The 2022 Setley Cup

Hundreds turned out on a lovely azure morning in Lymington for this annual Boxing Day regatta, second only on the day to the Sydney Hobart Race. Grizzled gramps to babes in arms, founding fathers to next generation naval architects. The crowds massed the natural amphitheatre of the Setley Pond herded in by New Forest Ponies who had earlier been recycling the waters.

Setley Cup 2022 - photo © Paul French

Ably organised by Emma McEwen, the regatta quickly started. The entrants were so numerous, upward of 60 boats, so that 3 rounds of 5 flights were run to produce the finalists. Monohulls aplenty but the multihulls are a growing class. Carbon fibre, GRP, wood, tin cans and plastic bottles. Sails made of anything from garbage bags to paper and tape. A growing area of naval architecture for this ground breaking forum is the recycling of plastic bottles, a trend that should accelerate in our need to halt climate change.

Setley Cup 2022 - photo © Paul French

The Race Officer, Roy Froud laid a very clever course bearing in mind these craft had minimal control, the finish line was longer than the course. A one way reach but the subtlety was where to launch. The wind veered on the right side and backed on the left side which left those boats heading at right angle to the course. The rhumb line offered the best chance of hitting the extended finish line. In fact, there were some marvellous tortoise performances in some of the races, they plodded on whilst hares pleased the crowds but went nowhere near the finish line. By the way another area of study is the ability of some boats to sail as well backwards as forwards.

Mention must be made of the BS (Boat Saviours) Kate Wharmby and Abby Hire in the rowing dinghy, they salvaged more boats in a day than any rescue craft in history!

Setley Cup 2022 - photo © Peter Ryley

The racing itself was fast, furious, very slow, backwards, sidewise, capsized, crashed and unpredictable however there were results and congratulation should go to all for making another Christmas Day recovery event work its magic.

For only the second time in its 40 year history, the Setley Cup (for monohulls) and the Seahorse Trophy (for multihulls) were won by the same family; very well done to Saskia and Rafferty Kilgour with their fine craft HMS Sassy and Dude.

Setley Cup 2022 - Prize Winners - photo © Paul French

Thank you to Forestry England for giving us permission to run the event and to The Solent Radio Controlled Model Boat Club, The Royal Lymington Yacht Club and all the wonderful volunteers who make the Setley Cup possible each Boxing Day.

2022 Setley Cup Results:

Monohulls (36 entries)

Winner of the Setley Cup and first monohull: Sail No15, HMS Sassy, skipper: Saskia Kilgour

Multihulls (27 entries)

Winner of the Seahorse Trophy and 1st Multihull: #32, Dude, skipper: Rafferty Kilgour