Shustoke Gauntlet 2025

On Sunday 2nd March Shustoke Sailing Club threw down the Gauntlet to 13 visiting boats. A visiting boat hasn't taken home the impressive looking (yet hard to clean, I hear!) trophy since 2017 when Andy Davis won it in his Solo, so would anyone be able to break the cycle this year?!

There wasn't a cloud in the sky all day and the breeze even held up most of the day too! There was a wide ranging fleet of boats from the single-handed Mirror to the Merlin Rocket, with the largest fleet being the Solos with ten boats. With a fluky and often patchy wind many places could be gained and lost on each leg making for some tense and exciting racing!

Shustoke Gauntlet 2025 - photo © Paul Collins

The Mirrors were first out the blocks and had a good battle between themselves throughout the race. Despite the wind filling in a bit more after their start they managed to hold on to their lead for a good amount of time before the bigger boats started coming through. David Turtle and Zara Frankton were the first to pass the Mirrors and held on to this lead to take the first race win of the day.

Andy Davis pulled through the fleet quickly in his OK but was overtaken in the last few minutes by previous Gauntlet winners Stuart and Nick Hydon in their Lark and Adam Froggatt in his Phantom; obviously retaining some of his knowledge of the Shustoke winds from his victory at our Phantom open in the summer!

Shustoke Gauntlet 2025 - photo © Paul Collins

As the wind started to die we headed in for a welcome lunch break, during which the wind returned from a different direction prompting a course change.

In Race 2 the double-handed Mirror of Steve and Harry Cumley had a great start and pulled out a good lead for half the race. The rest of the fleet seemed much closer together from early on in the race with lots of place changing. Neil Wilkinson was having a great day leading the Solo fleet in both races.

Andy Davis was again quick to work his way through the fleet and after a short battle with David and Zara managed to get into the lead with 5 minutes to spare. Behind them Stuart and Nick and Adam Froggatt were again having a very close race in the closing minutes with Stuart and Nick in front when the horn was sounded. Steve and Gill Leney in their Merlin were having a much better race in the afternoon, coming sixth.

Dave Turtle and Zara Frankton win the Shustoke Gauntlet 2025 - photo © Lucinda Thornton

Overall David and Zara won the event with a first and second, Andy Davis was second with a fourth and a first, and Stuart and Nick were third with a second and a third.

Big thanks go to the race team, rescue crews, galley team and all the volunteers who helped make the event possible - it was a great day enjoyed by all!

Andy Davis takes second in the Shustoke Gauntlet 2025 - photo © Lucinda Thornton

Overall Results:

Stuart and Nick Hydon take third in the Shustoke Gauntlet 2025 - photo © Lucinda Thornton