Double bill for British Keelboat League in UK and Germany
by British Keelboat League 2 Sep 18:20 UTC
Women's SAILING Champions League in Berlin © SCL / Sailing Energy
British Keelboat League teams compete home and away at David Haw Memorial Trophy and Women's SAILING Champions League
An action-packed double bill for the British Keelboat League saw teams battling it out both on the Solent in the UK and with the SAILING Champions League in Germany.
An epic two days in challenging breeze-on conditions saw a record entry of 16 teams for the David Haw Memorial Trophy on the south coast, hosted by University of Bristol Sailing Club with Royal Southern Yacht Club and Royal Thames Yacht Club.
A team from Lymington Town Sailing Club meanwhile was waiting for wind or racing in light airs on the Wannsee in Berlin, Germany, after qualifying with last year's BKL to compete in the European 2025 SAILING Champions League women's event.
David Haw Memorial Trophy
The Laser Pico Dev Squad, representing Royal Southern YC, took a well-earned victory at the David Haw Memorial Trophy. As well as the trophy, this result enables the team to claim a spot at the 2025 British Keelboat League finals.
The fourth David Haw Memorial Trophy - celebrating David's life and love of racing - took place over the final weekend of August at Royal Southern YC aboard a fleet of J70s.
A storm rolling in from the Atlantic had threatened to disrupt the event but in the end simply provided lots of breeze to make the racing entertaining for spectators and competitors alike.
Hosted by University of Bristol Sailing Club with the Royal Southern and Royal Thames yacht clubs, the weekend included a memorable charity dinner and social that raised over £1,300 for the RNLI; Wessex 4x4 Search and Rescue; Dorset Search and Rescue; Wessex Flood Rescue; Hampshire Search and Rescue Dogs; and Dorset Search Dogs.
Counting a consistent set of results with first and second places, the Laser Pico Dev Squad claimed the highest average points to secure first place overall. Despite a mostly stellar performance, Spectrum Sailing couldn't quite catch them, finishing second overall, with the Royal Thames Academy rounding out the podium in third.
Read more in the full report published by the Royal Thames Yacht Club and find the results summary at kSail.
James Curtis from the Laser Pico Dev Squad summed up: "Challenging short course racing with quick turnarounds; boat handling had to be spot on. We felt fast upwind which helped us the most with good starts. Great to come away with the win!"
Wrapping up the event, Tom Baulkwill from University of Bristol Sailing Club congratulated the winners and thanked the competitors, volunteers and race officials for their support, adding: "We're excited to run the event again next year and best of luck to the teams at the finals next month."
The British Keelboat League finals will see the top teams from each qualifier in the series competing in Cowes over the weekend of 19-21 September 2025 - hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club and fighting to win a place in the 2026 SAILING Champions League.
There is currently one remaining wild card place on offer for the BKL finals - any teams wishing to be considered for this are invited to email
Women's SAILING Champions League - Berlin
Over in Germany (29 to 31 August), a team from Lymington Town SC took on Europe's finest at the Women's SAILING Champions League event in Berlin.
The team - skipper Shelley McCafferty, Bethan Carden, Lou Johnson, Jo Elliott, Helen Hilditch - was among 27 clubs from 10 nations competing, each having qualified through their own national keelboat leagues, bringing together the best of Europe's female club sailors.
A training day on the Thursday, with rain and almost no wind, was followed by tricky light airs on the Friday, before Lake Wannsee finally delivered more favourable conditions for the weekend.
The light winds demanded patience and precision, with the overall win taken by Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club ahead of WSV Giesbeek and Akademischer SegelVerein Warnemünde.
Anke Nowak, Managing Director of SAILING Champions League GmbH, said: "The
Women's SAILING Champions League demonstrates how strong women's
sailing has become. This weekend in Berlin saw super exciting races, with just a few
centimetres deciding victory and defeat."
After finishing 13th overall with one of the British Keelboat League's best ever results in Europe, the team from Lymington Town Sailing Club said: "We've had a really brilliant weekend of racing here at the SAILING Champions League event in Berlin.
"We're really pleased to finish in the top half of the fleet, with a highlight being a second place. The Berliner Yacht-Club have been brilliant hosts and we've really enjoyed the hospitality ashore as well as the racing afloat."
The team, who were top Women's team in the BKL 2024 finals, received a grant from the RYA to assist with the cost of participating in Berlin, while their crew kit was kindly sponsored by Baltic Lifejackets and BSI Rigging (part of the BSI Marine Equipment Group).
Commenting on the weekend's racing at home and away, British Keelboat League Coordinator Peter Ward summed up: "Incredible racing by our BKL sailors and what a contrast in the conditions - the women waiting for wind on Wannsee while at home the teams were seeking shelter on the Solent!
"Congratulations to the Laser Pico Dev Squad on winning the David Haw Memorial Trophy in the tricky conditions on the south coast, and a massive well done to our women's team from Lymington Town SC, who finished mid-table in a high quality SCL fleet.
"This is probably the highest finish of any team representing a GBR club in the SAILING Champions League. Very impressive!"
Find out more about the British Keelboat League and how your club can #rockupandrace with the BKL and win a place in Europe: britishkeelboatleague.co.uk