OK class in the Magic Marine Daffodil Regatta 2025 at Ullswater Yacht Club

Simon Fay leads Rupert Smith off the line - Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

A dozen OKs turned up at Ullswater for the annual Daffodil Regatta, this year sponsored by Magic Marine and also being run as part of the SailRacer Summer challenge. It was especially encouraging to see several new faces join the fleet, Matthew Winder from Morecombe and Daz Prior who came all the way up from Hayling Island to take part.

The OKs were racing on the B course directly opposite the UYC clubhouse along with the non-asymmetric handicap fleet who started first with the OKs 5 minutes afterwards. The courses were triangle-sausage and all boats carried GPS tracking units strapped to the mast to record the racing. For a fuller report including links to rewatch the racing via the GPS tracking, please go to our Substack report.

Race 1

After a clean start, the fleet split left and right, but at the first mark it was Chris Turner with Matthew Webb right on his tail, closely followed by Mike McMillan and Adam Savage. While Webb nearly managed to get the inside overlap at the gybe mark, Turner held clear with Turner and Webb extending their lead down to the leeward mark, followed by a bunch consisting of McMillan, Savage, Clark, Robertson and Prior. Behind them was another tight bumch with Rupert Smith leading from Matthew Winder sailing his first OK event, Chris Baines, Sarah Meyer and Simon Fay.

After a long hour of racing, Turner held onto win from Webb, with Mike McMillan taking the third place.

Chris Turner port tacks the fleet - Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Race 2

A last minute wind shift, saw Turner pull off a textbook port tack flyer at the start crossing the fleet comfortably much to the annoyance of the others! Simon Fay nearly managed to do the same, but was just a little last and had to tack when the first of the starboard boats came down the line. With some of the favourites from race 1 buried in the pack, it was Bernard Clark who had gone right who came in comfortably ahead of the pack rounding a few boat lengths behind Turner.

At the second windward mark, Savage had pulled through ahead of Clark with Webb close behind. By the third windward Turner had pulled out a substantial lead over Savage, Webb had got past Clark with Robertson sneaking in ahead of McMillan. At the finish it was Turner followed by Savage with Webb third.

Race 3

At the first mark it was Webb from Savage and Turner down in third followed by Robertson and Clark. Newbies Daz Prior and Matthew Winder both had a great first beat to slot in ahead of McMillan. At the gybe mark Webb still lead, but Turner got ahead of Savage and Clark had overtaken Robertson. Once again Turner put the afterburners on to take the lead by the leeward mark to put himself into first, a place we would not relinquish.

At the second windward mark, Mike McMillan who had gone right while everyone else went centre right, came in ahead of both Robertson and Clark to move up into fourth. At the finish it was Turner from Webb and Savage in third.

With racing complete for the day, the tired fleets headed in for some refreshment and fish and chips from the excellent fish and chip van the club had brought in for the catering. Rumour has it that some of the OK fleet even went for seconds!

Sarah Meyer leads Simon Fay - Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Day 2

The second day of the regatta arrived with a very windy forecast, and those who had camped overnight knew just how windy it had gotten in the early hours. In the event it was not as bad as had been forecast, with the OK course benfitting from a degree of shelter compared to the western end of the lake where the skiffs were sailing.

Race 4

Race 4 got away on a fairly event line with Chris Baines right up there in the front row between Turner and Savage. Rupert Smith and McMillan tcaked off quickly to head right, followed shortly afterwards by Sarah Meyers and Baines. At the first mark it was really tight, with Adam Savage squeezing round ahead of Turner with Webb a few boatlengths back followed by Robertson, Clark, McMillan and Winder.

By the leeward mark, Turner had dropped back to third after going low on the second reach. Clark had over taken Robertson and rounded fourth with Mike McMillan, Matthew Winder and Chris Baines close behind.

At the second windward mark, Turner squeezed past Webb who head an unlucky header on the final approach with Savage close behind. Robertson had pulled up to pass Clark upwind along with McMillan who had leapfrogged a few boats by going right. At the finish it was Turner, Webb and Savage with Robertson holding off McMillan and Clark to take fourth.

Mike McMillan - Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Race 5

With a general recall being called (naughty OKs!), race 5 ended up being very short to keep in step with the handicap fleet. Turner, Webb and Savage piled in at the first mark with barely a gap between them, followed by Bernard Clark and Sarah Meyer who after an excellent start found the speed and shifts to nail the first beat. By the second windward mark, Turner had found an extra gear and shot off to extend his lead over Webb and Savage. Robertson who had been buried in the pack found some shifts to pull up to fourth ahead of McMillan and Clark.

At the leeward mark, McMillan sailed Robertson off to the left before gybing back in towards the mark. This let Clark through and dropped Robertson back after a tricky double gybe and mark rounding. At the finish, just 22minutes after starting it was Turner from Savage and Webb, with Clark in fourth.

Race 6

It was Simon Fay in his tin-rigged boat that led the fleet off the start line at the pin end and after a short beat it was Adam Savage who led round ahead of Turner and Robertson with Clark and Webb behind. Matthew Winder was also looking good coming in on port until he was forced to duck a string of starboard boats on the lay line. By the leeward mark Savage had held off the challenge from Turner with Webb getting past ahead of Clark who had himself got past Robertson.

On the second beat Savage maintained his lead over Turner and Webb with Robertson finding speed to round fourth. Turner showing his turn of speed downwind, went left on the run and got past Savage in time for the final beat to the finish with Webb coming in third. Just behind, Clark and Robertson were deemed to have had a photo finish so shared the points for fourth and fifth between them.

Race 7

With the skiff classes heading in some OKs (led by Robertson) thought it was all over after six races, but it was not. After being told there was one more race, some headed back out, but a few boats decided to pack up after the intensity of the three races so far in the day. At the start Chris Turner tried another port tack flyer, only to be blocked by Mike McMillan.

Turner however squeezed past the pin end and headed off left. He was in good shape at the first mark with the wind increasing and rounded ahead of Mike McMillan, Matthew Webb and Adam Savage. As a gust hit on the first reach, Savage accidentality went for full wild thing mode of no centreboard and no kicker and rolled into windward with a terrible shout and large splash. That was game over for him. After the triangle and sausage it was Turner who took his seventh win of the weekend from Webb and McMillan.

Overall winner, Chris Turner - Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Overall it had been a great weekend overall, seven good races and tight racing throughout the fleet in good winds that taxed the brain as well as the body. Chris Turner took a well deserved overall win with Matthew Webb, who is also relatively new to the class showing great reliable speed in all conditions to take second from Adam Savage in third. While the chocolates went to the top end of the fleet, everybody came away with smiles and aching legs along with their own tales of what went right and what went wrong.

The event also formed Part 1 of the Border Trophy, with Part 2 being held in June at North Berwick. With it being part of the National Ranking Grand Slam series and the majority of the fleet who attended this weekend at Ullswater hoping to attend North Bewick it's going to a great event to look forward to!

For more great photos from Tim Olin see www.flickr.com/photos/141388522@N05/albums/72177720325605046

Overall Results:

Matthew Webb and Adam Savage - Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk