Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships 2025 at Grafham Water Sailing Club

Over the weekend of 25 - 26th October 2025 Grafham Water Sailing Club hosted the ILCA Masters Inland National Championships, the last major event of 2025. 75 ILCA Masters sailors wrapped up well for a partly sunny weekend with a cold and blustery WNW wind and some rain during the races.

GWSC ran a truly excellent ILCA UK Masters Inland Championships. 6 high-quality races were run by Race Officer Nigel Denchfield and his team of volunteers, with on-time starts, races running precisely to the target time and speedy turnaround between races. On-shore arrangements were friendly and welcoming, with excellent catering, providing hearty breakfasts, plenty of hot drinks and a fantastic evening meal.

GWSC proved yet again that it is a great venue, with excellent racing, easy parking for cars and boats, easy launch and great transport links. Many competitors chose to stay on-site in their campervans.

The ILCA Masters events are open to any ILCA class member over the age of 30 with no upper age limit. The Tideway ILCA Masters Inlands saw 42 ILCA 7s, including 6 apprentice masters (AM), 6 masters (M), 25 grand masters (GM) and 7 great grand masters (GGM) while the ILCA 6s had 33 sailors, including 2 AM, 8 M, 13 GM, 9 GGM and 2 legends (over 75). Separate races were run for the ILCA 7 and ILCA 6 fleets, with the ILCA 7s using the outer trapezoid course and the ILCA 6s the inner trapezoid. The beats were a good length at around 700-900 m.

Overall, the event epitomised the best of ILCA Masters sailing: a friendly group, with a real range of abilities, from open meeting newcomers to seasoned Masters Worlds campaigners, and an age range of 30-something to 70-plus. This meant there was good competition all the way through the fleets combined with a relaxed vibe. With the water level being low the slipways were long and the wind across the slipway made launching more challenging but the Masters showed their supportiveness with competitors helping each other with launching and recovery.

Most of the competitors stayed for the evening meal on Saturday, at which generous sponsor prizes were raffled. An impromptu discussion was had on the relative merits and risks of ice yachting. Most people turned in at a sensible hour though, aware of what Sunday's forecast had in store - Survival, Strategy, and Spray.

Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

For Saturday's racing the wind was NW, backing to WNW during the afternoon and the masters saw everything from 8 to 33 knots, creating some exciting runs and a "proper windy" first beat in Race 3. A rare occasion of the wind not really matching the consensus forecast of more like 15-20 knots. It was even slightly warmer than forecast, at a still brisk 10 degrees or so. Overall Saturday was "shifty and cold", but Great Racing.

Sunday was on average windier and felt colder in the windier conditions with 8 degrees, but mainly a steady (and punchy) mid-20s for most of the day, from the West. It was cold enough to make you notice when stationary, but once racing began, everyone stayed warm enough. A short delay between races to reset the course for a permanent wind shift was the only pause long enough to let the chill in.

In the ILCA 6 fleet the first race brought a bit of an upset: hot favourite Jon Emmett, fresh from his triumph at the Masters Worlds in Italy... didn't win! He later explained that the shift he was expecting didn't materialise off the first beat, leaving him mid-fleet and struggling for a passing lane — a good reminder of just how competitive this fleet has become. In his absence, Neil Peelo seized the opportunity and took the bullet, holding off a lively mid-fleet chase.

Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

Normal service resumed from race two onwards, with Jon Emmett winning every remaining race of the weekend. He was pushed hard by Ian Gregory and Stuart Hudson, a recent convert to the 6s from the 7s, who traded seconds and thirds between them for most of the event.

The second race stood out for a big wind shift just before the start, leading to a line reset and a second attempt. By then, the breeze was up enough to build small waves, making the run a chance to gain or lose places picking a route through.

After an extra hour in bed from the clock change, Sunday's early start (10:25 first gun) came around quickly. Launching was a challenge, with the breeze funnelling across the slipways — there were more than a few early capsizes before the first start.

Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

The three races that followed were fast, physical, and properly competitive. Behind the leading trio, the mid-fleet battles were tight and relentless, with gusts and shifts keeping everyone on their toes. Race two tested many to their limits with a fair few capsizes across the fleet.

The start lines were generally fair despite the shifts, though there was a fleet bias towards the pin end on most starts. Heading for the club shore looked tempting but didn't seem to pay much initially; later in the day, playing the shifts seemed to work better.

The fight for second and third was intense, with Ian Gregory and Stuart Hudson both counting three seconds and two thirds — Ian taking second overall on the basis of the last race of the weekend. Legends David Binding and Ian Rawet challenged the younger masters in the tough conditions turning in excellent results just outside the top 10. Braving the tough conditions and 74 male masters Christine Statham was the only female competitor (ladies please do try and join in for future events it is great racing and a social fleet).

The ILCA7s sailed the outer loop course, with 3 beats per race except for Race 6, which, after 3 hours on the water in 8 degrees, Great Grand Master Nick Livingstone wisely suggested could be shortened to 2 beats, a suggestion which the RO was pleased to adopt and signalled with Code Flag L.

Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

Over the weekend, the left side paid on about 16 of the 17 beats, master Orlando Gledhill (1st overall) showing the way. There were regular oscillations, and the shifts had to be played, but overwhelmingly the leaders came out of the top left side, especially on the outer loop beats, where there was a pronounced left shore influence. Starting in the front row and having freedom to tack onto the lifted tack shortly after the start was at a premium in the oscillating breeze. Downwind, it was critical to look behind for the gusts filling and much distance, and many places were gained and lost.

Race 2 saw some big squalls and gusts into the 30's created some carnage down the run with several sailors taking a swim others demonstrating their evasive manoeuvring skills, either holding it together or joining the swim. The final leg to the finish was after a gybe or braving the tight line by the lee on starboard with a lot of wind pressure whilst negotiating around recovering swimmers. Race 3 had a lively beat and first reach with another squall pushing through.

Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

Day 2 started cold with some frost early in the morning, quickly brightening up and some much appreciated sun while rigging. On the water the winds were punchy and if felt much colder as the sun disappeared. As with Day 1 Orlando Gledhill continued to dominate and won all races. The rest of the fleet had very competitive racing with little margin for errors.

Over the weekend the races were well run and the ILCA7s got away with only 1 general recall, a handful of black and 'U' flagged sailors showed the push to get away. Orlando Gledhill after a hat trick of 1st deservedly took the championship. The standout performance in the fleet was that of Great Grand Master Tim Law (2nd overall), who demonstrated terrific fitness and sailing ability, counting nothing below a 6th. Late entrant Apprentice Master Ollie Bush (15th), counting 33, 27 after a DNC in Race 1 and coming on strong at the end with two seconds.

Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

Congratulations to Jon Emmett (ILCA 6) and Orlando Gledhill (ILCA 7) for convincing wins, and to everyone who took part. It was once again a competitive, friendly, and hard-fought fleet, showcasing the best of ILCA Masters sailing, made possible by the generous support of our sponsors.

Huge thanks to Grafham Water SC, Paul Sanwell at OP Photographic and our generous sponsors: Tideway Wealth, Rooster, Ovington Boats, Sailingfast, Noble Marine, South East Sailboats, Wildwind.

Category Winners ILCA 7:

AM - Ollie Bush
M - Orlando Gledhill
GM - Neil Peters
GGM - Tim Law

Category Winners ILCA 6:

Female - Christine Statham
AM - Rafael Matarazzo
M - Jon Emmett
GM - Stuart Hudson
GGM - Malcolm Marsden
Legend - David Binding

Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships at Grafham - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

ILCA 6 Results:

ILCA 7 Results: