Gill Xtremity 420 Inland Championships 2025 at Rutland Sailing Club

Gill Xtremity 420 Inland Championships at Rutland © 420 GBR class

Rutland Water played host to the highly anticipated GBR 420 Class Inland Championships this past weekend, where the UK's most promising youth sailing talents converged for two days of tactical racing and fierce competition.

The event, held at Rutland Sailing Club, saw 28 teams battle for supremacy in this crucial stop on the 420 class calendar.

Challenging Inland Conditions

Rutland Water's infamous shifty winds lived up to their reputation, providing a stern test for competitors. Day one delivered moderate northeasterly breezes of 8-12 knots with frequent 30-degree shifts that kept teams constantly adjusting and reassessing their strategy. Day two introduced slightly stronger conditions with 10-14 knots, allowing the more athletic crews to showcase their trapezing skills.

Race Officers Stoggs and Antonio managed to complete the full schedule of seven races across the weekend.

The championships showcased remarkable talent across the fleet, with particularly tight racing at the front. The team of William Fletcher and Matthew Rayner emerged as overall champions, demonstrating exceptional consistency with no finish outside the top five across all races. Their upwind speed in the shifty conditions proved decisive, particularly during the challenging middle races on day one.

Boats in second and third finished on equal points adding to the final day excitement. Two day 1 bullet finishes gave the second place to mixed pairing of Joe Jones and Hennie Burlton, who mounted a serious challenge on day one but couldn't quite overcome their more inconsistent results from the second day. The duo showed formidable upwind decision making, especially in the gusting conditions of Saturday morning. Completing the top trio were Harry George and Ralph Cawthorne missing out on the silver by 1 bullet compared to the 2 of Joe and Hennie. This pairing, notorious for their downwind speed, had some good starts and gains on their upwinds.

The top placed all female boat of India Eastwood and Isla Fletcher finished fourth overall. A consistent weekend with many moments of leading the fleet ensured their success in this category.

Youth Development on Display

The event highlighted the strength of the UK's 420 development pathway, with several graduates from the junior classes posting impressive championship results. The U17 top prize went to a new pairing of Sebby Bailey and Tom Eastwood, narrowly beating Pippa Shepherd and Lauren Mecklenburgh.

Particularly noteworthy was the performance of first time team of Hugh Walker and William Keys-Batson in their first ever 420 event.

GBR 420 Class Association Chair, Gareth Greenfield, expressed satisfaction with the technical standard on display: "What we're seeing is the result of our structured winter training program really paying dividends. The level of boat handling and tactical awareness has notably improved across the entire fleet."

The event marked another successful championship hosted by Rutland Sailing Club, with the added extra of a sailor social event on the Saturday evening. The fancy dress theme of UK icons led to costumes ranging from the Spice Girls to Peaky Blinders. Well done to the team of Bananas in Pyjamas for winning 'the most creative' prize.

Looking Ahead to Selection Events

For many teams, the Inland Championships represented the first selection event that will determine GBR representatives at the World and European Championships in the summer of 2025. The second selection event takes place at the Royal Southern Yacht club in two weeks' time with the final event in the series being the RYA Youth Nationals in Pwllheli. The race for selection remains wide open, though this weekend's top performers have certainly established themselves as the crews to beat.

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Overall Results: