Kippford Week 2024 at Solway Yacht Club - big waves and at least some sunny sailing
by Ian Purkis 12 Aug 19:16 NZST
3-8 August 2024
Club Commodore Scott McColm on the crest of a wave at some speed in his Finn during Kippford Week © Richard Bishop
As with the Solway Yacht Club's Cadet Week a fortnight ago, the Kippford RNLI Regatta and the main Kippford Week were brought forward by a couple of days, enforced by this year's tide times. A mixed forecast of sun, rain and wind promised very varied conditions all week, while competitors were arriving from many parts of the UK, joining local club members.
First off, the RNLI Regatta Race was again well supported with a variety of over thirty boats on the start line, accompanied by the Kippford lifeboat out in the Urr estuary.
Split into four fleets, the fast and medium handicap boats started together, followed by the slow handicap dinghies. Finally, the Flying Fifteen keelboats and larger cruising yachts started, the latter heading for their courses further offshore. With the sun shining, the racing dinghies enjoyed breezy conditions within the partial shelter of the estuary, further out the stronger winds were making for exciting sailing for the Flying Fifteens and yachts. As is the long-established Club tradition, all entry fees for the race were donated to our local RNLI.
Overall Results:
Flying Fifteens
1st Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne
2nd Scott Train and Anne Stewart
3rd Andrew Johnston and Anna Milne
4th Ian Purkis and Peter Lee
Cruisers
1st Fiona and Gordon Blandford (Hawk 20)
2nd John Searle, Gareth Jones & Andrew Bodenham (Pegasus 800)
3rd Richard Carson, Iain Coke and Harry Carson (Hawk 20)
4th Ronnie Coutts and Mark Harris (Sadler 29)
5th Robert Dinwiddie and crew (Hunter 20)
Fast Handicap (HCP1)
1st Stewart Mitchell (Finn)
2nd Keith Veasey (Finn)
3rd Katie and Finn Harris (RS200)
4th Scott McColm (Finn)
5th Ian Holden and Nicola Nelson (RS400)
6th Alexander Noble and Huw Williams (Dart 18)
7th James Bishop and Alex Lammie (Fireball)
8th Matthew Murray-Downing and Gavin Downing (B14)
Medium Handicap (HCP2)
1st Simon Wilson (ILCA6)
2nd John Broadbent and Louise Allan (GP14)
3rd Finlay Train (ILCA6)
4th Iain Briggs (ILCA7)
5th Anna Griffin (ILCA6)
6th Mark Lewis and Nathan Flaherty (GP14)
7th Hamish MacDonald (ILCA6)
8th Mhairi MacDonald (ILCA6)
9th Emma Lane (ILCA6)
Slow Handicap (HCP3)
1st Toby Iglehart (ILCA4)
2nd Alex and Olivia Cleaver (Firefly)
3rd Stewart Biggar (ILCA4)
4th Sally and Hamish Mackay (Mirror)
5th Joe Barnes and Beatrice Overend (Miracle)
6th Elise Reilly and Ida Iglehart (RS Feva XL)
7th Lucy Leyshon and Hannah O'Dwyer (RS Feva XL)
8th James Colbeck (ILCA4)
Kippford Week
The next day, Sunday and the race series scheduled for the following five days got under way. With more wind and overcast skies than during the Regatta race, it was going to get exciting. Several boat and crew changes made for an expanded fleet with most making it safely out into the bay and into the starting area. First off were the fast and medium handicap fleets, (HCP 1&2) followed by the slow handicap (HCP3), and finally the Flying Fifteen and cruiser fleet.
Before long the wind increased, and things got tricky. In the Flying Fifteen fleet out in the Solway, Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne were giving a masterly display of high-speed control in big waves and breaking water. Further back Scott Train and Anne Stewart were giving chase, but the Andrew Johnston/Anna Milne crew were in difficulty forcing an early retirement. John Sproat and Steve Gaughan were still in the hunt while Ian Purkis and Peter Lee, in only their second race in this class, were battling on into a distant fourth.
In the bay, Stewart Mitchell showed his mastery of the Finn class while Club Commodore Scott McColm, in another Finn, suffered a broken mast, one of multiple retirements. Andrew and Liz Bell (Albacore) came a strong second with Ian Holden and Nicola Nelson (RS400) finishing third. Hamish & Sally Mackay (Laser 2000) took the HCP2 fleet while in HCP3, Cadet Champion Toby Iglehart was making winning look easy with Stewart Biggar second, both in ILCA4 boats. Lucy Leyshon and Hannah O'Dwyer finished third in their RS Feva XL. In the end, results showed that fewer than half the competitors finished with safety boats kept busy all day.
Day two of the series had a forecast of even stronger winds and foul weather, leaving the Race Committee, expertly led by PRO Lindsay Tosh, no option but to cancel all racing for the day. Taking shelter in the Clubhouse, competitors scanned the internet to follow the Olympic sailing in Marseille; contrasting fortunes as they suffered repeated cancellations due to lack of wind.
Tuesday and a better forecast promised good racing, but it was not to be. Sea conditions, if anything, became more difficult, and increasing winds caused one of the first casualties. Out in the Solway, South of Hestan Island, the Sproat/Gaughan Flying Fifteen suffered serious hull damaged and was forced into retirement with urgent help needed from the safety boats. The crew returned safe and unharmed, but it was the end of their Kippford Week. Filer and Gascoigne continued their dominance in their modern Flying Fifteen, flying their spinnaker downwind, while other crews kept theirs stowed.
In the bay, conditions at last allowed the Race Committee to run two races. Wind and waves from further out still made conditions tricky but in HCP1 Stewart Mitchell's Finn and the Bell's Albacore again took first and second with Graham Young now up to third in his RS Aero. The HCP2 fleet win also went again to the Mackay 2000 while Toby Iglehart notched up another win in HCP3
Day 4 and another forecast of strong winds, exceeding what the Race committee assessed as being safe for racing. Very reluctantly another sailing day cancelled but by way of some consolation, highly competitive games of table tennis and pool were organised in the clubhouse.
The fifth and final day, and despite another poor forecast, the worst held off to allow one short race to round off the week. The evening prize-giving had all the winners presented with their trophies and prizes. The Club's prestigious "Prince of Wales" Trophy, awarded for the outstanding performance, had proved impossible to be judged as, most unusually, in four of the fleets, the winners had all won every single race in the series. As a result, all four were jointly awarded the trophy, much to the approval of all present. Best boat award went to Andrew and Liz Bell for their beautiful and immaculate Albacore.
Club Commodore, Scott McColm then particularly thanked everyone who competed, served in safety boats, on the pier or on the Committee boat for persevering in difficult and often challenging conditions. Special mention was made by the Cadet Officer, Jo Harris, of the twelve Club Cadets competing, recognising their success alongside the adults and how proud she was of their achievements. Big thanks also went to all the volunteers serving in both the galley and the bar. The evening was rounded off with another great "End of Kippford Week party and Ceilidh", one of several social events making for a superb week on and off the water.
Overall Results:
Flying Fifteens
1st Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne
2nd Scott Train and Anne Stewart
3rd Ian Purkis and Peter Lee
4th Andrew Johnston and Anna Milne
5th John Sproat and Stephen Gaughan
Cruisers
1st John Searle / Gareth Jones / Andrew Bodenham (Pegasus 800)
2nd Richard Carson / Iain Coke / Harry Carson (Hawk 20)
3rd Ronnie Coutts / Mark Harris (Sadler 29)
4th Fiona and Gordon Blandford (Hawk 20)
Fast handicap (HCP1)
1st Stewart Mitchell (Finn)
2nd Andrew and Liz Bell (Albacore)
3rd James Bishop and Alex Lammie (Fireball)
4th Ian Holden and Nicola Nelson (RS400)
5th Katie Harris and Tamsin Wallace (RS200)
6th Keith Veasey (Finn)
7th Finlay Train and Nicola McColm (RS400)
8th Graham Young (RS Aero 7)
9th Matthew Murray-Downing and Gavin Downing (B14)
10th Scott McColm (Finn)
11th Ellie Young and Claire Stewart (RS200)
12th Douglas Dinwiddie and Pippa Benson (RS400)
13th Ellie Rowand and Lilli Bell (Fireball)
Medium Handicap (HCP2)
1st Hamish and Sally Mackay (2000)
2nd Stephen Brisley (ILCA6)
3rd Simon Wilson (ILCA6)
4th Anna Griffin (ILCA6)
5th Emma Lane (ILCA6)
6th Mark Lewis and Nathan Flaherty (GP14)
7th Ian and Jenny Dinwiddie (Enterprise)
8th Finn Harris (ILCA6)
9th Ian Briggs (ILCA7)
10th Hamish MacDonald (ILCA6)
Slow Handicap (HCP3)
1st Toby Iglehart (ILCA4)
2nd Lucy Leyshon and Hannah O'Dwyer (RS Feva XL)
3rd James Colbeck (ILCA4)
4th Beatrice Overend and Joe Barnes (Miracle)
5th Elise Reilly and Ida Iglehart (RS Feva XL)
6th Frazer McFadzean (Topper)
7th Stewart Biggar (ILCA4)