Phantoms at Burnham Week 2025
by Mark Spruce 30 Aug 07:00 UTC
23-25 August 2025
The Phantom class, a staple of the week, are starting from the BSC Line at Burnham Week 2025 © Petru Balau Sports Photography / sports.hub47.com
Once again, I made the 130 mile trek to the East Coast Ditch - sorry, the wonderful river Crouch and its ancient nautical town (it's really just a large village with four great sailing clubs) of Burnham on Crouch in Essex for the annual tide fest that is Burnham Week. A quality fleet of eight Phantoms were entered and as always the wind gods provided great breeze for all three days.
Day one kicked off with a NNE gradient veering to an Easterly sea breeze - 8 to 12 knots straight up the river. Race 1 was long - 1hr 45mins and nearly 2 hours for the back markers! Pile house line with the obligatory beat against the tide up the north bank to Rubber Ball followed by incursions into and out of the river Roach and a run back to the committee boat. Sprucey controlled the race from the start and took the win followed by Richard Nurse.
Race 2 was shorter - beats with the tide and long runs clinging to the bank against the flow back to the finish line. Despite taking the start and leading for 60% of the race, Sprucey struggled on the long run against the tide back home with Richard Nurse, local Stuart Brewer and Alan Husk all slipping past in that order. Richard Nurse now had 3 pts, leading from Sprucey with 5 and Alan Husk on 7.
Day Two dawned with a light southerly gradient which backed to a 12 - 15 Kt ESE sea breeze throughout the day. A delayed start saw only one race - once again led for some way by Sprucey before Richard Nurse's well known downwind speed, and a really impressive turn of upwind performance saw him take the lead and the win. He said he was hiking off his toe nails but he's definitely found a sweet spot in his rig set up. Third was Alan Husk in Harry B's old boat - he's cranking in a solid series.
The Phantoms made a unanimous decision to sail one race only as the late start would impede on the very important Class Dinner at Ye Olde Whyte Harte - a local hostelry nearly as old as half the Creeksea Phantom Fleet!
Day 3 started off with the promise of more breeze from the SE, with the racing area moved to the moorings right in front of the town off Burnham Sailing Club. A figure of 8 course in 6 to 8 knots which built to 10 to 12 knots during the race, saw Bill Taylor make mark 1 first, closely followed by Andrew Hunt, finishing in those positions with Richard Nurse taking the last podium place.
Race 2 used the same course with the breeze building to 12 to 14 knots from the East. The racing was close throughout the fleet and once again, Bill Taylor used his speed and local Burnham knowledge to take the win from Rich Nurse with Andy Pyett in 3rd.
That meant Richard Nurse had not only won the Phantom series at Burnham Week, and the famous Phantom Half Hull trophy for an unprecedented third time in a row, but he has also won the Phantom East Coast Championship with an event to spare.
Second overall was Alan Husk, who put a really good series together with good speed and smart sailing all weekend - he was always up there. His prize will be presented by Titch Wayling at the upcoming National Championship at Plymouth in September.
Third overall was another local and Commodore of Creeksea Sailing Club, Stuart Brewer.
A really good weekend of racing with great competitors and friendly socials. It's my third visit, the wind has never let me down and the social is always good. I will be back!
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Boat | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 1500 | | Richard Nurse | Northampton SC | 2 | 1 | 1 | ‑3 | 2 | 6 |
| 2nd | 1458 | | Alan Husk | | 4 | 3 | 3 | ‑6 | 4 | 14 |
| 3rd | 1248 | High PLanes Drifter | Stuart Brewer | Creeksea SC | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ‑6 | 15 |
| 4th | 1482 | The Ghost of Tom Joad | Andrew Hunt | Royal Thames YC | 3 | ‑6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 16 |
| 5th | 1342 | Phurious | Mark Spruce | Lee on Solent SC | 1 | 4 | 2 | (DNC) | DNC | 17 |
| 6th | 1488 | Phantom | Andrew Pyett | Combs SC | ‑6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 18 |
| 7th | 1420 | Ghost Ship | Bill Taylor | Creeksea SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| 8th | 1425 | Perpetual Motion | Steve Pates | Ardleigh SC | 7 | DNS | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 35 |
| 9th | 1433 | Pink Panther | Warren Martin | Creeksea SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 40 |