Sailingfast ILCA Welsh National Championships 2024 at Plas Heli: A Premier Sailing Event at the Welsh National Sailing Academy
Sailingfast ILCA Welsh National Championships 2024 at Plas Heli Welsh National Sailing Academy
20-21 July 2024
July marked the exciting 2024 ILCA Welsh National Championships, featuring two full days of competitive racing with a total of seven races completed. The first day started with overcast conditions and rain, with winds building to 8-9 knots by the end of the day. In contrast, day two was filled with sunshine and gradually increasing breezes.
In the opening race, competitors faced numerous tactical decisions. Toby Waggett established a lead over Nina Marsh, while Katherine Gunn and Alex Jones engaged in a close battle behind them. Alex Saunders made an impressive debut by finishing fourth, marking a strong start to his ILCA 4 racing journey.
Races two and three were conducted in slightly breezier conditions, with skippers opting for different strategies across the course. Toby Waggett continued his strong performance, securing victories in both races, followed by Thomas Saunders and Kat Gunn finishing in the top three multiple times.
By the end of the first day, Toby led the fleet with three bullets, followed closely by Nina Marsh and Kat Gunn in the top three positions.
Day two commenced with breezy conditions of 9-10 knots and notable wind shifts. Following a long starboard tack, Toby rounded the windward mark in first place, eventually winning the race, followed by Kat Gunn and Alex Jones in second and third places, respectively.
In race five, with stronger winds and a building sea state, good boat speed played a vital role. Toby once again claimed first place after a close contest, with Kat in second and Oscar closely following in third. Race six mirrored these conditions, where Toby battled with Oscar and Nina for the lead.
By the start of race seven, the wind conditions favored hiking, allowing Toby to secure a significant lead over Alex J, with Oscar in close pursuit.
This event attracted competitors from regions including the North East, South Coast, South East, Scotland, and various corners of Wales, showcasing a vibrant community of sailors coming together for an exhilarating weekend of racing.
ILCA 4 Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 221318 | Toby Waggett | Derwent Res S.C. | ‑1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2nd | 213658 | Oscar Bartlett | Hayling Island S.C. | ‑8 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 19 |
| 3rd | 213140 | Katherine Gunn | Notts County S.C. | 5 | ‑6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 20 |
| 4th | 217303 | Alex Jones | Parkstone Y.C. | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | ‑7 | 6 | 2 | 25 |
| 5th | 212109 | Nina Marsh | Tenby S.C. | 2 | ‑7 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
| 6th | 220457 | Thomas Saunders | Warsash S.C. | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | ‑12 | 27 |
| 7th | 222567 | William Moss | Barnt Green S.C. | 7 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 6 | (OCS) | 5 | 45 |
| 8th | 220518 | Fred Buckley | Yorkshire Dales S.C | 10 | 4 | ‑11 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 46 |
| 9th | 214942 | Alex Saunders | 4 | 9 | 10 | 10 | ‑16 | 8 | 9 | 50 | |
| 10th | 212233 | Amelia Nuttall | Tenby S.C. | (BFD) | 10 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 56 |
| 11th | 210220 | Mortimer Mastin | Dabchicks | 12 | 12 | 7 | ‑13 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 58 |
| 12th | 187036 | Kit Lester | Royal Harwich Y.C. | 9 | ‑16 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 72 |
| 13th | 212946 | Ben Angell | Draycote Water S.C. | 14 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 12 | ‑16 | 75 |
| 14th | 221322 | George Hutcheon | Burnham on Crouch S.C. | 13 | 11 | 9 | ‑16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 75 |
| 15th | 210611 | Kate Shelley | ‑15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 78 | |
| 16th | 160649 | Sarah Harding | Chew Valley Lake S.C. | 11 | 15 | ‑16 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 82 |
ILCA 6 Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 221583 | Freddie MacLaverty | RWBSWC | 1 | ‑8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| 2nd | 223088 | Iris Singleton | ‑7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 21 | |
| 3rd | 215383 | Thomas Bates | ‑8 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 23 | |
| 4th | 224685 | Lewis Bacon | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | ‑9 | 4 | 24 | |
| 5th | 201872 | Hugh Andrews | 6 | ‑11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 26 | |
| 6th | 185604 | Nathan Russell | 4 | 1 | 3 | ‑9 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 28 | |
| 7th | 206301 | James Russell | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | ‑8 | 7 | 3 | 30 | |
| 8th | 213678 | Derin Can Soyer | 2 | 2 | 9 | ‑10 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 34 | |
| 9th | 222773 | Bronwen Thomas | 11 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 6 | ‑13 | 49 | |
| 10th | 223085 | Felicity Angell | Draycote Water SC | 13 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 11 | ‑14 | 54 |
| 11th | 221508 | Billy Morris | Delph SC | 10 | 14 | 11 | (UFD) | 13 | 10 | 9 | 67 |
| 12th | 210230 | John Blundell | 9 | 13 | 12 | (UFD) | 15 | 17 | 11 | 77 | |
| 13th | 213589 | Jacob Bennett | Glossop SC | 16 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 12 | ‑17 | 83 |
| 14th | 222765 | Flo Tovey | 20 | 17 | (UFD) | 12 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 85 | |
| 15th | 221319 | Edward Roberts-Straw | CBYC | ‑21 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 12 | 19 | 12 | 95 |
| 16th | 216647 | James Gosson | ‑19 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 19 | 95 | |
| 17th | 214587 | Ethan Wild | 14 | 18 | ‑21 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 97 | |
| 18th | 22158 | Richard Roberts | PDSA | ‑25 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 98 |
| 19th | 160507 | Dan Powell | 15 | 15 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 22 | ‑26 | 101 | |
| 20th | 223450 | Sam Clarke | Glossop SC | 17 | 20 | 20 | 20 | ‑23 | 18 | 16 | 111 |
| 21st | 4 | Dilara Soyer | 12 | 26 | 18 | (UFD) | 21 | 16 | 23 | 116 | |
| 22nd | 147059 | Noah Edwards | 18 | 24 | 23 | (UFD) | 17 | 23 | 15 | 120 | |
| 23rd | 160482 | Honor Hopkin | 22 | ‑25 | 17 | 19 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 122 | |
| 24th | 209933 | Julian Lloyd | Notts County SC | 23 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 22 | ‑24 | 22 | 129 |
| 25th | 217500 | Emelia Tinch | CBYC | 24 | 22 | 25 | 21 | ‑26 | 25 | 24 | 141 |
| 26th | 214321 | Wilf Tovey | ‑26 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 143 |
ILCA 7 Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 224124 | Christopher Jones | ‑2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2nd | 219660 | Rhys Powell | 1 | ‑5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 16 |
| 3rd | 221330 | Jon Nuttall | 7 | 3 | 2 | (UFD) | 4 | 2 | 4 | 22 |
| 4th | 222540 | George Colquitt | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | ‑7 | 25 |
| 5th | 216704 | Finn Sinclair | 8 | 4 | 8 | 7 | ‑9 | 3 | 2 | 32 |
| 6th | 218700 | Andy Fox | ‑10 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 34 |
| 7th | 203965 | Oliver Hirst | 5 | 6 | 4 | (UFD) | 3 | 9 | 12 | 39 |
| 8th | 220826 | Gordon Riddell | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | ‑10 | 9 | 42 |
| 9th | 213580 | Stuart Belfield | 9 | ‑10 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 43 |
| 10th | 195412 | John Jones | ‑11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 62 |
| 11th | 179838 | Steve Sinfield | ‑13 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 64 |
| 12th | 164746 | Rhys Griffiths | 12 | 13 | 11 | (UFD) | 11 | 8 | 10 | 65 |
| 13th | 221314 | Paul Heath | 4 | 8 | 13 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 67 |
Oliver Hayes, a seasoned sailor and marine journalist from Southampton, has a profound love for the sea that has shaped his career. Holding a degree in Marine Journalism from the University of Portsmouth, Oliver is celebrated for his compelling and insightful storytelling. His work vividly captures the excitement of sailing and the rich maritime heritage of the United Kingdom, making him a respected figure in the sailing community. When not writing, Oliver enjoys exploring the British Isles’ diverse coastlines and participating in local regattas, always on the lookout for his next nautical adventure.