Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 S-Series LEADERBOARD

The 2023 Setley Cup

by Luke McEwen 26 Dec 2023 21:40 UTC 26 December 2023

Astonishingly, between weeks-worth of wet and windy weather, Boxing Day at Setley Pond in the New Forest dawned calm and sunny for the 40th anniversary Setley Cup model sailing yacht race.

A record turnout of kids clutching their home-made boats queued to register for racing, collect their sail numbers and take stock of the competition. The boats ranged from the classic plastic bottles taped together, through to Lymington Junior School projects and right up to 3D-printed beauties with carbon fibre rigs and hydrofoils.

40 years ago Jonathan Rogers heard that Luke McEwen had persuaded his dad Tom to make him a model sailing boat, so of course a race was inevitable. From such small acorns oaks do grow and the small boys and girls of those early years, several of whom went on to win National, European and Olympic medals, are now parents of equally enthusiastic children who feel that the Boxing Day Setley Cup is of greater importance than any mere ocean race. It was nice to see many new faces too, from as far away as Warsash and even Rwanda. Previous Setley Cup competitors who have recently outgrown the class came back to join the race team, rowing the rescue boat, running registration and spotting whose boat had reached the finish line first.

The rules are very simple: boats are not more than 66cm long, without stored power (no radio control or rockets allowed) and must be launched by a child. There is a sail area limit too but it's more to tempt the overambitious into making much too large a rig. Many of the world's top yacht designers have had a go at winning the Setley Cup (for monohulls) and the Seahorse Trophy (for multihulls), but none have lifted these coveted prizes. More often than not the winning boat is built by a keen teenager or parent who's worked out the formula for success - generally being able to sail in a straight line while all around are losing their way in the turbulent winds on Setley Pond, exacerbated by a good crowd of spectators standing upwind of the start. The other secret, as in most aspects of life, is preparation. Usually that means a bit of practice and fine-tuning before Christmas but this year's must-have feature was long wellies for walking from the start line to collect your boat at the finish, as the recent rains had topped up the pond until it overflowed across the car park.

Taking stock of the feeble zephyrs blowing across the pond from any direction between west and northeast, the race team set a short course across the narrow bit of the pond, from right to left as you look out from the car park. Competitors were divided into flights of 12 boats, sailing 2 heats each and then a final race for the top 12 in each class. Going into the Monohull finals Jonny Rogers' boat Bear had two firsts from the heats, but a great performance from the 2014 champion Joanna MacAlister's Elephant stole the Setley Cup by a single point. In the Multihulls it was even closer: Dirk Rogers' Danger Cat had two firsts in the heats but William McEwen's Death Star clinched the Seahorse Trophy on a tie-break by winning the final race.

Thanks to all the volunteers for running the event, to Forestry England and the Solent Radio Controlled Model Yacht Club for permission to use the pond, and to all the competitors and parents for coming along and having fun. Happy New Year and see you all in 2024!

Finalists:

PositionSail numberBoat nameSailor
Setley Cup for Monohulls
1st104ElephantJoanna MacAlister
2nd111BearJonny Rogers
3rd34AnnieDigby Werry‑Eusterbrook
4th15HMS SassieSaskia Walder‑Kilgour
5th13Silver BulletSylvia McEwen
6th43KrakenElliot Sutcliffe
=7th99StealthBen McEwen
=7th106Black BettyOtis Moore
9th118JaguarBrodie Podger
10th718Blue RocketLeo Hart
11th116Fruit SaladRory Stock
12th370ButterdishRebecca Wharmby
Seahorse Trophy for Multihulls
1st33Death StarWilliam McEwen
2nd69Danger CatDirk Rogers
3rd49Blue DragonRory Bubb
4th19Fixer UpperOlivia MacAlister
5th32DudeRafferty Walder‑Kilgour
6th140Wind Blower UnicornAlice Cherry
7th27Silver Swan IIBarney Bulkeley
8th50White DragonBilly Bubb
9th31KayaKaya Carrington
10th42KiwiJasmine Akester
11th107BertamiBertie & Amaryllis Thomas
12th60ChutneyCaitlin Garrison

Related Articles

The 2022 Setley Cup
Hundreds turned out on a lovely azure morning in Lymington Hundreds turned out on a lovely azure morning in Lymington for this annual Boxing Day regatta, second only on the day to the Sydney Hobart Race. Grizzled gramps to babes in arms, founding fathers to next generation naval architects. Posted on 27 Dec 2022
39th Setley Cup Model Yacht Race
Almost 40 kids and their home-made model yachts take part After the challenges of 2020 it was great to see almost 40 kids and their home-made model yachts, plus parents, grandparents, volunteers, spectators, dogs and horses gathering in the New Forest for the traditional Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy. Posted on 27 Dec 2021
Setley Cup 2020
Changed rules for an anything but normal year... In a normal year in Lymington, crowds gather at Setley Pond in the New Forest for the annual Boxing Day model boat race for the Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy. Posted on 1 Jan 2021
2019 Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy
Driving rain, strong winds and 71 junior model yacht sailors What a difference 24 hours makes. Christmas Day on the south coast was blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine whereas Boxing Day morning saw torrential horizontal rain and some very strong gusts. Posted on 26 Dec 2019
One week until Setley Cup model yacht race
Traditional junior model yacht racing near Lymington, open to all The 37th Edition of the Setley Cup model yacht race for kids will be raced on Boxing Day 2019 at Setley Pond, just north of Lymington. Posted on 18 Dec 2019
2018 Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy
Traditional junior model yacht racing near Lymington A records number of 43 monohulls this year and very light wind varying from West to South East produced two new winners in both the monohull and multihull fleets overall. Posted on 26 Dec 2018
Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy
24 Monohulls and 18 Multihulls raced on Boxing Day in Lymington No records this year; poor weather prior to Christmas reduced the entry by 29 models. Fortunately, the predicted short window in the weather prevailed and the rain only started after the prize giving. Posted on 26 Dec 2017
Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy
A record entry of 71 models As predicted, it was a warm fine day with a light North Westerly wind on Setley Pond as the race team arrived to set up for the 2016 event. Posted on 26 Dec 2016
Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy
High winds for Lymington model yachting event The Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy for model yachts without any outside assistance is held annually at Setley Pond Setley Pond near Lymington on Boxing Day morning. 24 Monohulls and 23 Multihulls started. Children must be under 16 to launch them. Posted on 26 Dec 2015
2014 Setley Cup and Seahorse Trophy
Junior model yacht racing near Lymington As predicted it was cold, calm and still on Setley Pond as the race team arrived to set up for the 2014 event. The main concern was selecting a possible course with wafts of wind coming from all directions. Posted on 26 Dec 2014
Maritimo 2023 S-Series FOOTERSavvy Navvy 2024