Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 4

Thames Valley Area Enterprise Series 2020

by David Beaney 6 Nov 2020 23:58 PST
Enterprise Thames Valley Area Championship © Chris Rowsells

With the Covid shutdown this was a peculiar and truncated season. Nevertheless four meetings were planned during September and October, although the weather intervened and only two meetings were completed. Too strong a river current and no wind preventing Twickenham and Papercourt respectively - a real pity given the preparations that both clubs had made.

So thanks go to Hampton and Frensham for holding open meetings. I attended both and can report that they were well organised and that I felt safe. Sunny days meaning that staying outside was not a problem certainly helped in this respect.

With uncertainty over what meetings would occur, we decided that the River Trophy would be awarded from the results of Hampton's open meeting, that the Thames Valley Bowl would be based on the best two open meeting results and that if the entry merited (both in number and quality of entrants), the area Championships would be held as scheduled at the Frensham open meeting. With 8 entrants and with a similar strength of field as in recent years, I am pleased to say that the Area Championships were indeed held.

The Champion Club Trophy awarded based on the aggregate of home club open meeting turnout and the number times members from a given club visited other open meetings was very tightly contested. Both Hampton and Minima scored 8 points on this metric. I have split the tie in favour of Minima given the efforts they made to travel this year - well done Minima - champion club 2020.

Thames Valley Area Championships - Frensham Pond Sailing Club

This was sailed in light and shifty winds. A fair summary would be to conclude that Nigel and Andy Bird dominated, although David Beaney crewed by son John did their best to make it interesting.

1st Nigel Bird and Andy Bird (RYA)
2nd David Beaney and John Beaney (Rickmansworth Sailing Club)
3rd Katrina Gilbert and Karen Ferguson )Frensham Pond SC)

River Trophy - Hampton Sailing Club

A day that demonstrated the best of river sailing. A decent breeze, sunshine plus flat patches / wind streaks to test the tactical skills. David and John Beaney took leads early in each race, but Nigel and Andy Bird stayed close enough to slip by when tactical errors were made!

1st Nigel Bird and Andy Bird (RYA)
2nd David Beaney and John Beaney (Rickmansworth Sailing Club)

Thames Valley Bowl - Area Aggregate Trophy (best 2 results)

Winning both events, Nigel and Andy won the Thames Valley Bowl and the Geoff Foster Memorial Trophy for the winning crew. Robin Broomfield of Minima came third. While 18 boats sailed in one of the two events only the leading three sailed both events.

1st Nigel Bird and Andy Bird (RYA)
2nd David Beaney and John Beaney (Rickmansworth Sailing Club)
3rd Robin Broomfield and Zoe Van Den Bosch (Minima Sailing Club)

Ladies Champion - Awarded to the top lady helm at the Hampton Open meeting, Ellen Cooper.

Youth Champion - Best performance by a junior sailor at the Hampton Open, Sophie and Ben Peerless

Related Articles

International sponsor 2025 WLYC 24 Hour Race
The event will take place on 13th-14th September 2025 at Southport Marine Lake West Lancashire Yacht Club (WLYC) is thrilled to announce International yacht paint as the headline sponsor for the 2025 WLYC 24 Hour Race, the UK's premier dinghy sailing endurance event. Posted on 27 May
Enterprise Inlands at Ogston
Martin and Abigail Honnor victorious in fleet of 16 Sixteen boats took to the water at Ogston Sailing Club to compete for the title of Inland National Champion. Posted on 21 May
Enterprise Scottish Bluebell Circuit at Loch Earn
The first event attracted nine Enterprises for two days of close racing The weekend of the 26th and 27th April saw the first weekend of the 2025 Scottish Bluebell traveller circuit at Loch Earn Sailing Club. Posted on 13 May
Enterprise Open at Midland Sailing Club
Warm sunshine, a pleasant south westerly breeze and bacon sandwiches Twenty-two Enterprise sailors were greeted at Midland Sailing Club on Sunday morning with warm sunshine, a pleasant south westerly breeze and bacon sandwiches - perfect conditions for what would prove to be an exciting day of racing. Posted on 10 May
Broadwater Enterprise Open
Joint event with the Solo fleet at the end of March On Saturday 29th March, seven Enterprises arrived at Broadwater for the annual open meeting. This was a joint event with the Solo fleet. On arrival, competitors were treated to croissants, pain au chocolat and coffee. Posted on 22 Apr
Ron Beasley obituary
A seven-year joinery apprenticeship lead to being a world champion dinghy builder Ronald William Beasley was born on the 31st January 1931 and grew up in Bradley, Bilston in the Black Country. He left school at age fourteen. He then completed a seven-year joinery apprenticeship at 'Wilcocks' in Wolverhampton. Posted on 16 Apr
Enterprises at Scammonden Water
Training followed by Northern Series racing A total of seven home boats and four visitors gathered over the weekend commencing Saturday the 12th of April for training and racing. The weekend began with Paul Young talking the sailors through the importance of keeping an Ent flat. Posted on 15 Apr
WLYC 24 Hour Race wins RYA Event of the Year
And Sets Sights on 75 Entries for 2025 The WLYC 24 Hour Race has won the prestigious 'Event of the Year' Award at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, a fantastic recognition of the collaboration between competing clubs, and the dedication and passion of the volunteers. Posted on 24 Feb
Horning Sailing Club Autumn Passage Race
A superb 46 starters take to the water on Saturday Horning Sailing Club's Autumn Passage Race made a welcome return for its second year on Saturday 19th October 2024. This year, it attracted a great number of 50 entrants and saw 46 starters on the day. Posted on 21 Oct 2024
Full story of the West Lancs 24-Hour Dinghy Race
A remarkable contest / the races within the race The WLYC 24 Hour Race made its return to the yachting calendar with a bang after an over-long break. The healthy entry of 51 clubs sailing Enterprises and GP14s had more than a smattering of star sailors vying for the prizes. Posted on 26 Sep 2024
Zhik 2024 DecemberSea Sure 2025North Sails Loft 57 Podcast