Royal Thames Yacht Club 250th Anniversary Regatta Day 3
by Magnus Wheatley 13 Jun 11:58 PDT
11-15 June 2025
Etchells No Dramas on day 3 of the Royal Thames Yacht Club 250th Anniversary Regatta © Paul Wyeth /
www.pwpictures.com
Conditions more akin to the Mediterranean greeted the 251 entries on day 3 of the Royal Thames Yacht Club's 250th Anniversary Regatta, with bright sunshine and a shut-down of air flow across the Solent racecourses that gradually relented, giving way to a gentle light breeze of 5-7 knots from the south-east in the early afternoon.
For the race officers of the four course areas, it was a difficult call to make with several of the Classics & Cruiser, IRC and dayboat classes advised to stay ashore. For the 33-strong J/70 class, 'AP over H' was called whilst some of the crews were taking a refreshing dip in the hazy Solent, and the fleet towed ashore to wait for the late afternoon breeze.
Stuart Childerley, the Race Officer for the IRC Zero and IRC 1 divisions, called a cancellation to the day for the big boat divisions competing in the IRC National Championships having tried to capitalise on the midday breeze in the western Solent that failed to materialise into anything meaningful.
For those fleets that stayed out on the Lee-on-Solent shoreline, just before 2pm they were rewarded with race-able conditions and the superb race management teams clicked into swift action to make the most of the afternoon before the breeze died off.
Two races were thus completed for IRC 3, IRC 4, RS Elites, Etchells, Darings and Dragons. With the RS Elites now at the business end of their National Championships and the Etchells and J/70 classes at the start of theirs, it was a very interesting day results-wise.
RS Elite Class (National Championships)
With so much to play for, and a heavy pin bias on the line, it was little surprise to see a General Recall in the first race of the day for the RS Elite Class. After a reset of the starting procedure, but this time under code flag 'U' prohibiting any incursion over the line in the final minute, the fleet crept up the shoreline for the most favourable tide and slightly more pressure. At the top mark it was a new name leading the fleet with Pete Copsey, sailing 'The Doctor' who led from Barry Parkin & David Nicholls in 'Sapphire.'
After three race wins yesterday, all eyes were on Joe Llewellyn to seal the title and in race 6 he was well up amongst the top three. But in perhaps the most decisive and cruel of calls, both Llewellyn and Copsey were handed a U flag disqualification after finishing the race, the ramifications of which are seismic in the overall standings.
Barry Parkin won race 6 whilst Ossie Stewart took out race 7 in fine style leading from start to finish. However, at the top of the standings Russell Peters sailing 'Riff Raff' holds a countback lead after a seventh and ninth place today, tied on points with Parkin & Nicholls, with Stewart in third just four points behind and Llewellyn almost 10 points adrift from the leaders after being forced to carry the 21 points of the disqualification on his scorecard.
For the top three, the final day of action on Saturday will be the decider and it's all set to go to the wire for the ultra-competitive RS Elite National Championships.
Etchells Class (National Championships)
Simply sensational sailing today from Royal Thames Yacht Club member Andrew Lawson, sailing with Angus Galloway and William Russell, serial campaigners in the class and 2023 National Champion, who opened their 2025 account with two straight wins. At times, the 'No Dramas' team's reading of the course and the shifts was on another level, and their leads built into substantial margins.
Behind though, it was tight and tough sailing with a lot of action at the windward mark as the port tack fleet came across as the starboard tackers bore away at the windward mark on the same line. Thankfully no collisions were witnessed but plenty of protest calls were made. Giving chase for the National Championship title is David Maclean sailing 'Ada' with Harry Blowers & James Skulczuk who scored a second and third today to sit one point clear of defending National Champion Chris Hampton onboard 'Tango' sailing with Paul Childs and Ben Cornish.
Special mention to Conrielle Leprince from the Greig City Academy who scored consistent results posting a third and fourth place today to sit fourth overall going into the weekend. Great racing, as ever, in the Etchells fleet.
Tideway J70 National Championships
For the largest fleet at the Royal Thames Yacht Club's 250th Anniversary Regatta with 33 boats, it was a long opening day of the regatta but saw some of the best racing with position changes and protest calls aplenty as everyone fought for position. With Olympians Saskia Clark, James Peters and Chris Grube in the fleet there were no easy positions, so it was no surprise to see two different race winners with Martin Dent, sailing 'Jelvis' getting the opening bullet whilst in race 2, in the early evening, Ben Clothier, sailing a Royal Thames Yacht Club J/70, aced the pack and scored a popular win.
Overall, after two races however, William Edwards sailing 'Sardonyx' proved yet again that consistency counts in big fleet racing, and with a sixth and a fourth today tops the standings ahead of Paul Wollmann's 'Frequent Flyer 2' that secured a second place in the first race and followed up with a ninth in the second. Rounding out the podium overnight, Doug Struth's 'DSP' sits in third after an eighth and fifth today.
Day 1 of the Tideway J/70 National Championship may well have been a long one but plenty more to come before the champion is crowned, and as William Edwards described, the racing today was "golden!"
Dragon Class (Southern Area Championships)
Two extremely hard fought and tactical races were completed today that sees a two-way tie in the standings between Graham Bailey's famous ex-Royal yacht 'Bluebottle' and Owen Pay's 'Furious,' with both boats recording a race win and a second place apiece. The Dragon fleet were tightly packed up the Lee-on-Solent shoreline and saw some of the tightest top-mark rounding action of any of the fleets.
Giving chase to the top two are Jono Brown's 'Fit Chick' and David Ross's 'Sanka' who scored consistent results and are separated by a point but distanced from the leading two.
Daring Class (Cory Cup)
Former Royal Ocean Racing Club Commodore Mike Greville leads the Daring fleet going into the weekend after a second place and a first in the four-strong fleet that will see more participation at the weekend with a further eight boats entered for their prestigious Cory Cup regatta. For Greville, sailing 'Darling,' the day could have offered more had he not been forced to do a turn in the first race after marginally clipping the spreader mark on the first round.
Chris Preston sailing 'Destroyer' capitalised to take the opening race win but in the second Greville's accurate reading of the lay line on the first beat was the deciding factor. All to play for going into the weekend.
RS21 (Round 3 UK & Ireland Cup)
With thunderstorms rumbling in the English Channel just a few miles south as the RS21 fleet came ashore after 6pm, it was perhaps telling that Liam Willis's 'Dark & Stormy' topped the standings having taken an opening race win and then followed up with a second place in race 2. The podium standings were packed with consistency as Nigel Rolfe's 'It's 5'o'clock somewhere' scored a second place and fifth to sit second overall on seven points, whilst Russell Collister's 'Skedaddle' and Crispin Winzer's 'White Oryx' are tied for third place on eight points.
This is shaping up to be an interesting weekend for the RS21 fleet, and with a change in conditions forecast for Saturday, we could see these fast-planing boats excelling in the expected conditions.
SB20 Class
A long day on the water for the seven-strong SB20 fleet who eventually got away in the late afternoon and finished just before 6pm. Mark Gillett, sailing 'Twenty PBII' opened his regatta account with two straight bullets. Tied for second overall are Phil Tilley, sailing 'Tƒn Gwyllt' who posted an opening race third and followed up with a second, and Charlie Whelan, sailing 'Breaking Bod' who also recorded the same scoreline but in reverse.
The fleet of SB20s are extremely evenly matched, and they will all be eyeing the weekend weather forecast which promises some exciting sailing in the fleet.
IRC 3 (IRC National Championships)
Adam Gosling's JPK 1080 Yes! won the first race of the day by just 36 seconds after IRC time correction from David Franks J/112 'Leon.' Rosie & Chuck Berry's J/109 'Jenie' duckwalked onto the podium claiming third. Leon fought back in race 2, to take the race win from sistership, James Chalmers J/112 'Happy Daize,' which was second. Yes! was 22 seconds behind in third after IRC time correction.
After two races, 'Leon' leads IRC 3 by just one point from 'Yes!' with 'Happy Daize' in third. "Our strategy for the second race was very much about winning the pin end - we didn't execute it properly in the first, but we nailed it in the second," commented Leon's David Franks. "That gave us better tide conditions and a bit more control tactically. The competition out there is incredibly tight - going up against the likes of Yes!, Genie, and Happy Daize makes for a proper contest. Adam (Gosling) is a formidable competitor with a top crew, and that always raises the level."
Full report here.
IRC4 (IRC National Championships)
Duncan Peace's Quarter Tonner Pacifist took the spoils in race 1 by just 11 seconds after time correction from Ovington & Batchelor's Half Tonner 'Headhunter.' Third was Stuart Cranston Quarter Tonner 'Purple Haze.' Jamie McWilliam's BB10 'Pelikanen' was just three seconds off the podium in fourth for race 1 but stormed back in race 2 to take the win by just 13 seconds after IRC time correction from 'Purple Haze.'
After two races, there is a three-way tie in IRC Four between 'Pelikanen,' 'Purple Haze' and 'Headhunter.' 'Pelikanen' is the only boat in the top three with a race win and leads on countback.
For full report, please see: rorc.org/from-dead-calm-to-dead-heat-day-one-2025-irc-national-championship
"A tough day on the water"
Principal Race Officer Tim Hancock, was full of praise for the competitors today on day 3 of the Royal Thames 250th Anniversary Regatta, saying: "Well done to all who stuck with us today as we attempted to get the racing away. I think for the majority of fleets they got fair racing over towards the Hillhead plateau and Lee-on-Solent. We're expecting a change overnight and looking forward to an interesting weekend for all the classes. It was a tough day on the water for the race management teams and my thanks go to them for their professionalism today."
Racing continues on Saturday for all classes in the Royal Thames Yacht Club 250th Anniversary Regatta. Latest weather reports show a significant increase in wind strengths predicted with top end gusts in excess of 25 knots that should provide spectacular racing for what is a spectacular event. Shoreside, the Regatta Race Village was full of life this afternoon and evening ahead of the Cruising & Classics Dinner at the Royal London Yacht Club/ Royal Thames Yacht Club (Shoreside) whilst the J/70 fleet were hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron at the Castle.
For further details, the Notice of Race, Competitor Safety Key Information and Sailing Instructions please see the dedicated regatta website, racing.royalthames.com