Star class Inter-Club Classic Boat Challenge at West Kirby Sailing Club
by Liz Potter 15 Jul 18:55 UTC
12 July 2025
Inter-Club Classic Boat Challenge at West Kirby © Chris Gatenby
On the hottest day of the year, some of the hottest sailors came to the hottest sailing club at West Kirby to contest the Star classic boat challenge.
Sailors travelled from Trearddur Bay Sailing Club in Anglesey, the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, Wallasey Yacht club and Hoylake Sailing Club to race against the home West Kirby Sailing Club team on the sparkling waters of the Dee estuary.
The day started with coffee, cakes, the boat draw and a briefing. The crews were introduced to their pilots; the knowledgeable boat owners, who would be on board to assist with rigging and technical matters.
The Hoylake team, helm Adam Lloyd and crew Gavin Melling, were allocated Star #7, Vega, with pilot Clare Booth.
#13 Orion went to the Wallasey team, helmed by Phil Baines, crewed by Mark Cooper, with pilot Rupert Wilcox. Incidentally, this boat was competed in two years ago by Rupert's 94 year old mother Pam, who came along to the prize-giving, still showing an interest in the class at age 96!
From the Royal Mersey, helm Simon Shepherd and crew Julie Dawling got #11 Mars, piloted by Jane Sclater.
#1 Juno was piloted by John Dowler and went to Trearddur Bay for helm Philip Barnes and Isobel Sandown.
The West Kirby host team was helm Andrew Potter and crew Garry Davies, who drew #8 Sirius, piloted by Dave Fitzhenry.
A flat calm greeted the visitors as they walked across the estuary sands to rig and await the tidal waters. Race Officer Chris Riley and Assistant Tony Dangerfield put up the postponement flag, leaving the boats bobbing on the moorings until the gentle sea breeze filled in. After a short delay, the boats amassed on the start line and a course was set for a downwind start, using the incoming tide to assist the boats to the first mark by the Caldy cliffs.
The Trearddurites in Juno got away to establish a clear lead, which was never contested. The following Star cluster of Vega, Orion and Sirius battled out the run, with boards up and Red kites filling in the gentle breeze. On Sirius, in a starry-eyed moment at the mark rounding, someone failed to lower the centreboard, and the little boat skidded along to leeward quite happily up the next beat, with crew none the wiser.
The fleet had split upwind, each helm gambling the trade off between unstable wind shifts and effects of the tide. Juno never looked back and extended her lead to the finish, followed some way behind by Vega and Orion. Sirius still hadn't spotted the lack of draught, but somehow stayed ahead of Mars, who finishing last.
By race 2, the tide had slackened and the course changed direction, to start upwind. The fleet were very close for the first leg, apart from Sirius, who still hadn't lowered the centreboard. Named after the brightest star, 8.6 light years away from earth and also from winning a race with no keel.
Once again, Juno took the lead and went on to take the win from Vega, Orion and Mars.
The racing finished close to the moorings to allow the crews to get a lift back in the rescue RIBs. many thanks again to the rescue craft crews who were presented with beers at the prize-giving. The competitors were treated to a fabulous lunch prepared by Helen Brown.
The winners of the event overall were Philip Barnes and Isobel Sandow. (Trearddur Bay SC). Philip was presented with the Star Helmsman's Trophy, dated from 1934 - a year younger than the winning boat! in second was Gavin Melling and Adam Lloyd (Hoylake SC), third was Phil Bains and Mark Cooper (Wallasey YC). In fourth, Simon Shepherd and Julie Dawling (Royal Mersey YC) and fifth WKSC's Andrew Potter and Garry Davies.