IOM MSC Ranking events 5 and 6 at Woodspring Model Sailing Club

by Alan Barnstable 20 Oct 13:08 UTC 11-12 October 2025

IOM MSC Ranking event at Woodspring © Maurice Edwards

There was an excellent entry of forty-four skippers including many of the top ranked skippers seeking qualification for the Worlds next year.

As the weekend approached the previous weekends Storm Amy became a fond memory as a high pressure zone covered the South West, and the resulting winds were just a few miles an hour, and in a NNE direction which doesn't suit the lake.

In preparation for the first heat on Saturday it was difficult to establish the wind direction because it was so light and changing around, so Bob laid a course which best suited the forecast, which ran the length of the lake with a mark and wing mark at the windward end, and a gate at the leeward end. The course had to be frequently changed during the day, but it was difficult whilst the wind at the two ends of the course was so different.

The one consolation was that the marks were laid very close to the lake edge making it very easy for competitors, and observers, to judge starts, turns and mark room.

During Saturday it was Craig Richards with his Proteus who dominated with three wins out of the five (including the heat), often finding the best tracks up the windward leg to keep ahead. Second was Darin Ballington coming up through the B fleet after finishing fifth in the heat, and Rob Walsh was third having two tens one of which was discarded.

IOM MSC Ranking event at Woodspring - photo © Maurice Edwards

Conditions were tough, and it was difficult to make a clear start, maintain momentum on the beat, and rounding the windward marks where there was barely any wind, and most skippers found themselves relegated at some point.

On Sunday it was more of the same but this time it was Peter Stollery who dominated, always in the top three, and with three wins. Second was a consistent Josh King, and third despite dropping down to the B fleet at one point was Tony Edwards.

Craig, Darin, and Rob all suffered mixed fortunes on the second day, and it seems that it's not a case of being lucky to win, more like not being unlucky !

Despite the challenging conditions everyone maintained an excellent attitude, penalties were carried out without hesitation, and a good atmosphere prevailed over the weekend.

Thanks to the Race Team: Bob Conner (Race Officer), Simon Evans (Asst. Race Officer); Keith Chaney (Observers Admin); and Alan Barnstable (Admin). The score sheets and fleet board were fantastically looked after by Judith Baldwin and Sharon Pleated. Damian Ackroyd supervised the HMS system, and Rob Owens was the Referee.

IOM MSC Ranking event at Woodspring - photo © Maurice Edwards

Event 5 Results:

Pos	Hull	Sail No	Skipper	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1	Proteus	112	Craig Richards	Datchet	1	1	2	7	1	5
2	Britpop	98	Darin Ballington	Lincoln	5	2	1	4	9	12
3	Venti	25	Rob Walsh	Fleetwood	3	10	10	1	3	17
4	Britpop	39	Peter Stollery	Guildford	4	3	5	12	5	17
5	Britpop	134	Tim Hand	Lincoln	4	11	3	17	4	22
6	Britpop	9	Graham Elliott	Birkenhead	6	27	7	8	2	23
7	Britpop	26	Josh King	Windrush	7	5	4	11	7	23
8	Viss	54	Nigel Barrow	Datchet	2	6	13	9	8	25
9	Forkilo	95	Graham Bantock	Chelmsford	5	8	18	3	11	27
10	Britpop	75	Tony Edwards	Yeovil	1	18	27	2	14	35
11	Britpop	64	Robert McIntosh	Birkenhead	1	4	15	16	15	35
12	Britpop	22	Martin Roberts	Birkenhead	4	15	20	6	10	35
13	Venti	93	Rob Dyer	Eastleigh	2	13	8	13	19	36
14	Venti	65	Peter Walters	Lincoln	6	22	9	5	17	37
15	Britpop	63	Peter Baldwin	Birkenhead	7	7	11	14	22	39
16	V12	23	David Lindsay	Datchet	7	12	6	15	16	40
17	SV	67	Derek Priestley	Fleetwood	2	9	17	19	12	40
18	V12	62	Colin Newton	Woodspring	3	16	21	25	6	46
19	Britpop	119	Oliver Stollery	Guildford	9	19	14	21	23	63
20	Venti	55	Nigel Brown	Gosport	5	24	31	23	13	65
21	Rocket RS	193	Mike Cooke	Durleigh	3	14	25	24	26	66
22	Venti	46	Mickyboy Chamberlain	Lincoln	12	35	29	10	18	69
23	Proteus	164	Simon Clark	West Cornwall	10	20	12	41	27	69
24	Britpop	122	Ben Harker	Huntingdon	8	23	16	22	29	69
25	K2	33	Anthony Marshall	Hove Lagoon	11	17	22	29	30	79
26	Kantun 2	6	Austin Guerrier	Datchet	8	25	30	20	28	81
27	Britpop	35	Paul Plested	Birkenhead	10	31	23	27	21	81
28	Britpop	88	James Edwards	Yeovil	13	41	19	26	31	89
29	Britpop	154	Roy Stevens	Scarborough	12	21	28	33	35	94
30	Britpop	91	Martin Aspinall	Rotherham	12	39	34	32	20	98
31	Britpop	69	Jen Hand	Lincoln	13	34	32	30	24	99
32	V11	5	Jonathan Kneale	West Cornwall	14	37	26	36	25	101
33	Britpop	38	Mark Rose	Fleetwood	10	38	24	31	38	103
34	Alternative	16	Richard Aucott	Durleigh	8	26	41	38	32	104
35	Britpop	49	Tracey Ballington	Lincoln	11	32	35	28	34	105
36	Alternative	32	Paul Middleton	Fleetwood	9	30	37	35	33	107
37	Britpop	131	Lloyd Watson	Windrush	6	29	36	37	37	108
38	Proteus	51	Harry Neill	Hawley Lake	9	36	33	34	39	112
39	Vision	60	Lee Mutlow	Woodspring	13	28	38	39	36	115
40		42	John Woodman	Durleigh	11	33	41	41	41	126

Event 6 Results:

Pos	Hull	Sail No	Skipper	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	Britpop	39	Peter Stollery	Guildford	3	1	1	3	2	1	8
2	Britpop	26	Josh King	Windrush	1	2	9	6	8	4	21
3	Britpop	75	Tony Edwards	Yeovil	1	13	18	2	1	7	24
4	Britpop	22	Martin Roberts	Birkenhead	2	12	12	4	5	3	26
5	Britpop	9	Graham Elliott	Birkenhead	3	6	15	11	6	6	32
6	Venti	25	Rob Walsh	Fleetwood	7	21	3	5	9	9	33
7	Proteus	112	Craig Richards	Datchet	5	7	17	1	17	5	35
8	Britpop	119	Oliver Stollery	Guildford	4	5	8	10	12	10	37
9	Britpop	134	Tim Hand	Lincoln	5	10	11	8	7	8	38
10	SV	67	Derek Priestley	Fleetwood	1	11	2	12	14	23	40
11	Britpop	88	James Edwards	Yeovil	9	4	7	7	13	17	40
12	Forkilo	95	Graham Bantock	Chelmsford	2	9	4	16	15	27	46
13	Britpop	98	Darin Ballington	Lincoln	2	8	6	17	21	20	53
14	Britpop	63	Peter Baldwin	Birkenhead	6	14	20	15	4	15	54
15	Britpop	64	Robert McIntosh	Birkenhead	10	22	19	14	24	2	67
16	V12	23	David Lindsay	Datchet	10	23	10	9	18	26	70
17	RocketRS	193	Mike Cooke	Durleigh	11	31	16	23	11	11	72
18	Viss	54	Nigel Barrow	Datchet	3	3	13	21	42	36	76
19	Britpop	122	Ben Harker	Huntingdon	7	24	29	24	10	13	78
20	V11	5	Jonathan Kneale	West Cornwall	7	27	34	28	3	14	79
21	Proteus	164	Simon Clark	West Cornwall	8	20	21	30	20	12	81
22	Britpop	35	Paul Plested	Birkenhead	12	36	5	13	27	28	85
23	Britpop	154	Roy Stevens	Scarborough	11	34	14	22	23	16	86
24	Britpop	69	Jen Hand	Lincoln	10	15	23	19	29	19	86
25	Britpop	73	Vernon Appleton	Datchet	5	28	28	18	16	21	88
26	Venti	65	Peter Walters	Lincoln	4	18	22	20	26	38	90
27	Venti	93	Rob Dyer	Eastleigh	8	16	26	27	25	41	102
28	Britpop	38	Mark Rose	Fleetwood	4	17	24	25	35	35	105
29	V12	62	Colin Newton	Woodspring	6	25	36	33	19	25	108
30	Britpop	47	Rohan Williams	Datchet	12	32	27	31	22	18	110
31	Venti	46	Mickyboy Chamberlain	Lincoln	8	19	25	32	38	32	116
32	Venti	55	Nigel Brown	Gosport	9	37	40	26	36	22	130
33	Kantun 2	6	Austin Guerrier	Datchet	6	29	33	35	32	33	133
34	Alternative	32	Paul Middleton	Fleetwood	13	40	31	29	39	24	136
35	K2	33	Anthony Marshall	Hove Lagoon	9	26	32	38	41	31	136
36	Britpop	131	Lloyd Watson	Windrush	12	30	35	40	28	34	139
37	Vision	60	Lee Mutlow	Woodspring	14	33	41	34	37	30	148
38	Britpop	4	John Woodman	Durleigh	14	41	38	39	31	29	151
39	Alternative	16	Richard Aucott	Durleigh	13	38	30	37	33	39	151
40	Britpop	91	Martin Aspinall	Rotherham	11	39	37	36	34	37	155
41	Britpop	49	Tracey Ballington	Lincoln	13	35	39	41	40	40	167