2024 Mirror National Championship at Itchenor Sailing Club
by Chris Balding 17 Sep 02:35 NZST
23-26 August 2024
Itchenor last hosted the Mirror nationals in 2016. Up one of the rivers leading to Chichester harbour, the club provides a great venue to test the skills of the national fleet.
With a long history in Mirrors, ISC currently has 43 Mirrors in the dinghy park with 40+ attending their highly popular Junior Fortnight.
The Mirror Nationals 2024 (23rd to 26th August) included 3 days of racing during which the Race team coordinated 7 races in different winds and different states of tide plus a day of coaching and practice.
The fleet seems to be attracting a growing number of hotshots from other classes who see the opportunity to do great racing while their offspring eat sweets in the front of the boat! This year, at least half of the top ten included national, world or endeavour champions from other classes. Only one parent/child team in the top ten had swapped places with Alex Balding (10th) taking the helm from his dad.
Ben and Evelyn McGrane gave another masterclass in Mirror sailing over the weekend only dropping one race to Matt and Pippa Burge.
This year saw two wooden boats in the top ten and a variety of sail makers. Please see the Yachts and Yachting Gear guide for details.
The single handed trophy was hotly contested between Ron and Jewels Vass. The blustery conditions meant it was not ideal for single handers. Ron was greatful for some super woman heroics from Natasha Armstrong who leapt from her boat to help him right his, after a crash gybe sailing through finishing boats.
The team trophy was closely fought between Hayling Island (Dobson, Wincer and Carveth) and Netley (McGrane, Stewart and King). While initially awarded to HISC, a closer inspection of the results suggests Netly won. There may be some debate about the outcome but Netly conveniently left it at home so that is where it stays for now!
Poppy and Natasha Armstrong (West Kirby) are the Women's National Champions. Felix and Rupert Garlick (Itchenor) are the Youth National Champions.
The highly coveted Super Crew trophy (youngest to complete every race) was won by Evelyn McGrane.
The day before racing got going, the Mirror Class Association with support from the ISC Race team provided coaching and two coached practice races. Coaches included the current Southern, Eastern, Inland, National and World champion Ben McGrane plus ex World champion Chris Balding shouting at crews from RIBs. Coaching continued over the weekend with daily debriefs when possible.
The Mirror event calendar is growing each year. Still to come in 2024 is the Welsh then Scottish then Inland Championships. See Facebook or the Class Association website for further details.
Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Mirror nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here
| Pos | Fleet | BoatName | SailNo. | Helm | Crew | HomeClub | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Gold | Anna | 71038 | Ben McGrane | Evelyn McGrane | Netley SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑6 | 1 | 6 |
| 2nd | Gold | Marmalade | 71042 | Matthew McGovern | Lewis McGovern | South Staffs Sailing Club | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ‑7 | 2 | 5 | 18 |
| 3rd | Gold | Lightning | 71053 | Ian Dobson | Ted Dobson | HISC | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 3 | (RET) | 34 |
| 4th | Gold | Forget me knot | 70697 | Douglas Pattison | Jude Collier | Itchenor | 3 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 7 | ‑11 | 35 |
| 5th | Gold | Shelly | 70182 | James Date | Meris Date | Burghfield Sailing Clib | 9 | ‑15 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 38 |
| 6th | Gold | Revenge of the Smurfs | 70832 | James Stewart | Rhys Stewart | | ‑16 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 43 |
| 7th | Gold | Molly | 70085 | Matthew Burge | Pippa Burge | Poole YC | 6 | 4 | 10 | (DNS) | 2 | 1 | 23 | 46 |
| 8th | Gold | Carveth Mirror | 70556 | Geoff Carveth | Zac Carveth | HISC | 12 | ‑21 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 46 |
| 9th | Gold | Wave Catcher Too | 70922 | Toby Wincer | Molly Wincer | HISC | 5 | 14 | (RET) | 10 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 47 |
| 10th | Gold | YOLO | 70810 | Alex Balding | Chris Balding | Island Barn | 7 | 12 | 15 | 3 | 14 | ‑22 | 9 | 60 |
| 11th | Gold | Zoomy | 70967 | Paul Cullen | Will Larkin | Weirwood | ‑15 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 60 |
| 12th | Gold | Hummingbird | 70587 | Leighton King | Penny King | Netley Sailing Club | 13 | ‑22 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 8 | 65 |
| 13th | Bronze | X | 70922 | Katie Archer | Summer Greenland | HISC | 11 | 13 | 21 | (DNC) | 10 | 11 | 16 | 82 |
| 14th | Gold | Peer Pressure | 70714 | Felix Garlick | Rupert Garlick | Itchenor | 8 | 8 | 12 | 21 | ‑28 | 18 | 17 | 84 |
| 15th | Gold | Hydrus | 48756 | Nick Simmons | Finn Simmons | Lymington Town SC | 20 | ‑23 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 88 |
| 16th | Gold | Sea Glass | 70499 | Poppy Armstrong | Tasha Armstrong | West Kirby Sailing Club | 18 | 16 | ‑20 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 93 |
| 17th | Gold | Skittles | 70961 | Nicholas Charles | Edith Charles | Papercourt | 19 | 11 | 11 | (DNC) | 20 | 17 | 18 | 96 |
| 18th | Gold | Baby Grey Boat | 70893 | Becky Priest | Ella Saunders | Staunton Harold SC | ‑29 | 6 | 22 | 18 | 24 | 23 | 15 | 108 |
| 19th | Gold | A squish and a squash
try not to splosh | 70805 | Matthew Larkin | Oliver Larkin | Weir Wood Sailing Club | 25 | ‑33 | 19 | 15 | 22 | 31 | 6 | 118 |
| 20th | Gold | Donut | 70916 | Richard Searle | Rupert Searle | Itchenor | 17 | 25 | 17 | (DNC) | 23 | 21 | 19 | 122 |
| 21st | Bronze | Typhoon | 70820 | Andrew Handasyde Dick | Izzy HD | Itchenor | 30 | ‑35 | 23 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 30 | 126 |
| 22nd | Gold | Oarsome | 70945 | Morgan Cross | Stephen Cross | Brightlingsea Sailing Club | 23 | ‑31 | 27 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 130 |
| 23rd | Gold | Hammerhead | 70571 | Jo Field | Tabitha Field | Weir Wood Sailing Club | ‑36 | 30 | 31 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 24 | 133 |
| 24th | Gold | Elsa | 70987 | Rozalyn McGrane | Keira McGrane | Netley Sailing club | 24 | 24 | (DNC) | DNC | 11 | 12 | 14 | 138 |
| 25th | Gold | Rumble Fish | 70883 | Matthew Bromley | Georgina Bromley | Redesmere SC | 21 | 26 | 24 | (DNC) | 30 | 26 | 13 | 140 |
| 26th | Gold | Yogi | 1016 | Felix Gladman | Arthur Pattison | Itchenor | 10 | 28 | 41 | (RET) | 25 | 28 | 28 | 160 |
| 27th | Bronze | Gone with The Wind | 70564 | James Bayliss | Annabel Bayliss | ISC | 22 | 18 | 7 | 13 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 166 |
| 28th | Gold | Bluebell | 70354 | Euan Bradshaw | Zoey Bradshaw | Emsworth Sailing Club | 33 | ‑37 | 32 | 22 | 29 | 25 | 25 | 166 |
| 29th | Gold | Aeolus | 70163 | Jenny Fletcher | Isabel Fletcher | Chichester Yacht Club | 27 | 19 | 28 | (DNC) | 27 | 45 | 22 | 168 |
| 30th | Gold | Bold Forester | 69667 | Martin Egan | Felix Heffernan | Restronguet SC | 31 | 27 | 25 | (DNC) | 36 | 24 | 27 | 170 |
| 31st | Gold | Peanut | 70713 | Lucy Searle | Rosy Searle | Itchenor | 42 | 20 | 26 | (DNC) | 31 | 30 | 32 | 181 |
| 32nd | Gold | Maverick | 70757 | Lily‑Rose Nixon | Alice Pattison | Itchenor | 28 | 32 | 35 | 24 | 33 | 34 | ‑43 | 186 |
| 33rd | Gold | Zarya | 69929 | Alan Bennett | Ellie Fletcher | Staunton Harold | 32 | 36 | 30 | (DNC) | 32 | 27 | 29 | 186 |
| 34th | Gold | Yeti | 70743 | Willow Cross | Katie Bees | Brightlingsea Sailing Club | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 19 | 19 | 29 | 31 | 204 |
| 35th | Gold | Blue | 70347 | Elsie Upton‑Brown | Bella Pickup | Emsworth | 38 | 45 | 39 | (DNS) | 26 | 37 | 26 | 211 |
| 36th | Gold | Scylla | 70503 | Peter Deming | Catherine Deming | n/a | 34 | 5 | 14 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 212 |
| 37th | Bronze | Happy Blue Whale | 70268 | Flynn Grant | Loftus Skinner | Chichester | 35 | 38 | 36 | (DNC) | 35 | 33 | 35 | 212 |
| 38th | Gold | Sugar and Spice | 70834 | Richard Evans | Poppy Evans | Blackwater Sailing Club | 14 | 29 | 18 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 220 |
| 39th | Bronze | Little Miss Attitude | 70638 | Monty Fry | Seb Taylor | Itchenor | 37 | 39 | 33 | (DNC) | 41 | 36 | 34 | 220 |
| 40th | Gold | Coz‑i‑Can | 70395 | EJ Ayton | Camilla Garlick | Itchenor SC | 40 | 34 | 34 | (DNC) | 37 | 38 | 38 | 221 |
| 41st | Bronze | Olaf | 70737 | Juliet Charles | Sebastian Charles | Papercourt | 26 | 17 | 29 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 231 |
| 42nd | Gold | Crimson Thunder | 70534 | Adriana Balding | Priti Verma | Island Barn | 43 | 42 | 38 | (DNC) | 40 | 35 | 44 | 242 |
| 43rd | Gold | Lady Dashalot | 70791 | Imogen Fry | Nelly Hewlett | Itchenor | 39 | 41 | 37 | (DNC) | 39 | 44 | 45 | 245 |
| 44th | Gold | White Pointer | 70618 | Albert Scholes | Roger Scholes | Itchenor | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 23 | 43 | 39 | 37 | 248 |
| 45th | Bronze | Sweet Pea | 70227 | Edward Goble | Fergus Goble | Itchenor | 44 | 44 | 42 | (DNC) | 44 | 43 | 40 | 257 |
| 46th | Gold | Go Fish | 70706 | Joshua Gestetner | Darcy Collier | Itchenor | 41 | 40 | (DNC) | DNC | 38 | 46 | 42 | 260 |
| 47th | Gold | TeFiti | 70790 | Huw Beverley‑Jones | Matilda Ward | Restronguet | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 34 | 42 | 36 | 271 |
| 48th | Gold | Surfs Up | 70972 | Jewels Vass | | Reading SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 32 | 33 | 277 |
| 49th | | | 69464 | | | | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 42 | 40 | 39 | 280 |
| 50th | Bronze | Blibbering Humdinger | 70510 | Enfys Horner | George Massey | ESC | 45 | 43 | 40 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 287 |
| 51st | Gold | Squirt | 7103 | Ronald Vass | | Reading SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 46 | 41 | 41 | 287 |
| 52nd | | | 70366 | | | | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 45 | 47 | DNF | 304 |
