A highly talented fleet, including multiple Olympic Medallists and World Champions assembled at the lovely Brixham Yacht Club for the UK 5O5 Class 2022 National Championships.

The four-day event between 9th and the 12th of June was superbly run by the race and shore team at the Brixham Yacht Club and the whole exercise of launching and recovery from the narrow slipway was super smooth and very well organised.

The first 3 days were raced in very similar conditions with predominantly Westerly breezes building during the day from the low teens up to the mid to high 20’s, giving some high speed and exhilarating racing. Day one had 2 races, fast out of the blocks were the US team of Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel taking two wins to set out their plans for the week. This team like several others had just returned from the Euro Cup in Riva del Garda where they had taken the win, so were well practised and dialled in. Behind them several teams had their moments, Ian Pinnell and Charles Dyer scoring and 2/5, for 3rd overnight, Alex Barry and Harry Briddon with a 3/2 to be in 2nd.

Day 2 with very similar conditions saw Holt and Woelfel pushed harder by the chasing teams, particularly Nathan Batchelor and Sam Pascoe, who took a race win as did Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane. However at the end of the day the Americans had extended their lead.

Day 3 and conditions were looking like another repeat and so it proved. However, to make life interesting Holt and Woelfel had a wobble and capsized at the leeward gate. Allowing Barry and Briddon to get a win and open up a glimmer of hope to the fleet. It was short lived though as they took back full control to win the next 2 races to take the event with a day and 2 races to spare. The battle for the podium spots though was stil very tight!

So, to the last day of an excellent championships, much more moderate conditions prevailed, Batchelor/Pascoe finished with 2 wins to take 2nd and Barry/Briddon pipped Gilbert/McCrane to 3rd on a tie break. On to Cork in August now for the World Championships!

All images are copyright James Read

by James Read 

Pos Nat Sail No Helm Crew Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Ots
1st USA 9072 Mike Holt Rob Woelfel Santa Cruz YC 1 1 2 2 1 ‑6 1 1 3 (DNC) 12
2nd GBR 9240 Nathan Batchelor Sam Pascoe Tynemouth SC ‑5 4 3 1 ‑6 2 3 4 1 1 19
3rd GBR 9093 Alex Barry Harry Briddon Ogston SC 3 2 (RET) ‑13 7 1 2 2 4 9 30
4th GBR 9215 Roger Gilbert Ben McGrane Frensham Pond / Netley 4 ‑7 1 3 5 3 ‑6 6 6 2 30
5th GBR 9238 Ian Pinnell Charles Dwyer 2 5 6 ‑9 2 ‑9 5 5 2 7 34
6th ESP 9210 Michael Quirk Tim Needham CNP 7 3 5 4 3 7 4 3 ‑11 ‑14 36
7th GBR 9196 Penny Clark Russ Clark SBSC 11 6 7 6 4 4 (RET) (DNS) 13 5 56
8th GBR 8935 Michael Sims Carl Gibbon Carsington 6 9 ‑12 5 9 5 7 8 9 ‑13 58
9th USA 9153 Howard Hamlin Caleb Paine ABYC / NHYC 10 8 4 8 10 ‑12 9 7 ‑15 11 67
10th GBR 9214 Andy Smith Stuart Meers 9 11 8 ‑12 ‑12 10 8 9 10 10 75
11th USA 9237 Bruce Edwards Richard Mundell Willamette Sailing Club 8 10 ‑17 16 8 11 10 11 ‑18 12 86
12th GBR 8963 Martin Hodgson Adrian Miles Stone 19 (DNC) 9 17 11 14 11 (DNS) 5 4 90
13th GBR 9085 Charlie Walters Dougal Cram 12 ‑17 11 11 13 ‑15 13 10 14 8 92
14th GBR 9232 Steve Irish Norman Byrd Draycote ‑17 14 14 7 15 8 16 16 7 ‑17 97
15th GBR 9158 Duncan Barr Scott Dawson Netley 14 15 13 14 14 13 ‑18 14 ‑16 6 103
16th CAN 9200 Alexander Meller Fiona Collins International 505 Class 16 ‑18 16 10 16 16 15 (DNS) 17 3 109
17th GBR 8991 Nicholas Meadow James Read 15 12 10 ‑18 ‑18 18 17 15 8 16 111
18th AUS 9134 Jeff Robinson Simin Burt 13 13 15 15 ‑17 17 14 12 12 ‑18 111
19th GBR 8685 Gareth Caldwell Tyler Harmsworth Shoreham SC 18 16 18 ‑20 ‑20 19 12 13 19 15 130
20th AUS 9221 Ian Brown Phil Brown (RET) (DNC) 19 19 19 DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC 167
21st GBR 800 Martin Spence Robbie Spence (DNS) (DNC) DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC 176