UK Open Challenger Championships 2024 at Rutland Sailing Club

UK Challenger Championships at Rutland © David Driffill

Sixteen Challengers gathered at Rutland Sailing Club for the 2024 UK Open Challenger Championship on Friday 27 September. Unfortunately "gathering" was all they were going to do that day.

The wind was a lively F5 gusting F7/8 from the NNW. It rendered launching virtually impossible from one slipway and very difficult from the other. The intrepid race officer went off to investigate conditions in the main pond (big gusts and short steep waves). At the race briefing he (sensibly) canned racing for the day.

There was now a substantial gap between the race briefing and the AGM. This was filled in a variety of ways.

Chi Chian Wu, the current UK champion, was "encouraged" to give the Curtis Cup a good polish ready for the prize-giving on Sunday. He did a very good job but is clearly more enthusiastic about sailing than polishing!

Chi Chian Wu polishing the trophy - UK Challenger Championships at Rutland - photo © Graham Hall

Steve Lee (290) organised a spur of the moment quiz. It was substantial and well attended and distracted many of the sailors and volunteers from the Rutland weather station (thank you Steve).

Mike O'Connor (87) went off to take his boat off its road trailer (having previously been advised by the race officer that there was no need to do it for the planned 14:00 start time). When loading the boat onto the road trailer back in Huddersfield he realised there was a major split (more than a crack) in his launching trolley. Fortunately Dave Hodson (212) came to the rescue by loaning him his spare launching trolley for the weekend (thank you Dave).

Early evening saw a short, uncontentious AGM after which everyone dispersed hoping for a more helpful wind the next day.

UK Challenger Championships at Rutland - photo © Mike O'Connor

Thankfully by Saturday morning the wind had dropped and swung WNW F3. The fleet were launched without drama and headed down to the main pond along with seven 2.4mR sailors who had their Inland Championships.

Challengers and 2.4s may not appear to be natural bedfellows but for the last few years at this event, they have shared a committee boat, with each class sailing their preferred course: trapezoidal for the Challengers and windward-leeward for the 2.4s. The Challengers have the first start followed six minutes later by the 2.4s.

Given that racing was essentially taking place out of sight of the clubhouse (dictated by the wind direction and not a whim of the race officer) it was difficult for those onshore to get any feel for what was happening. Talking to the sailors afterwards did not necessarily make things much clearer.

There was a substantial delay before the first race because the wind was very unstable with significant shifts. The race officer laid his first course close to the church but was forced to move it twice further down into the main pond before the wind stabilised sufficiently for a race to start - lesser race officers may have given up.

There do not appear to have been any interesting incidents in Race 1. Graham came home first, followed by Duncan Greenhalgh (280). Richard Triffitt (301) put some noses out of joint by coming third in the first race of his first Challenger event.

In Race 2 Duncan went down to start at the pin but he got his mainsheet tangled round his rudder so he could neither pull his mainsheet in nor steer. Val Millward (312) really wanted Duncan out of the way but had to dip him. Caz Jerromes (313) decided the best way to avoid him was to do a 360. None of this augured well for his start.

He eventually untangled himself and tacked onto port and wove his way through the fleet. When he tacked again he found he was behind the leader (Graham) so it was a "superb move" but he does not recommend this manoeuvre. Graham and Duncan scored another one-two with Nick Bett (261) taking third.

The fleet then came in for lunch. Not surprisingly, given the earlier delay, the race officer wanted a quick turnround and to get the fleet out asap. The caterers obliged by providing a fast track lunch queue for the Challenger sailors. The fleet was soon back on the water.

Over lunch there had been many complaints about the wind shifts. Oddly, the current UK champion, Chi Chian, sailing the class association Challenger Freethinker (263) had had two mid-fleet finishes. It turned out that the trustees had unintentionally hindered his performance by giving him a brand new sail to use and he was struggling to read it.

Nick took the lead in Race 3 but had a worrying moment when he couldn't find the leeward mark - he couldn't see it anywhere. It was hidden by fishing boats. Eventually he found it and went on to take the race win.

The main incident of Race 3 occurred on the final run when Alex Hovden (188) luffed Rory McKinna (297) and continued to luff Rory all the way to the committee boat. The main beneficiary of this outrageous luff was Mike who gained two places and "snatched a mediocre result from the back of the fleet". Also happy with Race 3 was Diana Faulks (288) who achieved her best result with a ninth.

Chi Chian came second in Race 3 (he was getting the hang of the sail and the wind shifts) but had to return to the shore to renew his Para World Sailing Classification Status for the RS Venture Connect World Championship. With only a single discard in the event he would have to count both his mediocre results of the morning which sadly put him out of contention for the championship.

Race 4 saw Nick romp to another win with Graham in second. Val had her best result of the day in third. However, the drama was at the back of the fleet Lynn Steward 257) thought she had managed to squeeze past Stephen Thomas Bate (298) on the line. Stephen Thomas thought otherwise and, unfortunately for Lynn, the race officer agreed with him.

Coming ashore the sailors seemed to agree that the wind was (slightly) more consistent in the afternoon. Not surprisingly, Nick thought his afternoon was better than his morning!

After four races the discard had kicked in. Graham had a "massive" one point lead over Nick. Duncan (who had had a mediocre afternoon) was lying in third but only one point ahead of Richard (who was very consistent). In the Silver fleet Diana led Alan Bradley (215) but only on countback and Caz was only a single point behind.

In the evening the Challengers hosted a drinks reception for sailors and volunteers taking part in the RS Venture Connected World Championship, the International Inclusive Keelboat Championship and the 2.4s. The Challenger sailors and volunteers were resplendent in their new class association polo shirts which were generously funded by Hugh Campbell.

UK Challenger Championships at Rutland - photo © Mike O'Connor

On Sunday morning the wind had swung round to SEly and on the shore it was very light. Again the committee boat headed off into the distance with the race officer planning to set the start line behind the peninsula and the windward mark off the church (again, given the wind direction he didn't have much choice).

Fortunately Alan had sorted a significant problem with his kicker but on leaving the shore he shouted that something had broken and returned to shore - fortunately this was nothing that couldn't be fixed with a quick bowline.

In Race 5 Richard had the lead by the first windward mark with a chasing pack of Graham, Duncan and Chi Chian. Graham tacked onto starboard while in the zone and infringed Duncan. There was minimal contact and a protest from Duncan. Graham did his 360 allowing Duncan and Chi Chian through. On the last run the wind filled in a little from behind and the leading four closed up. Duncan got inside of Richard at the gybe mark and was forced to round it tight. Richard came round wide and was able to accelerate and get above Duncan. Chi Chian was also able to get above Duncan and Graham was able to get over them both. They maintained those positions to the end. When Nick came in fifth, Graham did the sums in his head and thought he'd done enough to take the championship. Lower down the fleet Lynn sailed her best race.

In Race 6 Chi Chian attempted an audacious start. He come across the front of the fleet on port and tacked by the committee boat. Unfortunately he was early and had to drift down the line to become OCS. After returning he was well down the fleet.

Having watched Richard in Race 5, Graham went hard left on the first beat before tacking for the mark which proved to be the right way. Nick was lying second. On the beats Nick was sailing faster and freer than Graham but on this occasion pointing higher and going slower gave Graham a marginal advantage and he rounded the windward mark first. Nick gained on each run but couldn't quite get by, so they finished in that order. Going into the final lap Chi Chian was eighth but he managed to claw his way back up to fourth.

Three sailors saved their best race to last. Steve was third and Dave fifth. Stephen Thomas was "really chuffed" with his twelfth and felt he was getting the hang of the boat (it was his first time in a White Formula Challenger).

So with his final race win, Graham was definitely the new UK champion with Nick taking second and Richard, in his first Challenger event, third. In the Silver fleet Diana extended her lead over Alan to one point(!) with Caz remaining third.

The prize-giving was introduced by Alex Wilby, the Commodore of Rutland Sailing Club. The trophies and prizes (courtesy of Lands' End (Oakham)) were presented by Fiona Kidd, Head of International Development at World Sailing.

Graham Hall wins overall - UK Challenger Championships at Rutland - photo © Marion Edwards

At the prize-giving there were two absentees: Rory and Chi Chian were out doing their practice race in the RS Venture Connect and we wish them the best of luck for the World Championship. Consequently Rory avoided the embarrassment of forgetting to return the Jock Campbell Trophy (best under 30) which he needs to give to... Chi Chian.

Graham thanked the safety crews and all the volunteers on the shore (who for once were sufficient in number to be comfortable rather than stretched).

Thanks also to the race officer, Richard Johnson, who did well to deliver six races under trying conditions.

Finally David Newton (Challenger Class Association trustee) thanked Val Millward and Annie Molyneux for organising the event.

All those sailors who were loaned boats were very grateful. In addition to Chi Chian sailing Freethinker, Val had loaned Lynn Red Jester and Rutland Sailability had loaned Rory and Stephen Thomas their boats.

Thank you to our event sponsors. Lands' End (Oakham) who, in addition to providing the prizes, helped feed the fleet during the weekend and also to Hugh Campbell for his continued support.

Trophies awarded:

Curtis Cup (1st overall) and Thames Water Shield (winner of last race): Graham Hall
Judi Figgures Trophy (2nd overall): Nick Bett
Prentice Pot (3rd overall): Richard Triffitt
Ayrshire Yeomanry Cup (1st Silver): Diana Faulks
Rutland Rose Bowl (2nd Silver): Alan Bradley
Model Challenger (3rd Silver): Caz Jerromes
Silver Piccolo: Mike O'Connor
Jock Campbell Trophy, best under 30: Chi Chian Wu
Jock Campbell Trophy, best unplaced over 75: Duncan Greenhalgh
First Lady: Val Millward
Dan Newton Cup: Lynn Steward
Furthest travelled: Stephen Thomas Bate

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Challenger nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here