18 Wanderers - some travelling from as far away as Shropshire, Devon, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk - joined 8 local boats to contest the Inland Championships kindly hosted by Bewl Valley SC over the weekend of April 24th/25th in glorious wall to wall sunshine. The fleet was presented with almost mill pond conditions, and racing was immediately postponed until after lunch. The first race saw Jack Mann lead David and Simon Pegg around the course, with Class Chairman Philip and Jill Meadowcroft having more luck than others with their spinnaker in their new Porter Brothers-built Wanderer and as a result held third place. Similar light conditions resulted in an identical finish for the second race, with Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper again creeping through the fleet to finish fourth after weak starts in both races.

The usual Wanderer Saturday night Fleet Dinner was nicely set up by BVSC’s energetic catering unit and the mix up between Gavin Barr and Philip Meadowcroft as to who was bringing the equipment for after-supper frog racing was resolved by Gavin leading the fleet with an impromptu a capella rendition of various ditties including an uncensored Swahili version of “Who Killed Cock Robin ?”. When Wanderers meet to sail they make sure they enjoy themselves.

Sunday dawned with a hint of a little more wind although this proved to be patchy and frustrating. The third race saw David Pegg round the first mark in the lead followed by Jack Mann and then by Mike Hamilton and David Oates. These positions remain unchanged to the end with Gavin Barr sneaking in, again, to finish fourth followed by David and Jill Davies.

Race Four provided much entertainment on the first beat. Philip Meadowcroft made a hard-worked recovery to second place (temporarily) after both he and David Pegg had to restart after tussling unsuccessfully with Jack Mann for windward position at the starboard end of the line. The hilarity was provided by Colin and Sally Gilbert. Colin fell out of his boat during a roll tack and the ensuing hysterical laughter from his wife disturbed an otherwise tranquil scene. Jack Mann rounded the mark first followed by the Peggs and then the Gilberts (Colin’s quick swim seemed only to serve to invigorate him). Good reading of the wind shifts on the second beat allowed David Pegg to creep past Jack Mann and gain a commanding lead. Gavin Barr finished third having recovered from yet another uncharacteristic poor start and first beat but the Gilberts slipped to fourth after running into a nasty hole at the end of the second beat. The downwind final finishing leg produced a very close if slow motion finish with the Meadowcroft’s distinctive yellow spinnaker just edging in front of three other Wanderers by a margin of no more than 4 inches. The disappointed boats were helmed by Margaret Wallsgrove, Graham Porter, and David Davies.

The final race saw Jack Mann and David Pegg on level points each with a couple of firsts and a couple of seconds. Gavin Barr and Philip Meadowcroft also had equal points having discarded their worst results after four races. In other words: everything to play for as far as the first four places were concerned. Having not won any race so far Gavin Barr had a point to prove and although the Peggs got the better start, and were first to arrive at the windward mark, Gavin was not far behind with Jack Mann and David Davies giving chase. Jack Mann caught up with the Peggs by gybing into better wind on the running leg of the trapezoid course and arrived at the downward wind mark level. However, Gavin Barr was taking no prisoners and made sure he came home first, the Peggs in second place, Jack Mann third and David Davies fourth.

John Talbot and Jean Whittaker sailed really well throughout the race and recorded a creditable seventh place. Gavin’s win in the final race edged the Meadowcrofts out of third place overall after discard. (You only had to finish ahead of me, Gavin – not take the race by the scruff of its neck. PPM). But with two wins and three seconds, the Peggs retook possession of the Dolphin Cup, with Jack Mann and Adam Wickendon runners-up.

BVSC Commodore Tony May presented the prizes assisted by BVSC’s Mark Munday who was granted Honorary Wanderer status for 30 minutes despite being a Wayfarer helm. Richard Kingsnorth and his team provided sensitive and clear race management throughout the weekend, and this earned him a bottle of champagne presented by Wanderer Class Association Chairman Philip Meadowcroft – and also in appreciation of determining the Meadowcroft’s win in the blanket finish at the end of the fourth race. The Ton Up prize for those crews whose ages exceeded 100 years was won (inevitably some might expect) by Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper. Leigh Herrington, a BVSC member who crewed Margeret Wallsgrove, won the prize for the highest placed local Wanderer.


A cracking weekend thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who took part and a few lessons learned in sailing in very (very) gentle conditions.


Overall results:


1st W1226 David & Simon Pegg Slaughden YC 6 pts

2nd W1087 Jack Mann & Adam Wickendon British Airways SC 6 pts

3rd W1282 Gavin Barr & Mark Skipper Whitstable YC 12 pts

4th W1541 Philip & Jill Meadowcroft Salcombe YC 17 pts

5th W992 Mike Hamilton & David Oates CSSA 20pts

6th W1163 Colin & Sally Gilbert Herts SC 21pts

7th W318 David & Jill Davies Island Cruising Club 23pts

8th W444 Margaret Wallsgrove & Leigh Herrington BVSC 31pts

9th W940 Vicky King & Andrew Hines-Lindo South Cerney SC 36pts

10th W1243 Michael Nairn & Andrew Wood BVSC 42pts

11th W602 John Talbot & Jean Whittaker Wilsonian SC 44pts

12th W591 Vaughan Everett & Martin James BVSC 44pts

13th W514 Robin Taylor & Ann Marsh BVSC 44pts

14th W463 Chris Partington & J Carter Whitstable YC 46 pts

15th W647 Graham Porter & Jeremy Pursehouse BVSC 48 pts

16th W1526 Jon Redshaw & Mark Leonard BVSC 50 pts

17th W1108 Jonathan Gillmore & Mark Kerrigan BVSC 62 pts

18th W1351 John McKenzie & Hannah McKenzie BVSC 62 pts

Photo: taken by Andrew Hines-Lindo