Minima Yacht Club Regatta 2023

The start of the second race at the Minima Regatta 2023. Enterprises and Handicap class started seconds ago, and Ent winner Ed Mayley (E20613) is already four boat lengths clear of the pack © Rehanna Neky

Often marking the end of summer, Minima's 2023 regatta felt like its long-awaited beginning.

The forecast was basically for no wind, but to the sailors' delight the sunshine and warmth we hadn't seen for weeks was accompanied by a quirky ENE that occasionally had us all hanging out by our toe straps. In the way of east winds at Kingston, it also occasionally disappeared completely or decided it was WSW.

This produced a real Thames-sailing challenge, thoroughly enjoyed by a total of 26 boats with a bunch of very welcome visitors from Thames, Tamesis and Twickenham helping us to the best turnout for ten years.

The crowd gathers on the river bank at Kingston on Sunday morning to hear words of wisdom from Race Officer Ben Marshall and Minima Sailing Secretary Robin Broomfield at the Minima Regatta 2023 - photo © Rob Mayley

The thing about easterlies swirling over Kingston's flats and offices onto Minima's north-south reach is you can rely on them to be unpredictable. A precarious reach up and down the Hampton Court bank should be best bet, the objective being to avoid tacking 90 degrees off track, but particularly on Sunday there was enough north in the breeze to make either side or the middle of the river good choices at times, while the wash from large and small pleasure boats made it hard to spot the windy patches.

Keeping your momentum and finding clear air was critical, but jams at marks were inevitable, while at times both ends of the course required a gybe. Altogether fascinating and fun.

Busy River: A rowing four and coach boat cruise through the start line on Sunday at the Minima Regatta 2023 - photo © Rob Mayley

The Enterprises were the biggest class, 8 boats altogether, and Minima's Ed Mayley and James Budden, celebrating what may be their last regatta for a while, romped away with every race, mostly winning by several minutes. It was disconcerting to have a reasonable start and a fair rounding of the first mark to look up the course and see them disappearing into the distance. Last year's winner, newly-wed and jet-lagged Robin Broomfield and long time crew Paul Bloomfield managed 4 second places out of 5 to take the silver medal with Alex Cane and dad David third.

Class winner Nick Titley's Solo (2527) and Ed Cubitt's second-placed Laser at close quarters in the fourth race at at the Minima Regatta 2023, in the background Laser winner Henry Medcalf has his bow just in front - photo © Rob Mayle

In the single handers seven Solos fought it out, with Nick Titley from Twickenham edging Minima’s Andy Banks into second after some close racing – Nick won the first race by ten seconds. Minima Commodore Rob Brooks took a creditable third, considering he missed one race to supervise preparations for the evening’s party.

Henry Medcalf keeps an eye on the race box in the pre start to the second race on Saturday, which will be the second of his five wins at the Minima Regatta 2023 - photo © Rehanna Neky

In the Lasers, where youth and agility are definite advantages, along with immaculate technique, Tamesis' Henry Medcalf, winner of the New Sailors' race at this event in 2020, returned to the upstream side of Kingston Bridge to win all five races, Minima's Ed Cubitt came second.

Only three Merlin Rockets turned up and Nick Armfield's Teragram, who borrowed a crew from Twickenham on Sunday, took first, possibly aided by the absence of opposition on Saturday, one of the perks for home sailors at events running more than one day.

Light airs at the downwind mark, or was it upwind, at the Minima Regatta 2023 - photo © Keith Black

Since the Lasers got a class of their own the handicap fleet is sadly diminished, and these were also a threesome, with Erica Bishop's new big rig Topper taking the honours, although had Chris Martin's one-of-a-kind Heatwave from Thames turned up for the Sunday races it might have been a different story.

The new sailors' race is one of Minima's successful innovations of recent years, comfortably taken this year by Lyra Wade from Tamesis, beating two of Minima's older new sailors: hopefully next year will see some fresh faces from the home club.

Portrait of Enterprise winning helm Ed Mayley, just visible behind the jib and crew James Budden (left) at the Minima Regatta 2023 - photo © Rehanna Neky

Apart from the coolest jazz by the Matt Sulzmann Trio, the sell-out barbecue and party in Minima's fine old clubhouse on the Saturday night was mightily entertained by drone footage of the races produced by Keith Black. Fortunately the protest deadline was past.

Kingston's mayor, Councillor Diane White presented the prizes with a speech extolling the importance of the river to the borough. Her consort, Mr Jonathan White, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Richard Thorpe, and the Deputy Mayoress, Councillor Lynn Henderson also came for the prize-giving after a busy day at the borough's carnival.

Overall Results: (Minima unless stated)

Enterprise
1 Ed Mayley, James Budden
2 Robin Broomfield, Paul Bloomfield
3 Alex and David Cane

Solo
1 Nick Titley (Twickenham YC)
2 Andy Banks

Laser
1 Henry Medcalf (Tamesis Club)
2 Ed Cubitt

Merlin
Nick Armfield, Jackie Fry/Clare Hindley (Twickenham)

Handicap
Erica Bishop

New Sailors
Lyra Wade (Tamesis)

Paddlers Race
(Men) Paul Southall
(Women) Erica Bishop