |
42 |
| 10th |
3506 |
BARNES Christian |
Denise Sykes |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
‑12 |
8 |
11 |
12 |
11 |
42 |
| 11th |
3626 |
HILL David William |
David Hill |
Dovestone Sailing Club |
11 |
10 |
‑20 |
9 |
12 |
42 |
| 12th |
3517 |
Craig Robinson |
Hannah Robinson |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
14 |
‑18 |
12 |
10 |
10 |
46 |
| 13th |
3927 |
THORNLEY John |
Megan Thornley |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
8 |
(OCS) |
RET |
11 |
8 |
53 |
| 14th |
4123 |
HERON David |
Keith Jamieson |
Royal Windermere Yacht Club |
6 |
14 |
9 |
(DNS) |
DNS |
55 |
| 15th |
4146 |
O'BRIEN Tim |
Colin Ferra |
Royal Windermere Yacht Club |
(RET) |
DNS |
4 |
13 |
13 |
56 |
| 16th |
3914 |
JOHNSTON Bob |
Pual Jones |
Blackpool & Fleetwood Yacht Club |
‑19 |
16 |
17 |
14 |
9 |
56 |
| 17th |
3641 |
WATTS James |
Sue Harding |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
16 |
‑22 |
13 |
15 |
17 |
61 |
| 18th |
3628 |
TAYLOR Christopher |
Alison Bass |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
15 |
‑17 |
16 |
17 |
14 |
62 |
| 19th |
3634 |
RICHARDSON Nick |
Tom Cobb |
Tees & Hartlepool Yacht Club |
‑20 |
11 |
19 |
18 |
15 |
63 |
| 20th |
485 |
SHARP Graham |
Alasdair Sharp |
Plockton Small Boat Sailing Club |
18 |
9 |
15 |
(DNS) |
DNS |
68 |
| 21st |
3362 |
TRAIN Scott |
Anne Stewart |
Solway Yacht Club |
‑22 |
19 |
18 |
16 |
18 |
71 |
| 22nd |
3946 |
MORAN Christopher |
Martin Sykes |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
17 |
20 |
‑22 |
20 |
16 |
73 |
| 23rd |
1155 |
LAMOND Graham |
Rachel Lamond |
Ripon Sailing Club |
21 |
15 |
14 |
(DNS) |
DNS |
76 |
| 24th |
3232 |
SEDDON Tim |
Edwin Seddon |
Ullswater Yacht Club |
‑23 |
21 |
23 |
19 |
19 |
82 |
| 25th |
3405 |
HENLINE Brian |
Elisabeth Henline |
North Lincs and Humberside SC |
(NSC) |
23 |
21 |
DNS |
DNS |
96 |