Finn Southern Area Championship at Christchurch Sailing Club

Finn Southern Area Championship at Christchurch © Gareth James

Christchurch Sailing Club welcomed 19 Finn sailors to the Finn Southern Area Championships held over a very sunny and windy weekend 31 May/1 June 2025. The event was shared with the Hadron H2 Class who also appeared to thoroughly enjoy the event.

Just two weeks after the UK Finn Masters at Thorpe Bay and the last UK regatta before the Finn World Masters in the Netherlands at which over 300 Finns will compete, the Finn Southern Championships represented a final chance for those attending to polish skills and speed settings. The rest of the fleet could monitor their progress over the winter and prepare for the Finn Nationals next month in Weymouth.

For me, this was a chance to see how much progress I was making against our top two Finn Sailors by World Ranking, Lawrence Crispin ranked fourth and who finished second at the UK Masters and Nick Craig UK Masters Champion, who has accelerated himself up the World Rankings to eighth.

Saturdays forecast looked fantastic! Sun and a WSW breeze building as the day progressed from 8-10 up to 14-18 in the afternoon ahead of a changing tide at 3pm. With Sunday's forecast somewhat stronger, the Race Committee briefed 4 x 40 minute races over 2 lap windward-leeward courses to ensure a series.

Race 1 got away first time with Oscar flag flying to signify free pumping (more than 10 knots). As we approached the windward mark, Romeo was flying (no free pumping), which for me was a plus. I led round the windward mark closely followed by local fast man Alex Atkins, comfortably ahead of Lawrence Crispin and Nick Craig in the bunch. With Alex going high I managed to extend to the finish. Lawrence climbed to second, Nick third, Tim Carver fourth and Alex fifth.

Race 2 followed quickly with Oscar flying. Lawrence narrowly led at the first windward mark, Tim Carver 2nd and me third. By the time we reached the second windward mark Lawrence was in sight with Nick closing fast. At the finish, I crossed first with Lawrence hanging on to second ahead of an improving Nick Craig but with his boom in the air having broken his vang. The ever-green Mr Martin Hughes crossed fourth and Mike De Courcy in fifth.

With little respite and an increasing breeze, race 3 got under way with a clean start. My plan was simply to keep in the game. Nick having solved his early speed issues was first at the windward mark, I was second and Lawrence third. Honestly, it was so close you could have put a blanket over the three of us as we reached to the spacer mark. It was Finntastic racing!

Nick began to break clear from Lawrence and I downwind, but we were all equally close again at the next windward mark, with me slightly ahead only for Nick to fly off again downwind to take the race from me, second, and Lawrence third. Tim Carver came through to take fourth and the campaigning Roman Khodykin, having perfectly executed a port start, finding the increased breeze to his liking, finally crossing ahead of the bunch in fifth.

Race 4 saw a change in the tide and wind now increased to 18 to what felt like 20 plus knots in the gusts. It was then that we had our first general recall giving Nick more time to repair his vang. With the 1min rule in place, the near legend Martin Hughes got a flyer and with real speed led round the first mark closely followed by Nick, Lawrence, Tim and myself. With fatigue beginning to set in, I completely lost it down the run and spun out in a gust, filling up whilst narrowly avoiding a capsize. Nick pulled through to win the race in relative ease with Lawrence second, Tim third, Mike fourth and me fifth. Sadly for Martin he was OCS along with a disappointed Roman.

With a couple of miles to sail back upwind, the fleet was brilliantly received by the 'Slipway Crew' and free beer, courtesy Stewarts Garden Centre, and cake courtesy of Club ladies, and the willing and super helpful 'Shore Crew'. For most of us a couple of cold beers, cake and a meal and it was bed time!

At breakfast the next morning the first discussion from Lawrence was 'where were you all last night?' and from Nick 'has anyone got a vang lever'. The discussion from the rest of us was about the forecast and what to do. With the event in the balance, 3 points splitting the first 3 and an average forecast being 18 - 22 knots, maybe later 25 - 27 depending on which model you looked at, with plenty of able safety boat cover in place and a robust, stable Committee Boat, the racing was on! Two races starting soonest the Committee Boat could get out and set a W/L course.

I've sailed Finns for 45 years now, and irrespective of the design, when it starts bouncing on a flat water reaching, you know it's gusting hard. I think that must have been on my mind as I capsized gybing to get past the ferry whilst still in the harbour. Certainly for those following me out, the sight of a stampede of white horses across Christchurch Bay might have looked awesome for the fit and well practised, but for many of us, knowing how demanding the boat can be, contained excitement overflowed and started dribbling into the 'fear and dread' bucket. For a few that was wisely anticipated. For others it was a decision taken as they left the relative calm of the harbour and entered the bay. So, it was for only seven boats that Race 5 got under way.

It's been a long time since I've sailed in Finn in those conditions, leach eased, traveller down, hull pounding and body aching, but the sailing as well as the racing was spectacular. It was awesome! Whilst the Race Committee were only looking at 18 - 24 knots, with the seas rolling across the bay with the tide and everything against you, sailing the Finn uphill and down was testing to say the least.

Again, the racing was insanely close with the fleet spitting after the first mark to those that were 'racing first and surviving second' and those that were 'surviving first and racing second'. Lawrence led all the way and extended to afford the luxury of a 'coward's gybe' at the final leeward mark. Nick came in second and a delighted Roman out-sailing me upwind and surviving a gybe at the last mark finished ahead and grabbed third. Fifth was the battling Alex Atkins, just ahead of Tom Gissane, a new entrant to the Class and having his first experience of a Finn in those conditions. Tom was followed by the every enthusiastic Russell New. which meant that all finished safely.

With points equal between Lawrence and Nick, the final race got under way. Despite the testing conditions, the racing was as close as ever up the first beat. Lawrence rounded first and led at the leeward gate choosing to gybe and take the left hand gate (as he saw it) to get to the favoured right hand side. Nick hardened up and got into the left before tacking across to attack Lawrence.

By the windward mark they were still level, so it all came down to the last run. As a spectator, at this stage, it was awesome racing. I'd managed to get a jump on Roman upwind but was beginning to feel the fatigue downhill electing the 'coward's gybe' once again. That gave Roman a sniff at gaining an overlap ahead of the zone, but a couple of waves sorted me out as Roman was reminding me, very enthusiastically, who was right of way boat. Alex followed close behind to grab another fifth, Tom had decided two downhills was enough for one day and poor Russell called it a day after a full on and spectacular pitchpole and then a blown out sail at the start of the sixth race.

After another long uphill sail back to the club, we were helped ashore by ever helpful Slipway & Shore Crew and greeted warmly by our community of fellow Finn Sailors passing us free beers and more cake... the racing was over.

Finn Southern Area Championship at Christchurch - photo © Gareth James

At the prizegiving, the Club Commodore, who had been board the committee boat on the Sunday, thanked all the many Club members that had made the event possible and congratulated the race and support team on a very professional performance afloat and made reference to the willingness of the Club to host such events. Thanks, in particular, went to Russell New who had organised the very successful event.

Nick Craig took the event by a point from Lawrence Crispin. I was third, Roman Khodykin getting his best result ever in fourth and a deserving Alex Atkins in fifth. Tim Carver took sixth, Tom Gissane seventh, Mike De Courcey eighth, Russell New ninth and John Mackie tenth.

Other winners were Richard Phillips first Legend (over 70), Lawrence taking the Great Grand Master (over 60's), Nick the Grand Masters (over 50) and Roman the first Master (over 40). A final mention to someone doing only his second ever Finn Regatta after launching his new boat at the UK Masters and that is Paul Carrington who scored a consistent 11, 11, 12, 8 to grab 12th overall and third Grand Master.

Nick Craig thanked the Club for hosting the event and commended the race team on an the excellent courses and start lines.

There are more of Gareth James' photos at photos.app.goo.gl/mLuDuBZz3xagznp38

Finn Southern Area Championship at Christchurch - photo © Gareth James

Overall Results: