LOMO Blaze Inland Championships 2024 - Preview
by Andy Wilson 4 Oct 22:32 NZDT
Blaze Inlands at Yorkshire Dales © Paul Hargreaves Photography
The Blaze Class rounds off it's 2024 season in October with another blast around the inland cans at Chase Water, last visited by the Class in 2019. It was a blowy affair back then and some of us will be hoping for the same again. Five years later we still have many of the same names on 2024 event scorecards, so it will be interesting to see the risers and the fallers. And by the evidence of this year's racing so far, the die-hard now-grandmasters from 2019 are still keeping the young blood on their toes.
In 2023 the Blaze Inlands were held at an icy and windswept Yorkshire Dales SC, which witnessed Pembrokeshire YC's Christian Smart taking top honours from serial high-achieving youth, Will Gould, and Grandmaster Nick Hunt respectively.
Historically, the Blaze Inlands has attracted fleet numbers second only to the Nationals and we look forward to another lively event for 2024. The racing should be customarily fierce and as the final Blaze Traveller of the 6-event Series (three events to qualify), this 6-race Inlands will cast many names on to the Travellers Series spreadsheet just by crossing the start line. Series victory will be won or lost on performance during this Inlands weekend and dangles tantalisingly for the picking by any one of several names.
With grateful thanks for the generous support from LOMO, the Blaze Class Association is delighted to present an audacious spread of prizes this year, featuring LOMO's serendipitously named 'Blaze Expedition Holdall'. The synergy between class and sponsor is tangible and bodes well for the final Blaze blow-out of the year. And combined with The Chase SC's habit of throwing a good party (this year with a spicy Mexican theme), the table is well-set for a feast of an event.
Who we'll be watching
So far in 2024 Christian Smart boasts Fire Nationals (sister class to the Blaze) and Blaze Westerns supremacy, as well as a tough-fought 2nd at his home water Pembrokeshire YC Blaze Nationals. Christian will be eager to add to his annual haul and is well-placed to top the Travellers table if he maintains form.
Class Association Chairman Charlie Matthews has claimed victory at Easterns and a 3rd at Nationals this year. As a lightweight, he is proving a tough competitor in all conditions and is certainly one to watch. Charlie is in with a shout for the Travellers Series title with a good result, relying on this last event to qualify.
Douglas Clow is a rising force on the Blaze scene and is sitting on top of the Traveller Series having notched-up Easterns 3rd, Fire Inlands 2nd, Scottish Open 2nd and Nationals 1st Grand Master in 2024. Enjoying his club sailing on London's Island Barn Reservoir, Douglas should feel at home on inland water with a shifty wind.
Will Gould, Technical Officer of the Blaze Class Association, currently holds 2nd spot in the Travellers Series. He had taken home the Nationals 1st Youth trophy in 2024 and he'll relish his final Blaze Championship in this category. Will appears unfazed by any conditions and will be a front-runner if on good form.
Winner of the 2019 Chase Inland Championships and third at the 2021 Torbay Blaze Nationals, Ben Pickering is pulling up his Blaze hikers once again to challenge the Blaze new guard on his home water. We look forward to finding out whether Ben's Blaze force is spent or still to be reckoned with.
Newcomer to the Blaze circuit this year, Alan Harris-Guererro made his presence felt by winning the early-season Carsington Blaze Open and impressed again with a 4th at Nationals. Suffering a back injury recently we hope Alan recovers in time to finish the season as he started. He's certainly a candidate to take the step up to the Championship podium, and with it, the Series title.
Youth contender Mark Ripley had earned Aero5 Worlds 4th and Fire Nationals 3rd in 2023. At the Fire Nationals earlier this year Mark fired 2 bullets at his competitors but was thwarted by a broken rack forcing him off the water and out of the medals. He'll certainly have his hopes on the win at these Inlands and stands good chance of getting it.
A frequent recipient of 1st Lady awards in previous years, Alex Porteous has been out of the Blaze running for most of this year due to injury. But all fixed and fired-up, Alex will be giving us all something to think about. As 2024 Sqib Nationals winner the credentials are there, so she clearly hasn't lost her racing touch.
Having missed the Nationals in 2024, Malc Hutchings will be keen to put his season back on track. Malc is only ever a favourable windshift away from the major Blaze prizes, so he'll be asking questions at the front of the fleet, for sure.
We haven't seen much of ex Blaze builder Mike Lyons on the circuit this season but word on the vine is that he'll be making an appearance. Mike is arguably the most successful Blaze sailor in the Class's 28 year history and this will worry those vying for a top 3 if the wind is light - he's a canny racer with Blaze knowledge second to none out on the course.
Carsington SC's Theo Holmes has been a prolific youth traveller in his first Blaze year, and while not seen toward the front of the fleet yet we've enjoyed following his improvement and increasing scalp-taking of more experienced racers. The Class applauds Theo's tenacity and racing spirit - an inspiration to all new Blaze sailors.
Whatever the results of this LOMO Blaze Inland Championship - and the Traveller Series - we're sure to see fervent competition down the length of the fleet, matched in spirit (well, cocktails, more likely!) with energetic Mexican merrymaking in celebration of another Blazing season.
More event details on the Class Association events page:
https://www.blaze-sailing.org/event-details/