This year’s UK Championship was sailed out of the Royal Lymington Yacht Club in Lymington, UK on 9-12 May 2019. Conditions varied greatly as did the direction and strength of the wind. While the UK seems to always deliver a bit of rain, this regatta was mostly sailed in brilliant sunny conditions. All races saw a very substantial current effect with the race committee working hard to set windward/leeward courses in very strong cross-current conditions. Special thanks to an experienced race committee who managed to avoid our fleet bobbing around waiting for wind while also capturing all of the planned 10 races!
Teams had a lot to manage on the water and everyone seemed to comment that it was very challenging but very rewarding racing. We saw large wind shifts and differing pressure throughout the course. Many runs would alternate between wire running and sit running as the wind varied greatly. Puffy, streaky, pulsing wind took it’s toll on even the best of sailors sometimes catapulting them hundreds of yards into the lead before sending them backward into the fleet.
Of the UK championships I have sailed I can say without a doubt that this was the most competitive! Of the 26 boat fleet, four different boats managed to capture at least one first place finish. At least eight boats finished with at least one race in the top three. Three boats went into the final race with a chance to win. Ultimately the top three finishers scored 19, 20, and 20 points respectively. Congratulations to Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane who sailed an excellent regatta and finished on top! In second place were Dan Holman and Sam Pascoe who managed to beat Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel in a tiebreaker.
Our thanks go to the team at Royal Lymington YC for their hospitality, race organisation and facilities.
Report by Rob Woelfel, USA9072.
With thanks to the photographers on the course. Feel free to reuse the images below, but please credit the photographers when doing so.
Day 1/3 images, filenames starting CGR: Graham Rabbitts
Day 1 images, filenames starting NJR: Neil Rabbitts
Day 3/4 images, filenames starting PAF: Paul French paul@coolhat.co.uk
| Rank | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 | Race 7 | Race 8 | Race 9 | Race 10 | Total | Nett |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | GBR9215 | Roger Gilbert | Ben McGrane | Netley SC / Frensham | 2.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | (15.0) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | (14.0) | 48.0 | 19.0 |
| 2nd | GBR9222 | Dan Holman | Sam Pascoe | Netley SC / Castle Cove | 1.0 | 4.0 | (9.0) | (7.0) | 1.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 36.0 | 20.0 |
| 3rd | USA9072 | Mike Holt | Rob Woelfel | Santa Cruz YC | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | (5.0) | 3.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | (27.0 RET) | 3.0 | 52.0 | 20.0 |
| 4th | GBR9190 | Ian Pinnell | Russ Clark | HISC | 4.0 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 9.0 | (11.0) | (11.0) | 4.0 | 2.0 | 61.0 | 39.0 |
| 5th | GBR9177 | Tom Gillard | Geoff Edwards | Budworth SC | (13.0) | 8.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 3.0 | (10.0) | 10.0 | 69.0 | 46.0 |
| 6th | FRA9220 | Boite | Fonntaine | CVSQ | 11.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 10.0 | 2.0 | 13.0 | (27.0 DNC) | (27.0 DNC) | 107.0 | 53.0 |
| 7th | GBR9214 | Andy Smith | Carl Gibbon/Simon Briddon | 9.0 | (10.0) | 5.0 | (12.0) | 6.0 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 75.0 | 53.0 | |
| 8th | AUS9210 | Michael Quirk | Tim Needham | RPEYC | 7.0 | 7.0 | (18.0) | 10.0 | (11.0) | 8.0 | 10.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 85.0 | 56.0 |
| 9th | GBR9180 | Mark Upton-Brown | Ian Mitchell | Bosham/Hayling | 5.0 | (12.0) | 10.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 9.0 | (12.0) | 7.0 | 82.0 | 58.0 |
| 10th | GBR9085 | Charlie Walters | Dougal Cram | (27.0 DNC) | (27.0 DNC) | 14.0 | 2.0 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 116.0 | 62.0 | |
| 11th | GBR8963 | Martin Hodgson | Adrian Miles | SSC | 10.0 | (27.0 RET) | 8.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 12.0 | (15.0) | 6.0 | 11.0 | 111.0 | 69.0 |
| 12th | GBR9124 | Terry Scutcher | Christian Diebitsch | 8.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 14.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 8.0 | 16.0 | (27.0 DNC) | (27.0 DNC) | 139.0 | 85.0 | |
| 13th | GBR9178 | Chris Lewns | Norman Byrd | Whitstable YC | 14.0 | (15.0) | 12.0 | (19.0) | 7.0 | 11.0 | 15.0 | 8.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 124.0 | 90.0 |
| 14th | GBR9093 | Ben Iliffe | Harry Briddon | 6.0 | 5.0 | (27.0 RET) | 18.0 | (22.0) | 18.0 | 18.0 | 6.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 149.0 | 100.0 | |
| 15th | RSA8905 | Graeme Willcox | James Read | Netley SC | 15.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | (17.0) | 13.0 | 14.0 | 17.0 | 9.0 | (27.0 DNS) | 145.0 | 101.0 |
| 16th | USA8854 | Craig Thompson | Paddy Lewis | Thompson Boat Works | 17.0 | (27.0 RET) | (19.0) | 17.0 | 8.0 | 19.0 | 17.0 | 12.0 | 15.0 | 9.0 | 160.0 | 114.0 |
| 17th | GBR9104 | Adam Kenney | Richard Nurse | Burton SC | 12.0 | (27.0 DNC) | 15.0 | 15.0 | (19.0) | 14.0 | 13.0 | 18.0 | 16.0 | 13.0 | 162.0 | 116.0 |
| 18th | GBR9126 | Stuart Turnbull | Mike Priddle | Burton SC | 18.0 | 13.0 | 17.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 15.0 | (21.0) | (27.0 DNC) | 7.0 | 8.0 | 166.0 | 118.0 |
| 19th | GBR9125 | Roger Deane | Tim Williams | Rock SWSC | (21.0) | 16.0 | (23.0) | 16.0 | 21.0 | 20.0 | 19.0 | 14.0 | 13.0 | 16.0 | 179.0 | 135.0 |
| 20th | GBR9156 | Russell Wheeler | Lee Marriott | Isle of Sheppey SC | 23.0 | (27.0 RET) | 16.0 | (26.0) | 26.0 | 22.0 | 16.0 | 23.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 213.0 | 160.0 |
| 21st | GBR9136 | Jamie Mears | Stewart Mears | RCYC | 16.0 | 14.0 | 13.0 | 22.0 | 16.0 | (27.0 DNC) | (27.0 DNC) | 27.0 DNC | 27.0 DNC | 27.0 DNC | 216.0 | 162.0 |
| 22nd | FRA9219 | Elisabeth Neidhart | Henry Chevet | YCIF | (27.0 RET) | (27.0 DNC) | 20.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 17.0 | 24.0 | 21.0 | 27.0 DNC | 27.0 DNC | 217.0 | 163.0 |
| 23rd | GBR8881 | Neil Rabbitts | Jonathan Carter | Burton SC | (27.0 DNC) | (27.0 DNC) | 21.0 | 25.0 | 24.0 | 23.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 227.0 | 173.0 |
| 24th | GBR8860 | Bobbie Johnson | James King | Chasewater SC | 22.0 | (27.0 RET) | 25.0 | 23.0 | 18.0 | 21.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | (27.0 DNC) | 27.0 DNC | 230.0 | 176.0 |
| 25th | GBR9145 | Jim McGillivray | John McLean | Prestwick SC | 19.0 | (27.0 RET) | 22.0 | 24.0 | 25.0 | 24.0 | 23.0 | 19.0 | (27.0 DNC) | 27.0 DNC | 237.0 | 183.0 |
| 26th | FRA9150 | De Kegariou | Castledine | CNA | 20.0 | 17.0 | 24.0 | 21.0 | 23.0 | (27.0 DNC) | (27.0 DNC) | 27.0 DNC | 27.0 DNC | 27.0 DNC | 240.0 | 186.0 |