The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) played hosts to the 22nd Wanderer National Championships over the weekend of 7th/8th June 2008.

This was the third time that the WPNSA had staged their annual regatta. In 2006, we took part in their inaugural event. For 2008, we considered that we should return to Weymouth to give them some practice for the 2012 Olympics.

The WPNSA annual regatta is designed to encourage top standards in national competition for dinghy classes with smaller fleets. This year some 120 boats took part, involving ten classes set across two courses. Our course was shared with the Devon Yawls and the ultra fast International Moths. Other classes taking part on their own course were Buzz, Europe, International 14, ISO, Laser 4000 and Byte

As well as top class racing we all enjoyed a Saturday evening ‘bash’ hosted by the WPNSA for all the represented classes and their families in the beautiful Spinnakers restaurant overlooking Portland harbour.


RACE I: Saturday’s racing started with a north-westerly force 3. Several boats, spotted the port end bias; Richard Hartley, crewed by Lydia Baker; Adam Wickenden, crewed by Jack Mann and Gavin Barr with Mark Skipper all started near the pin end. Wickenden took a port tack flyer crossed the fleet and went right. Hartley and Barr crossed on starboard and went left. Left paid and it was Barr first around the windward mark followed by Hartley and then Wickenden. The first reach was tight but the leading three boats all managed to carry spinnakers. Wickenden gained an overlap on Hartley to get into second place before the next mark. Barr continued his lead until the end of lap 2 when they mistakenly thought it was the finish. The confusion let Wickenden through to take the gun. Barr recovered to finish a close second with Hartley crossing in third place. Mike Hamilton and David Oats and David Davies and Keith Proctor were next to finish.


RACE 2: The wind increased and backed by the start of race 2 increasing bias on line and the beat. Wickenden again got away with a port tack at the pin end, but this time they tacked clear and went the favoured left direction. Chris Partington crewed by Donna Henders got off to a good start on starboard, but it was Wickenden, Barr. Hartley and Meadowcroft around the windward mark in that order. Davies then suffered gear failure involving the mainsheet block and was forced to retire. Due to the strengthening breeze, it became increasingly difficult to hold the spinnaker on the very tight first reach. . Wickenden and Mann struggled, Barr and Skipper, being heavier, powered past followed by the Meadowcrofts. Places changed again on the next run when the lighter boat of Wickenden and Mann sailed lower and carried their lead to take the gun. Barr crossed second just ahead of Hartley who squeezed past the Meadowcrofts within yards of the line and only half a boat’s length behind them at the line were the fast finishing Hamilton and Oats.


RACE 3: By the start of race 3 the wind increased further and at one point a gust of 26kts was recorded. The wind had veered so the race officer moved the gybe mark as the reach was very marginal. It was Wickenden first to the windward mark followed by Hartley then Barr, who was struggling to recover from a poor start. Wickenden and Man’s fortune changed when they attempted to hoist the spinnaker on the first reach and promptly capsized. Hartley and Baker stormed ahead to take the gun followed by Barr and Skipper. David Davies crewed by Keith Proctor fought through to take third place. The and lumpy conditions claimed another three boats: Colin Gilbert’s boat crewed by Tim Robertson capsized and Mark Fagg crewed by Jonathan Carter, suffered gear failure when his furling attachment parted from the deck. And the Meadowcroft, anxious to preserve their “four years without a capsize” record headed back to the clubhouse with the swell becoming increasingly threatening. (Some would say that that no capsizing meant that insufficient effort was being made…)


RACE 4: Sunday started with less wind and this time came from the North East. The new course was set and most boats failed to notice the line was port end biased and started near the committee boat. Wickenden, Barr, and Philip and Jill Meadowcroft decide to start at port end. Barr started on starboard, Wickenden who got away early on port was forced to duck Barr and lost four boat lengths. Meadowcroft got off to a blinder of a start, bang on time, round the back of Barr and off on port. Barr noticed the slight bias to the beat went left and reached the windward mark in the lead. Gusty conditions caused the Meadowcrofts to drop behind Wickenden who rounded in second place. Hartley and Baker recovered from a poor start and rounded third with Meadowcroft in fourth position. Wickenden followed Barr, but managed to overtake the leading boat on the second reach. Barr clawed his way back to stay close and was immediately behind Wickenden at the final windward mark. On a tight first reach, Barr managed to hold onto their spinnaker in a friendly gust, dodged the many Yawls, and powered past Wickenden by the gybe mark. Wickenden had become increasing concerned by the many creases in their jib luff, but managed to keep close to the leading boat. Barr took the gun followed by Wickenden. Hartley took third and Fred Daborn, crewed by Colin Daborn took advantage of the Meadowcroft’s wineglass spinnaker hoist and grabbed fourth place, with the Meadowcrofts home fifth.


RACE 5: The 2008 National Championship trophy now depended on the last race. Race Officer Laurie Thornton-Grimes relayed the course further to the South in the lessening breeze with a very slight port bias. Mike Hamilton crewed by David Oats, got a cracker of a start about 20 yards from the pin on starboard, forcing Wickenden to tack. The Hartley boat became trapped too low, and had to tack behind Barr on starboard to cross the line. Barr won first beat followed by Wickenden and then Hartley. Hamilton suffering from pointing ability rounded fourth. The boats kept these positions until the next reach. Barr took the right while Wickenden tacked off to the left. As the wind filled, the left proved the correct choice giving Wickenden a ten boat length lead at the windward mark. Barr followed but became trapped by a bunch of Devon Yawls, losing him several more boat lengths. Further down the fleet The Hamilton boat got caught up with a sunken Moth, hit the mark, skulked away to take a penalty and the Meadowcrofts managed to pluck the ring out of the shroud fitting to starboard shroud plate. Whilst hunting for and fitting a replacement pin they were overhauled by Fred Daborn and Mark Fagg. At the finish mark, it was Wickenden, Barr, Hartley, Daborn and Fagg. The last two helms having out in remarkably consistent performances below the the leading crews.

Adam and Jack later found the reason for their jib luff creases. When de-rigging the boat they found that the jib tack tie-down had broken.

The new 2008 Wanderer National Champions, Adam Wickenden and Jack Mann were presented with the Ian Proctor Memorial Trophy. The runners up prize went to 2007 champions Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper. Third prize went to Richard Hartley and Lydia Baker, sailing the first new Hartley built Wanderer to take part in a WCOA racing event.

A special Wanderer presentation of the Ted Shepherd Trophy was presented to Gavin Davis and Shirley Bennett.

The Ted Shepherd Trophy is regularly presented in memory of a former member of the Association. Ted loved his Wanderer racing, so long as it did not involve him in buying any go-faster gizmos, or to take racing too seriously.

WANDERER 2008 National Championships
Overall Results:

Report and photos by Mike Hamilton W992
Results from www.wpnsa.org.uk