Please select your home edition
Edition
Melges 15

UKLA 2021 ILCA 6 Masters Nationals at Pevensey Bay Sailing Club

by Matthew Knight 13 Jul 2021 16:56 BST 9-11 July 2021

Friday started well, with much anticipation as the 40 ILCA 6 sailors rigged for the first day of the nationals with 3 races scheduled. However, as the fleet set out into a 12 - 15 knot breeze from the south/south east a misty fog set in over the track taking the shine off the morning.

The day would be all about clear air and boat speed, with only small oscillations and pretty constant breeze across the course. With a strong outgoing tide against the wind creating some good waves, the first race got under way, with Ben Elvin (Stokes Bay) picking up where he left off last October at the Nationals, taking the first bullet. Jon Emmett (Weirwood) followed closely in second, with these two showing the fleet how it'd done with terrific speed upwind and down.

During the second race the fog cleared and a sunny afternoon ensued. A clear pattern in the racing developed, with Jon Emmett taking wins in races two and three, with Ben Elvin in second. Ian Jones (Dovestone) was 'best of the rest' with 2 thirds and a fourth, along with Terry Scutcher (Shotley) who scored 2 fourths and a third. Ann Keates (Parkstone) turned in strong performances in the last two races of the day with an 8th and 5th, to be the first Lady, sitting in 8th overall at the end of the day.

The top four had established themselves at the top of the order, with a clear points lead over the fleet. Their ability to get off the start line well, find clear air and having good boat speed and handling in the solid conditions proved a recipe for success.

The last challenge of the day was hitting the beach and getting up the bank across the pebbles to unrig. This was all made manageable by the amazing volunteers at Pevensey Bay Sailing Club. A few post-race beers sponsored by Duncan at Sailing Fast soon had the sailors only remembering the good parts of their days and looking forward to tomorrow.

Saturday dawned with a total contrast in the weather; the sun was replaced by rain and the wind had disappeared. The race officer kept the fleet ashore and decided to abandon racing for the day early in the afternoon as the forecast wasn't promising. The sun did briefly reappear in time for the evening BBQ and competitors were treated to superb hospitality from Pevensey Bay. Nick Harrison gave a speech about the background and aims of the Andrew Simpson Foundation and there was a free raffle with sponsors prizes from South East Sailboats, Vaikobi, Ovington and Sailingfast - a Wildwind holiday was the main prize won by Naill Peelo. Neil Peters 'Stick', legend of the class led the fundraising activities and £1700 was raised for the foundation through the generosity of the competitors.

Sunday the fleet set afloat in a light southerly that completely died, before filling in and settling at 6 - 10 knots with flat water on an incoming tide (for the first 2 races), making lay lines an interesting call. The first race of the day (race four of the regatta) saw the majority of the fleet head right to better pressure, again the same three proving that they are good at sailing the ILCA in all conditions, with Jon Emmett leading the way from Ben Elvin, Ian Jones while Ian Gregory (Frensham Pond) scored a 4th - his first of two for the day. Max Hunt (Whitsable) showed his light air prowess with a 5th, lifting him up the leader board.

The top three prevailed again in race 5, with Ian Jones teaching some of the top end of the fleet a lesson in downwind sailing as he tore through the fleet to get up to third.

Race 6, the last race of the regatta saw the tide change to outgoing, and the breeze softening. There were more holes across the course which made good starts imperative - without being over on the black flag, and clear air imperative. This race saw the biggest shake up in the placings at the first mark, but the cream always rises to the top and this race was to be no exception. Ian Jones took home the win, while Jon Emmet came from well down at the first mark (by his standards) to finish second, again teaching lessons to everyone down the last run by allowing for the tide and not pointing anywhere near the mark, but sailing to it fast in a straight line). Gareth Edwards (Queen Mary) was 3rd, and Ann Keates finished 4th.

Jon Emmett won the regatta overall, with Ben Elvin in second. Ian Jones was 1st Master in third overall, Terry Scutcher was 1st Grand Master in 5th, Ann Keates was 1st Great Grandmaster and 1st Lady in 7th and Mike Kinnear was 1st Legend in 20th. Queen Mary Sailing Club won best Club and also had the most entries with 21 boats over both fleets.

Overall it was a great regatta and based on the chat in the boat park a good learning experience for all. Race officer Paul Jackson and his team put together a long weekend of superbly run races - thank you. Off the water there seemed to be a never ending stream of amazing volunteers from both UKLA and Pevensey Bay Sailing Club - thank you! Thanks also to Alison and the organising committee. Last but not least a big thank you to all our sponsors.

Sponsors of UKLA ILCA Masters:

  • Sailingfast - Duncan brings his battle buss down from Scotland for most the big events, which is so ridiculously well equipped, you could replace everything on your boat. Although based in Scotland they will get anything to you super fast. He also supplied many of the prizes for the draw on Saturday evening. Check out sailingfast.co.uk
  • SouthEast Sailboats - Max brings bespoke quality at affordable prices to the class. His passion for detail has made his products a must have for anyone who wants quality. He also supplied many great prizes for the event. southeastsailboats.co.uk
  • Ovington Boats - Chris Turner lives dinghies and has been a significance presence in the boat building world for decades. OB are now the official UK builders of ILCAs. A very smart new Ovington ILCA Dinghy was on display at the Masters event. www.ovingtonboats.com
  • Vaikobi - a brand born on the waters of Sydney Harbour, out of a passion for all ocean sports. Across the team, we paddle, Surfski, SUP, Wing Foil and Sail. Sailing has been a passion within the business right from the start. The senior management team at Vaikobi comprise more than fifty years of marine industry and sailing experience between them. www.vaikobi.com
  • Noble Marine - Ian MacManus (the man behind the name) has crafted a very competitive and excellent insurance product for all Laser/ILCA sailors. A very personal service and a extremely useful website help make this the 'go to' company. www.noblemarine.co.uk

Related Articles

Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 4
Getting that winning mojo back on the Bay of Palma Coming as it does as the first major all-classes regatta after the Paris 2024 Olympics, the huge 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels sailing regatta represents the perfect opportunity to rebuild dented confidence. Posted on 3 Apr
Winter coaching wraps at Pennine
From frost to fast Saturday 29th March saw 15 sailors come together at Pennine Sailing Club for the eighth of the Dom Barnes Coaching winter sessions. The aim of these sessions has been to offer low-cost, high-quality coaching to single-handed sailors in the North. Posted on 3 Apr
Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 3
Consistency is keynote as Sofía moves to finals phase With classes moving into the Gold fleet phase today at the 54 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels on Mallorca's Bay of Palma so the intensity stepped up and consistency became most important. Posted on 2 Apr
Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 2
It does not get better than this, with a sparkling spring sea breeze An afternoon of warm sunshine with 10-12k knots of thermal wind saw all seven course areas operating in champagne conditions, a reminder there is no better place in the world for early season Olympic racing on this scale. Posted on 1 Apr
The Proving Ground
Why the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS is such an important regatta The end of an Olympic quadrennial cycle often brings sailing campaigns to an end. Some partnerships in doublehanded classes split, with helm and crew going their separate ways, while others use the time to reflect on their future. Posted on 1 Apr
Lead-up to LA28 begins with Princesa Sofía Regatta
29 athletes representing the US are now in Palma 29 athletes representing the US across eight Olympic classes will spar with over 50 other countries at the 54th edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca, considered to be the European season opener. Posted on 31 Mar
Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS day 1
The Bay of Palma's perfect start to the 2028 Olympic cycle The beautiful Bay of Palma ushered in the new Olympic sailing quadrennial with sparkling, near perfect conditions - sunshine and 16-18kts winds - as the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by FERGUS Hotels got under way for the 10 events. Posted on 31 Mar
Australia's best set for first major test of 2025
The 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Regatta will commence today The 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Regatta will commence today and continue through to April 5th in Mallorca, Spain, marking the first major international test for Olympic-class sailors this season. Posted on 31 Mar
New teams and renowned veterans
A quick look at each of the 10 fleets in the 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca For many sailors on the Olympic campaign trail towards Los Angeles 2028, the Bay of Palma is where the international competition really begins. Posted on 29 Mar
ILCA 6 UK National Open 2 at the WPNSA
An event with two very different sets of conditions The second National Open of 2025 for the ILCA 6 fleet took place at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), drawing sailors from across the UK, including competitors from as far as Scotland. Posted on 28 Mar