Willowbrook Organic Island Farm Flying Fifteen British Isles Championship 2024 at Strangford Lough

41 boats entered for the nationals being staged in Strangford Lough. However, team Batchelor/Rigg had to retire before even a race was sailed due to Richard Rigg suffering a back injury before the start out on the boat.

Day 1

The forecast was for light winds building later to F2/3, but with the added pressure of low tide around the time the boats would be coming back to shore, the race officer took the boats out to the course area for a 12 noon start which resulted in a two-hour delay whilst the wind dropped and then re-established itself from the south.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Race 1 suffered a few false starts whilst the fleets enthusiasm was tamed. Having got away cleanly at last the fleet split as usual into two. There was no clear indication as to the right way to the windward mark but soon shifting winds made their impact and on the first beat, Pinnell and Caddy emerged from the middle of the course to lead at the windward mark. There was a right shift and increased pressure as the fleet approached the windward mark. Wells/Tulloch rounded 5th but were the first to gybe and this proved to be a winning manoeuvre as they were first to round 2P and head to the favoured right side and into the lead which they held to the finish with Pinnell/Cadwallader second and Vials/Turner third.

Race 2 also took a few goes to get started, as much due to the shifting winds as to the eager fleet. Pinnell and Caddy started at the Committee Boat and were first to tack and head to the new southerly breeze under the island on the right. They were first to pick up this breeze and led nicely at the windward mark from team Apthorp. The race officer adjusted the course for the 2nd beat and Pinnell and Caddy extended their lead to win comfortably. There was some great racing in the pack with plenty of place changes.

At the finish Pinnell/Cadwallader took line honours from the Apthorp's with Vials/Turner bagging another third place.

Overnight the Pinnell/Cadwallader team led Vials/Turner with MacCarthy/McNally in third place with a 5th and 6th place. Thursday's forecast was promising a better day.

Pinnell & Cadwallader (2nd overall) in front of Vialls & Turner (Winners) during the Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Day 2

A better forecast with the wind prompted to rise to F3. The Race Officer had the fleet on the water for a 12-noon start. However, the early promise faded and despite an attempt to get away by just after 12, the first race started nearer 2pm once the wind had faded and then restarted. Unfortunately, the tide had by then turned and was ebbing causing the fleet to have problems trying to avoid drifting over the line.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Race 3 finally got away and resulting in a split fleet with those going left into the main tide having the advantage, McGrane/Stewart led at the first mark and held the lead until the gun. Vials/Turner took second and Pinnell/Cadwallader third.

Race 4 saw the wind increasing to F3, and as ever the fleet was split. With the increasing wind the fleet was staying closer together. With these wind strengths it was obvious there are no stragglers, just those who fails to get to the front. All competitors could have their day of glory.

Vials/Turner took the win with McGrane/Stewart in second place and O'Brien/O'Briain in third place.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Race 5 got under way with another black flag, With the promise of F4 winds the Race Officer set a sausage triangle course. This time the fleet went mostly for the left side of the course, but as had become the norm for this fleet, there was congestion at the windward mark and some boats needed two bites to get around the mark. The fleet then surfed down to the leeward marks where there was another congested rounding of the marks. On the second beat the fleet split evenly between left and right for the first part of the beat after which most boats chose the head towards the right-hand side. The two boats that chose the left were rewarded with a large gain in position and rounded in single figures.

The triangle was not all it promised to be. The wind could have been stronger, and the wing mark set further out. Both reaches ended up with many boats running or broad reaching into the final marks. The finish proved to be another congestion hotspot.

Vials/Turner took the win again by a distance with Pinnell/Cadwallader in second place after their holiday in Race 4 (10th place), Tunnicliffe/Hopwood took third. Vials/Turner were the new overnight leaders.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Day 3

This was billed to be the "windy day" with the possibility of 25 knot gusts, but it turned out to be a good force 4 southerly but still looking good for the heavy weights!

The day started with a bit of drama. With the wind was blowing from the south the race officer positioned the start line as far north as possible quite close to some rocks. Unfortunately, one of the fleet (Simon Kneller and Ashley Painter) were extremely unlucky and managed to get caught up in said rocks and had to be towed home. The CB and line were moved further south, and Race 6 was under way after a delay. Local boats headed right but a 15-degree shift to the left meant those on the left came out with a good lead. There was a good tussle between Vials/Turner and class commodore Chris Waples crewed by Simon Weatherill. In the end Vials/Turner added their 3rd win in a row. Waples/Weatherill took 2nd with Alastair Stevenson/David Culpan 3rd. McGrane/Stewart were OCS which dented their championship hopes.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Race 7 was a similar story to Race 6 with the boats on the middle to left side of the course leading at the windward mark. Vials and Turner continued their dominance to record a 4th win in a row and were rapidly closing in on an overall win. Andy Tunnicliffe/Ian Hopwood were 2nd with father and son duo David and Harry Lucas coming in 3rd.

For Race 8 the tide had turned, and the current was taking boats over the line so inevitably it took a black flag to get the fleet away. This time it was those who started at the CB end, tacked and went hard right who came out leading. This pack was led by Pinnell/Cadwallader, and they went on to record a comfortable win followed by Tunnicliffe/Hopwood with their second 2nd place and a great day of 6,2,2. McGrane/Stewart battled well to take the 3rd spot.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Day 4

At last, a change in the weather with a lighter, warmer wind from the SW moving SSW.

The Race officer postponed for a short time to let the wind settle and Race 9 was under way in a 10 knot south westerly with the windward mark precisely beneath the highest peak of the beautiful Morne mountain range way off in the distance.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Once again, the fleet split left and right. Initially, it looked like the middle was good but new pressure from the left saw those on the left taking the leading positions at the windward mark with Vials/Turner once again amongst these and not surprisingly they soon worked their way into the lead to record a 5th win and with it the overall championship with a race to spare. Dave/Harry Lucas, Tom Galvin/Cormac Bradley and the Spanish entry of James Waugh and Andy Cheetham all found a fantastic private shift and pressure on the left side of the 2nd beat to fly through to 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively.

Race 10, the final race, started on the same course axis as race 9 but needed a U flag to get the fleet under way. There was a big shift to the left so once again it was the left side which paid dividends.

Pinnell & Cadwallader (2nd overall) in front of Vialls & Turner (Winners) during the Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

Andrew McCleery and Colin Dougan looked to have a handsome lead but those further left prevailed more and it was McGrane/Stewart who led, followed by the popular O'Brien/O'Briain cousins Niall and Ronan from Chonomara near Galway and local boat and only lady helm Emma Pierce/Ian Smyth. Following a close race and a course change for the last run McGrane/Stewart won by half a boat length from O'Brien/O'Briain with Dave and Harry Lucas completing a great last day with a 3rd place propelling them to a top ten overall.

Summary

For those who were at this venue in 2018, it was the first time we had normal sailing conditions in the venue. The consensus was it is a great place to sail, the organisation was good and launching and retrieving aided by the sailors themselves was clean and rapid. The social side was also excellent, and the club were commended for their organisation by all at the prize-giving.

The nature of the fleet was not that of a normal UK national championship as there were only 21 UK boats and 19 from Ireland, plus one Spanish boat. Those who travelled would have done so in expectation of good results.

Flying Fifteen British Isles Championships 2024 at Strangford Lough - photo © Simon McIlwaine / www.wavelengthimage.com

The impact on the water was a fleet that was very equally matched resulting in very congested mark rounding from the first to the last mark in most races. This had the impact of a higher level of minor boat damage being incurred at the turns. Many Irish sailors remarked how competitive they found the fleet and how they were used to being well in the lead on home waters but had to contend with being in the pack during this event.

Simple poor decision making ending up being harshly dealt with; it was very easy to move up or down 10 or more places in the body of the fleet.

This probably foretells a very competitive fleet in Weymouth in 2025, especially with added Antipodean spice!

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Flying Fifteen nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here