Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech Sailing Club

Ian Foxwell and Sam Pygall, being chased hard by the Wilsons - Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech © Sarah Seddon

The 2024 Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit concluded over the weekend of the 8-9 March 2025 with the re-arranged traditional "Finale" hosted by Bough Beech Sailing Club from the original dates in November 2024.

The event brought a highly competitive 2024 Wayfarer Racing season to a suitable conclusion following circuit events at Datchet, Banbury, Paignton, Blackwater, Leigh and Lowton, Shoreham and Arun. The event was kindly shared over the same weekend with the RS600s under the watchful eye of race offers Steve Knowles and Jeremy Carter.

Despite the early season scheduling, the 10 strong fleet of locals and travellers was comprised of a small but elite selection of several form teams of the last year's Circuit, including the 2024 National champions, Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend, last year's Finale and National Circuit winners John Clementson and Mel Titmus, 2x event winners in 2024 Andrew and Tom Wilson and Colin and Lexie Goodman who have shown form at Arun and Blackwater.

Local heroes, Guy Marks and Sam Boniface - Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech - photo © Sarah Seddon

Snipe superstar helm Matthew Wolstenholme crewed by Mike Bryant was also competing. We also welcomed teams competing in their first event of the "2024 circuit": Scott Hamilton and Matthew Hodges and Bob Reynold and Graham Ditcham. In addition, as part of the event, the Nipegegi Trophy, kindly donated by the Hodshon family, was on offer for the first non-MK-IV classic Proctor Wayfarer.

The competition kicked off on the Saturday in a shifty 8-9 mph easterly with glorious sunshine. with the intent to complete four back-to-back races over a trapezoid course. This racetrack offered a shifty beat and a variety of reaches and runs. Clementson and Titmus laid down a marker for the weekend by taking over the lead after the first lap and claiming a well-deserved bullet, holding off the challenge of the Goodmans with Foxwell and Pygall taking third.

The racing was close across the tight course and shifty conditions, and this set the stage for a highly competitive weekend.

The events' leading teams in action - Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech - photo © Sarah Seddon

The second race of the day was a different story. This time McNamara and Townsend played the shifts extremely well and covered the local team of Marks and Boniface with Clementson and Titmus, despite a penalty turns, coming through to claim third. The Goodmans shot past Foxwell and Pygall to claim fourth setting themselves up well for the prestigious Nipegegi Trophy.

The racing was close as usual at Bough Beech and playing shifts and reacting to changes in wind direction downwind was key, with the usual pre-requisite of immaculate boat handling essential to hold onto hard gained positions.

The third race of the day had a familiar running order at the windward mark, with the event's leading protagonists all in attendance. However, a huge curve ball was created on one of the downwind legs where the wily Wayfarer campaigner, John Goudie (crewed by guest crew Lloyd Roberts) spotted wind, gybed early and charged into the leading group, disrupting to the status quo. Eventually overtaken by the seasoned teams of McNamara/Townsend and the Wilsons, they eventually finished fifth but a great move all the same.

Moving onto the final race of the day, Marks and Boniface, clearly enjoying the conditions completed a Bough Beech horizon job, pulling well ahead and an extending a lead over every leg for the duration of the race. The Goodmans fought past McNamara and Townsend to take runners up spot and Clementson and Timus came through for fourth.

This gave a hint of the final rankings for the event overall, with McNamara and Townsend leading overnight by a point from Marks and Boniface, with Clementson and Titmus in third and the Goodmans in fourth.

The fleet regathered ashore which much talk of the Goudie/Roberts move in race 3. Some competitors stayed for a fantastic meal supplied at the club by Andy and his catering team.

Day 2 has similar great sunshine and a similar 9-11 mph easterly to the day before. Only two races were scheduled but crucially a second discard was on offer for the competitors that was a first for this series where normally four or five races area sailed. The advantages of sailing with the RS600s! The course was kept as a trapezoid which did present an opportunity to experience every point of sail in the shifty wind.

Clementson and Titmus, fresh from a close second place in the recent Icicle series at Bough Beech in that event's conventional fleet, showed some inland water class and vanquished the fleet in the first race of the day. They shot off on port rapidly after the start, played the shifts and accelerated away downwind. Critically, McNamara and Townsend got the better of the Goodmans to take the runners up spot. Marks and Boniface saw off the Wilsons and Foxwell/Pygall to take fourth.

Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend showing the way - Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech - photo © Sarah Seddon

The last race was going to be decisive overall in terms of the overall event. Clementson and Titmus knew it was "win or bust" and eventually pulled into a slight lead of a leading three with McNamara/Townsend and Mark/Boniface. A major shift on one of the beats had allowed Foxwell/Pygall to claim "the best of the rest" crown briefly but they were eventually overtaken by the Wilsons, who claimed fourth in the race and fifth overall for the regatta.

Clementson/Titmus and McNamara/Townsend eventually created some space to battle it out over the last few legs for the event overall. Clementson and Timus had the lead around the final leeward mark, but McNamara/Townsend tacked early for the line and then attempted a dramatic undertake. The two boats crossed the line together which ended the event with high drama!

Overall, Michael and Simon had snatched a close victory from John and Mel by the closest of margins, with the series going down to the last few metres of the last beat of the last race. Incredible racing and credit to both these teams who demonstrated quality inland sailing in testing conditions! Guy and Sam had a great and consistent series as well and claimed the bragging rights of first Bough Beech boat and were just behind in third.

These teams, plus Colin and Lexie, demonstrated great consistency in the glorious but challenging conditions. Mike Mac took the opportunity to thank Bough Beech Sailing Club, including the race and shore-based teams for laying on an excellent event once again for the grateful Wayfarer fleet.

As this was the delayed final Wayfarer open meeting of 2024 season for the fleet there was an opportunity to recognise the achievements of the fleet over the full year on the circuit. This included the Craftinsure National Circuit winners; Andrew and Tom/Martin Wilson who triumphed at two events, were runners-up in another and completed their scores with a fourth. The Travellers Trophy for the lowest total score across all the events was comfortably won by Guy and Sam Boniface, winning the trophy for the first time.

2024 National Circuit winners, Andrew and Tom Wilson - Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech - photo © Sarah Seddon

There was also an opportunity to acknowledge the considerable support four major sponsors of the class: Craftinsure, Hartley Boats, McNamara Sails and Allen Brothers. Their support has been fantastic over the course of the season.

The winners for the Craftinsure Travellers Trophy (all events to count) were as follows:

• Guy Marks and Sam Boniface, Wayfarer 11120

The Top 4 for the National Circuit (four events to count but to include one freshwater and one saltwater event to count) were are follows:

• 1st Andrew and Tom/Martin Wilson - Winners at Datchet, Arun and second at Shoreham
• 2nd Ian Foxwell and Sam Pygall - Winners at Shoreham, Second at Paignton, 3rd at Aldebugh
• 3rd Guy Marks and Sam Boniface - Winners at Aldeburgh and 3rd at Arun, Datchet and Bough Beech
• 4th Colin and Lexie Goodman - 2nd at Arun and 2nd at Blackwater

Honourable mentions:

• Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend winners at Paignton and Bough Beech, 3rd at Shoreham
• John Clementson and Mel Titmus - 2nd at Bough Beech and 5th at Paignton

Overall, 48 boats took part in the Craftinsure UK Wayfarer Association (UKWA) circuit over the course of the 2024 season and across the wide variety of inland and saltwater venues. The Wayfarers now look forward to a short break before resuming with the start of the circuit on the 5-6th April 2025 at Datchet Water Sailing Club. We also have an exciting Nationals planned at Shoreham Sailing Club (4-7 September 2025) and an International Championship to be hosted in Denmark in August 2025. Hope to see you there!

Nipegegi Trophy winners, Colin and Lexie Goodman - Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech - photo © Sarah Seddon

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