2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA

by Matilda Nicholls 19 Mar 18:51 GMT 15-16 March 2025

It was a frosty but fierce start to the first UK ILCA National Open of 2025. A whopping 90 competitors turned up in the ILCA 6 fleet, braving the elements for a weekend of intense racing.

The forecast delivered some great sailing conditions, 12-18 knots from the Northeast, plenty of sunshine - but let's not forget the small (yet bone-chilling) caveat...it may have looked like spring, but with a wind chill of -2 degreesC, it felt more like an arctic expedition. Still, that wasn't going to stop these sailors from hitting the water!

2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Chaos? No Thanks, Let's Talk Fleets

Now, cramming 90 ILCA 6s onto a single start line? That's a recipe for general recall mayhem! So, to keep things competitive but controlled, the fleet was split into four groups based on National rankings. A small twist to the weekend's format meant that sailors faced different fleets throughout the three races on Day 1 with Yellow vs Blue, Red vs Green in Race 1; Yellow vs Red, Blue vs Green in Race 2; and Blue vs Red, Yellow vs Green in Race 3. This mix-and-match setup kept competitors on their toes and added to the excitement of figuring out who their key rivals would be in each race.

2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA - photo © Steven Angell

Game On: Day 1 Racing Kicks Off

With a few jumping jacks and some enthusiastic arm-swinging to fend off frostbite, the fleet launched into battle. Tom Rawlings wasted no time in setting the pace, rounding Mark 1 in pole position but hot on his heels were British Sailing Team athletes Daisy Collingridge and Matilda Nicholls, alongside British Sailing Squad's Molly Sacker. Having spent the winter training in balmier climates, the return to UK waters was a shock to the system but the girls didn't let a little frost get in the way of some top-tier racing.

It's always a privilege for the full-time ILCA 6 athletes to return home to such a competitive and ambitious fleet, and this weekend was no exception. From fresh-faced newcomers to seasoned ILCA 6 legends (yes, we see you, Jon Emmett!), the event showcased the strength and depth of UK talent. Special shoutouts go to Carys Attwell, who claimed her first UK National Open win in Race 2, and Corneille LePrince, who qualified for his first-ever Gold Fleet - huge milestones for both sailors!

2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA - photo © Steven Angell

Day 2: The Snakes and Ladders Begin

With Day 1's results in the books, the fleet split into Gold and Silver for Sunday's showdown. The conditions mirrored Saturday, windy but shifty enough to keep sailors focused on those all-important compass numbers. Tactical sailing was key, and those who could read the shifts best made their way up the ranks.

The Youth Boys category saw some fierce duels, with Tom Hakes consistently placing inside the top 10 to secure a 6th place finish overall. But it was Leo Yates who triumphed the Youth Boys, finishing an impressive 4th overall. Meanwhile, in the Youth Girls, Jess Powell announced her arrival in the ILCA 6 fleet in dominant fashion - transitioning from ILCA 4 champion to ILCA 6 powerhouse with a category win in her first National Open!

2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

The Overall Standings

At the top of the overall leaderboard, it was a British Sailing Team podium. Matilda Nicholls claimed victory, with Hannah Snellgrove in second and Daisy Collingridge in third. A huge congratulations to all the sailors who competed, and a massive thank you to the ILCA UK Race Officials and Organising Committee for keeping everything running seamlessly. Thanks also to WPNSA for hosting us and to SailingFast for sponsoring the weekend.

Now, time to defrost and get ready to do it all over again next weekend!

2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

ILCAUK - Thanks to the event sponsors, particularly Sailingfast for their support and Noble Marine as both the series and class sponsor. Next weekend, 22nd-23rd March, Rooster will take on the role of event sponsor at WPNSA.

Series and Event Sponsors: Noble Marine, Sailingfast, Rooster, Ovington Boats, Trac Trac, Tideway Wealth.

Overall Results:

Pos	Initial Flight	Nat	Sail No	Helm	Club	Category	Gender	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
Gold Finals Flight
1st	Blue	GBR	225217	Matilda Nicholls	Aldeburgh Yacht Club	A	Female	1	1	1	3	‑6	1	7
2nd	Green	GBR	221586	Hannah Snellgrove	Lymington Town SC	AM	Female	1	2	4	2	(BFD)	2	11
3rd	Yellow	GBR	221584	Daisy Collingridge	Waldringfield SC	A	Female	4	3	1	1	‑10	10	19
4th	Green	GBR	221490	Leo Yates	Island Barn SC	U19	Male	6	4	2	5	2	‑14	19
5th	Yellow	GBR	151111	Molly Sacker	BOSSC	A	Female	3	4	3	8	7	‑16	25
6th	Red	GBR	212405	Tom Hakes	Parkstone Yacht Club	U19	Male	‑15	8	2	6	3	7	26
7th	Green	GBR	221318	Toby Waggett	Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club	U17	Male	4	6	5	‑13	5	6	26
8th	Red	GBR	216115	Jon Emmett	Castle Cove SC	M	Male	3	2	5	9	8	‑24	27
9th	Green	GBR	201872	Hugh Andrews	Blackwater SC	U19	Male	2	14	6	7	1	‑17	30
10th	Red	GBR	224954	Olly Mayo	Yarmouth SC	U17	Male	10	6	4	‑16	9	3	32
11th	Yellow	GBR	221327	Tom Rawlings	Lyme Regis Sailing Club	U19	Male	2	7	10	‑18	12	9	40
12th	Blue	GBR	221854	Charlotte Videlo	Frensham Pond SC / Stokes Bay SC	A	Female	8	8	6	‑14	14	5	41
13th	Blue	GBR	222541	Ralph Musto	Corinthian Otters	U19	Male	5	5	3	19	11	‑30	43
14th	Green	BER	225760	Adriana Penruddocke	RBYC	A	Female	5	3	8	10	20	‑23	46
15th	Blue	GBR	224685	Lewis Bacon	Leigh and Lowton	U19	Male	9	11	12	11	‑13	4	47
16th	Yellow	GBR	224969	Freddie Sunderland	Draycote Water	U19	Male	6	9	9	22	4	‑26	50
17th	Yellow	GBR	224336	Nathan Russell	RHYC	U19	Male	7	11	20	12	16	(UFD)	66
18th	Red	GBR	220097	Oscar Bartlett	Hayling Island	U17	Male	12	12	8	20	‑24	15	67
19th	Blue	GBR	219391	Ruairi Herrington	Largs Sailing Club	U19	Male	10	15	14	17	‑34	13	69
20th	Green	GBR	223088	Iris Singleton	Draycote Water SC	A	Female	14	12	11	15	17	‑18	69
21st	Red	GBR	218860	Jon Gay	Lochaber Yacht Club	M	Male	11	13	13	21	‑37	21	79
22nd	Green	GBR	221583	Freddie Maclaverty	RWBSWC	U19	Male	9	(DNC)	7	26	27	11	80
23rd	Green	GBR	224683	Finlay Cochrane	Yorkshire Dales	U17	Male	16	10	14	25	15	‑37	80
24th	Yellow	GBR	225346	Coco Barrett	Island Barn Reservoir SC	A	Female	13	17	13	‑31	21	27	91
25th	Blue	GBR	224752	Millie Lewis	Medway YC	U21	Female	18	13	19	‑28	22	20	92
26th	Red	GBR	225216	Carys Attwell	Rutland SC	U21	Female	21	1	DNC	4	19	(DNC)	93
27th	Blue	GBR	225211	Billy Morris	Delph Sailing Club	U19	Male	17	18	9	32	18	‑34	94
28th	Red	GBR	211078	Jessica Powell	Draycote Water Sailing Club	U17	Female	18	16	17	‑41	25	19	95
29th	Green	GBR	221789	Tate Kump	Itchenor	U19	Male	7	9	30	30	‑35	22	98
30th	Blue	CHI	199268	Maria Jose Poncell Maurin	CNPR	AM	Female	12	7	11	36	33	‑40	99
31st	Yellow	GBR	224541	Megan Thomson	Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club	U21	Female	14	22	12	27	‑36	25	100
32nd	Red	GBR	215317	Julien Rohart	Oxford Sailing Club	U19	Male	25	14	10	(SCP)	26	29	104
33rd	Yellow	GBR	223072	Cameron McDaid	Largs Sailing Club	U19	Male	11	21	27	24	23	‑32	106
34th	Blue	GBR	212943	Monty Desforges	Guernsey Yacht Club	U19	Male	24	20	21	37	‑39	8	110
35th	Green	GBR	224549	Lauren Irons	Papercourt SC / Island Barn RSC	U19	Female	30	23	18	‑42	28	12	111
36th	Yellow	GBR	176848	Nathan Clark	Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club	U19	Male	15	19	15	39	29	‑41	117
37th	Yellow	GBR	225661	Flo Tovey	Mumbles YC / TATA	U19	Female	19	18	17	‑33	31	33	118
38th	Red	GBR	222775	Samson Cross	Shoreham	U19	Male	13	15	(UFD)	23	30	38	119
39th	Red	GBR	215685	Ben Anderson	Gurnard Sailing Club	U17	Male	8	10	23	40	(DNC)	DNC	130
40th	Blue	GBR	217000	Gretel Haines	Gurnard Sailing Club	U19	Female	16	24	22	38	(BFD)	36	136
41st	Blue	GBR	210220	Mortimer Mastin	dabchicks	U17	Male	27	21	15	‑45	32	42	137
42nd	Blue	GBR	219090	Corneille Leprince	King George Sailing Club	U19	Male	26	19	16	‑46	42	35	138
43rd	Green	GBR	176385	Harry Wemyss	Hickling Broad SC/Snowflakes SC/GYGSC/NB	U21	Male	17	34	21	‑43	40	28	140
44th	Yellow	GBR	223089	Jessica Watson	Guernsey Yacht Club	U19	Female	22	30	19	‑44	38	31	140
45th	Blue	IRL	223326	Cormac Byrne	Ballyholme Yacht Club	U19	Male	23	17	7	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	145
46th	Red	GBR	213540	Lucas Symons	Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club	U19	Male	22	20	25	‑47	41	39	147
47th	Red	GBR	212400	Will Hakes	Parkstone Yacht Club	U17	Male	23	23	18	35	(DNC)	DNC	148
48th	Red	GBR	223957	Poppy Luxton	Restronguet SC	U21	Female	19	5	UFD	29	(DNC)	DNC	150
Silver Finals Flight
49th	Yellow	GBR	219358	Dan Powell	Cardiff Bay YC	U19	Male	20	‑36	32	4	1	3	60
50th	Green	GBR	213052	Isla Todd	Island Barn Reservoir SC	U17	Female	‑33	28	23	2	9	1	63
51st	Green	GBR	216298	Steffan Williams	New Quay Yacht Club	U17	Male	24	31	‑33	6	5	2	68
52nd	Green	GBR	224699	Lauren Attwell	Rutland SC	U19	Female	‑39	16	29	18	2	4	69
53rd	Red	GBR	219798	Will Taylor	Delph SC	U17	Male	‑29	25	20	9	6	16	76
54th	Green	GBR	224288	Yanis Pop	Clubul Sportul Studentesc	U19	Male	‑31	27	26	10	4	12	79
55th	Red	GBR	218865	Maia Delin	WPNSA	U19	Female	20	26	‑27	13	8	17	84
56th	Green	GBR	213644	Sam Romer	Parkstone YC	U19	Male	‑38	29	22	3	20	11	85
57th	Green	GBR	223085	Felicity Angell	Draycote Water Sailing Club	U19	Female	‑35	26	31	12	10	7	86
58th	Red	GBR	192844	Tom Yates	Gurnard Sailing Club	U19	Male	‑32	24	24	7	11	21	87
59th	Green	GBR	226295	Ethan Wild	Ripon Sailing Club	U19	Male	26	25	‑34	8	7	23	89
60th	Red	GBR	221319	Edward Roberts‑Straw	CBYC	U19	Male	‑34	32	26	5	17	13	93
61st	Blue	HKG	221934	Samuel Tan‑Hardy	Royal Hospital School	U19	Male	25	22	(DNC)	1	3	DNC	94
62nd	Green	GBR	204005	Max Guiguet‑Belcher	KGSC	U19	Male	‑36	32	25	17	12	8	94
63rd	Blue	GBR	210232	William Le Grice	Warsash SC	U17	Male	33	‑37	28	11	15	24	111
64th	Green	GBR	223826	Sara Goujon	Hunts Sailing Club	U19	Female	28	‑36	28	22	26	10	114
65th	Yellow	GBR	212233	Amelia Nuttall	Neyland Yacht Club	U17	Female	28	35	‑37	24	14	18	119
66th	Yellow	GBR	222773	Bronwen Thomas	PPSA	U19	Female	21	27	(DNC)	16	13	DNC	120
67th	Red	GBR	221801	Mathilde Phillipps	Snettisham Beach	U19	Female	‑44	29	31	25	23	15	123
68th	Yellow	GBR	213611	Tristan Somerville	Helensburgh	U17	Male	31	‑34	24	27	19	25	126
69th	Yellow	GBR	206428	Sebastian Sitton	Warsash Sailing Club	U17	Male	36	28	‑38	33	22	9	128
70th	Green	GBR	213140	Katherine Gunn	Notts County SC / Draycote Academy	U19	Female	42	‑43	36	30	16	5	129
71st	Red	GBR	223452	Kieran Vanhoutte	Ely Sailing Club	U19	Male	‑43	41	30	20	24	14	129
72nd	Yellow	GBR	204210	Abbey Penny	Royal Hospital School	U19	Female	29	38	(DNC)	26	18	22	133
73rd	Yellow	GBR	185702	Eva Farnell	Largs Sailing Club	U19	Female	34	37	‑41	19	27	19	136
74th	Yellow	GBR	222765	Wilf Tovey	Mumbles / TATA	U17	Male	32	‑40	35	14	32	26	139
75th	Green	GBR	221800	Theo Whiter	Starcross YC	U19	Male	(DNC)	40	40	29	28	6	143
76th	Blue	GBR	218694	Seb Davies	Warsash SC	U19	Male	30	30	32	15	(DNC)	DNC	150
77th	Red	GBR	221813	Amelia Gilboy	Paignton sailing club/ Saltash sailing c	U19	Female	40	33	(DNC)	32	25	20	150
78th	Green	GBR	218432	Honor Procter	Cardiff Bay YC	U21	Female	27	33	16	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	162
79th	Blue	GBR	216373	Jack Wright	Llandegfedd	U19	Male	‑39	38	29	36	31	29	163
80th	Blue	GBR	218986	William Brown	Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club	U19	Male	35	41	36	23	29	(DNC)	164
81st	Green	CAY	221575	Lyndon Pickering	Royal Hospital School	U19	Male	41	35	39	34	21	(DNC)	170
82nd	Yellow	GBR	217048	George Davies	CBYC	U17	Male	40	‑42	42	28	35	27	172
83rd	Blue	FRA	198290	Nicolas Rohart	Oxford Sailing Club	M	Male	42	‑44	37	31	33	28	174
84th	Red	GBR	184840	Lottie Eyre	Poole YC	U19	Female	‑45	39	33	21	DNC	DNC	179
85th	Red	GBR	185722	Finlay Todd	Island Barn Reservoir SC	U19	Male	‑46	43	35	39	36	31	184
86th	Blue	GBR	199777	Nicholas O'Doherty‑Veru	Bough Beech sailing club	U17	Male	37	(DNC)	DNC	38	34	30	187
87th	Blue	GBR	85271	Harry Baldwin	King George SC	U17	Male	38	42	(UFD)	35	30	UFD	188
88th	Blue	GBR	167590	Keali Rhodes	Draycote sailing club	U19	Female	41	39	34	37	(DNC)	DNC	194
89th	Red	GBR	218940	Christopher Kilshaw	Reading Sailing Club	M	Male	37	31	(UFD)	DNC	DNC	DNC	197
90th	Yellow	GBR	219908	Joseph Samuel	King George Sailing Club	U17	Male	43	(DNC)	43	40	37	DNC	206