An Intriguing Duel in store for the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series
by Andy Rice 31 Oct 2024 01:07 PDT
Gray and Edwards during the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series © Tim Olin /
www.olinphoto.co.uk
With just over three weeks until Event #1 of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, some interesting boats and teams are entering as well as some new sponsors coming on board to make the 16th edition bigger and better than ever...
Entries are already coming in for Event No.1 of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. Taking place on the weekend of 23 & 24 November, the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash is the first of nine events in this, the 16th edition of the Series.
When you enter two or more events by the start of the Draycote Dash, you will receive a GJW Direct Beanie, great for keeping warm throughout the Winter Series, and a £10 off voucher when you spend over £50 at Sailing Chandlery.
Enter at www.sailjuiceseries.com
With a major clothing brand about to announce its support for this year, word is getting through that there are few better ways to reach the whole of the UK dinghy and small-boat racing scene than through this nine-event circuit which runs from late November through to late February with the main stage prize-giving at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show.
The Sailing Chandlery has become the title sponsor for the second event of the Series in December, what will this year be known as the Sailing Chandlery Datchet Flyer. Other sponsorship and naming opportunities are still available. To find out more while there's still time, contact
Duo between some old rivals
When we say 'old rivals', do we mean two venerable classes - the 470 and Fireball - or do we mean the people set to race them? You be the judge, but the fun and interesting fact is that some past winners of the Series are lining up in opposing yet very similar race craft.
Back in 2011/12, Pete Gray and Rachael Rhodes raced to Series victory in their Scorpion. Pete and Rachael subsequently got married but perhaps wisely the married couple of decided to race in separate boats since then. These days Rachael [now called Gray] races in multiple classes and has won multiple championships crewing for Tom Gillard. Now Tom won the Series in 2012/13 in a Fireball crewed by Simon Potts. But, and I hope you're keeping up, this year Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray are teaming up in a 470 to see if they can continue their winning ways in yet another class.
Meanwhile Pete Gray, who since won another Series title (2022/23) in an Osprey crewed by Geoff Edwards, is now hopping into the back of a Fireball with Richard Pepperdine on the wire. And so the marital battle of the Grays will begin. Will it be superior sailing or a better/worse handicap that wins the day between these two? Will Tom Gillard, as reigning Fireball World Champion, be prepared to share his best tuning tips with Gray and Pepperdine, or will he keep that hard-won edge to himself?
Great Lakes Handicap Numbers
Which means that in a typical 45-minute race, the Fireball will need to finish around a minute ahead of the 470. The race is on!
You can sit back with your popcorn and watch the racing unfold from the comfort of your home thanks to the live SailRacer GPS tracking. Or you could do the hard thing, the better thing, and sign up for the events yourself.
Enter at www.sailjuiceseries.com
The Events
The following events are in the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series 2024/25:
- Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club
23 & 24 November 2024
- Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club
7 & 8 December 2024
- Polar Chase, Chase Sailing Club
14 December 2024
- Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club
27 December 2024
- Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club
29 December 2024
- GJW Direct Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club
11 January 2025
- King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club
18 January 2025
- John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club
1 & 2 February 2025
- Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club
15 February 2025
- Prizegiving at RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, Farnborough
You can find out more about the Series here: www.SailJuiceSeries.com