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

International 14 Gallon Trophy at Itchenor Sailing Club

by George Yeoman 8 Jul 18:01 UTC 7 July 2024
International 14 Gallon Trophy © Ben Willis

The Gallon is the second most important championship in the International 14 calendar after the Prince of Wales Cup. This epic 2-3 hour tour around Chichester harbour is not for the faint hearted and this year was no different.

Originally planned for Saturday 6th, 30 knot squally winds postponed the race until Sunday where 10 boats braved the conditions and took to the water.

PRO, Roddy Bridge, and team laid a course which was primarily windward leewards between ‘Dunes’, at the harbour entrance, and ‘Park’, on the Bosham shore. The fleet started in a solid 18 knots with a couple of casualties in the start sequence as the squally conditions made challenging boat handling in the starting area. Glen Truswell & Ed FitzGerald were quickest out the blocks towards the pin, with Pete Bromley & Hugh Maclean leading from the ship and these 2 with Andy Shaw & Rob Stuckett and George & Jack Yeoman in hot pursuit.

Up the first beat Glen & Ed and Andy & Rob pulled out a lead where they were going hammer and tong at each other on a full power downwind but the rest of the fleet rounded in much calmer conditions as rain clouds killed off the existing breeze. Andy & Rob were unlucky as this hit them halfway down the run and they capsized to windward allowing Glen & Ed to extend unchallenged and build up a substantial lead. Pete & Hugh called the downwind layline best with the new breeze and caught all the way up to Andy & Rob at the leeward with George & Jack rounding just behind. In the lighter breeze George & Jack were able to sniggle their way up to 2nd (a bit of Salcombe Week practice coming in handy) whilst Alex Knight & James Clark also made inroads catching up with Andy & Rob on the right-hand side.

As the teams came to the top mark for the 2nd time Glen & Ed were gone, and George & Jack looked to have built a decent buffer, but the wind continued to go right, and they overstood the windward allowing Andy & Rob to round directly behind them and overhaul them down the run as they split towards Thorney Island with Pete & Hugh in hot pursuit.

Down the run the breeze came back with a bang, and gusts of over 20 knots ravaged the fleet. It was so much that it meant people were caught unawares of the change of course which extended the beat to SW Pilsey by Hayling Island. Pete & Hugh were first of the leading pack to get caught out, blown over on the upwind leg. Andy & Rob put the afterburners and extended away from George & Jack, but the elastic between these teams was too strong and Andy & Rob kindly took a second swim in a two-sail gybe set whilst George & Jack caught up. As it turns out Glen & Ed had done the same but were too far ahead at this point for anyone to have noticed.

A screaming power reach back left everyone with a proper adrenaline rush as the chop around Pilsey subsided into flat water with the 14’s hitting over 20 knots of boat speed! At this point Andy & Rob had reestablished a dominant 2nd place with George & Jack clear 3rd from Pete & Hugh with seemingly only the Pascal brothers and James Cunnison & Tim Gratton left standing. But as with every Gallon to finish first, first you have to finish...

But there was no such drama for Glen & Ed who took an emphatic victory with not another boat in sight, a truly masterful performance ahead of the Garda World Championships.

However, the battle for 2nd took a twist, Andy & Rob took a 3rd swim as they went for their first gybe of the final run and, with George & Jack 2 sail reaching to East Head for the bear away, an unlikely game of cat and mouse was on. Once upright Andy & Rob were still in 2nd but low on the lay line having to drop the kite to make Park. George & Jack capitalised on this, rounding the leeward mark right on their transom but more importantly with the kite up and rolled straight in to a gybe to take 2nd, and positioned themselves between Andy & Rob for the reach to the finish and take 2nd place through sheer will power of staying upright... which then failed them as soon as they crossed the line and promptly went swimming.

Pete & Hugh were 4th, Pasclis were 5th and James & Tim ground out a finish to finish 6th in a real battling performance with Tim having only been in a 14 a handful of times (although his CV would suggest he is more than capable).

Overall Results:

PosBoat NameSail NoHelm & CrewR1Pts
1stScrumpet1553Glen Trusswell & Ed FitzGerald11
2ndBooby1570George Yeoman & Jack Yeoman22
3rdBubble1569Andy Shaw & Rob Struckett33
4thChimera1572Peter Bromley & Hugh Maclean44
5thDragon1558Robin & Martin Pascal55
6thPamela1544James Cunnison & Tim Gratton66
7thJungle Fire1546Charles Duchesne & Tom BracewellRET10
7thSmash It1530Alex Knight & James ClarkRET10
7thSeeking Pink1575Andy Fitzgerald & Dan JohnsonDNS10

The fleet has one more weekend of racing before the big migration to the skiff sailing mecca which is Torbole, Lake Garda for the World Championships 29 July - 9th August. The Brits are in good positions to be challenging for the top spots after the wind POW week and Gallon, follow us on social media for updates:

Related Articles

Affordable Precision: How Atto Changes the Game
Weighing just 75g and capable of measuring 250 kg working load Digitalisation has changed sailing. Technologies once reserved for Grand-Prix are permeating every level of the sport, giving sailors the ability to adopt elite racing and training practices - elevating the game across the board. Posted on 4 Nov
International 14 Autumn Pint at Itchenor
A keen eye was kept on the forecast with Storm Ashley due to roll in on Sunday Itchenor SC welcomed the i14 for the annual Autumn double header, the Autumn Pint and Autumn Trophy, with 9 boats and 2 races planned each day a keen eye was kept on the forecast with Storm Ashley due to roll in on Sunday. Posted on 25 Oct
Trickle Down Technology from the America's Cup
The ultimate proving ground often shape the future of the sport The America's Cup has always been about more than just what happens on the water - it's a catalyst for technological innovation that pushes the boundaries of what's possible. Posted on 2 Sep
International 14 Worlds at Lake Garda overall
With the title decided, the battle was on for the podium places on the final day With the 2024 Champions already crowned, the final day of racing set up a Battle Royale for the remaining Podium Places, with three boats within three points of each other. Posted on 11 Aug
International 14 Worlds at Lake Garda Day 6
Shaw and Struckett take first I14 world title Andy Shaw and Rob Struckett take the 2024 International 14 World Championship with a day to spare. The British team continued their faultless series with a steady 2nd place in tricky conditions at Torbole, Lake Garda. Posted on 9 Aug
International 14 Worlds at Lake Garda Day 5
Andy Shaw and Rob Struckett move closer to their first i14 world title Andy Shaw and Rob Struckett move closer to their first i14 world title after sailing an incredibly consistent series to date. The young guns from Itchenor Sailing Club have shown a click of speed on their rivals with an impressive score line of 2,1,1,4,1. Posted on 8 Aug
International 14 Worlds at Lake Garda Day 1
First race for the 70 boats held in a building Ora breeze Day one of the I14 Worlds saw seventy boats from seven nations starting in a building Ora breeze in Torbole, Lake Garda. Posted on 3 Aug
62nd Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy
Excellent event included fund raising for the Great North Air Ambulance Service Over its 62 years, the Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy run by Ullswater Yacht Club, has evolved into a 3 day festival of sailing, centred on an unique pair of all class handicap races in breath-taking scenery, for dinghies, keelboats and yachts. Posted on 18 Jul
The oldest video footage of International 14s
A look back into our video archive, across 96 years of class history We delve into the past, and round-up all videos which show sailing in the International 14 class of dinghy. A look back at how far the class has come in the almost 100 years they have been racing. Posted on 7 Jul
International 14 Prince of Wales Cup
A test of skill and endurance in blustery conditions for the UK Nationals title The International 14 is a special boat in so many ways. On the one hand its evolving rules and scope for different hull, rig, foil and sail designs keep it at the forefront of sailing's technological advances. Posted on 18 Jun
Savvy Navvy 2024Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTER