Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

The Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy is still on - sponsored by Waitings

by Sue Giles 29 Jun 2021 15:22 UTC 3-4 July 2021
The Lord Birkett set in the beautiful Lake District © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Ullswater Yacht Club is all set to welcome racers to its biggest event of the year, the iconic long-distance Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy, on July 3 & 4.

The celebration regatta was first raced in 1963 in honour of Lord Norman Birkett who died two days after making a successful speech in the House of Lords which prevented Ullswater from becoming a reservoir. The club has held the prestigious two-day round-the-island race in memory of the 'Saviour of Ullswater' every year since then, apart from in 2020 when the pandemic led to its cancellation.

Now the Birkett is back - this year the entry limit has been reduced from 230 to 160, entries were full booked within days of them being released, and on-going Covid restrictions have led to changes to the on-shore programme. The event has its own website and all information for competitors and updates will be posted on the website: www.ullswaterycbirkett.org

UYC President John Robinson explained: "We are disappointed that the Birkett - a Festival of Sailing to celebrate Lord Birkett's achievement in saving the lake for public access - cannot be run exactly as in previous years. However we aim to ensure that it is as successful as possible within the current restrictions.

"We had intended that this year's event would be a great way of marking the end of the restrictions on June 21. Sadly this was not to be, so we have had to make some late changes to our usual format. We will not have the marquee, but will still have a bar and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, in the open air. We are still under Covid restrictions and I ask that everyone respects the need for social distancing and wearing face coverings where necessary."

The 59th Birkett has a new main sponsor: Waitings, a Penrith civil engineer company involved in Wind, Water and Waste projects. A recent major project of theirs is the new bridge at Pooley Bridge on Ullswater, a replacement for the bridge lost in Storm Desmond in 2015.

One of the biggest sailing events in the North, the Birkett, winner of a Cumbria Tourism's Event of the Year Award, was rated number eight in the top 50 'must do' sailing regattas by Yachts & Yachting magazine. On Saturday, the boats race from a spectacular mass start right across the lake in front of the clubhouse, down the lake, a distance of about seven miles, past Kailpot Crag and the plaque to the memory of Lord Birkett, round an island at the southern end, and back. Then they do it all again on Sunday - with both races to count.

Related Articles

Musto Skiffs at 63rd Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy
One of those events where you see people you've not seen in years The Birkett has been a long-term favourite with the Musto Skiff fleet, where, given the right conditions, it suits the skiff rather nicely—enough so that we've seen two winners over the years with Ian Turnbull in 2017 and Dylan Noble in 2022. Posted on 10 Jul
Lord Birkett ready for 230 on the start line
he action unfolds on Ullswater Lake this weekend... The Lord Birkett, next leg of the Sailjuice Challenge, has hit its entry limit of 230 boats. The action unfolds on Ullswater Lake this weekend... Posted on 2 Jul
Funding for clubs transforms sailing opportunities
During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from UK clubs about their experiences During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from a range of UK clubs, walking through their case studies, and then heard from experts in finance who talked us through the opportunities and pitfalls of acquiring funds. Posted on 26 Jun
NEYYSA Championship at Ullswater
They had it all: heat, sun, torrential rain, wind, calm, thunder and lightning We had it all at Ullswater, heat, sun, (torrential) rain, wind, calm, thunder and lightning but nothing switched the smiles, sailing and socialising off at the North Region Youth & Junior Championships at Ullswater. Posted on 25 Jun
All set for NEYYSA Championship at Ullswater
Youth and juniors from all over the NE and Yorkshire will battle this weekend With less than 24 hours until the first warning signal at the North Region Youth & Junior Championships organised by North East & Yorkshire Youth Sailing Association (NEYYSA) and hosted by Ullswater Yacht Club final preparations are in hand. Posted on 20 Jun
Snipe wins Daffodil, now to the Lord Birkett
Back to Ullswater in early July for the next leg of the Sailjuice Challenge Matthew Wolstenholme and Uko Tiidemann sailed their Snipe to victory at the Magic Marine Daffodil Regatta earlier this month, beating a mixed handicap fleet of 77 entries. Posted on 17 May
Musto Skiffs at the Ullswater Daffodil Regatta
Definitely making up for last year's challenging conditions Ullswater definitely made up for last year's challenging conditions and delivered an absolute classic weekend of Musto Skiff racing at the 2025 Daffodil Regatta, with plenty of smiles and swims thrown in throughout all seven races. Posted on 2 May
RS200 Rooster Championship Tour Spring Champs
Held during the Ullswater Daffodil Regatta This year's RS200 Rooster Championship Tour Spring Championships took place at Ullswater Yacht Club as part of the larger Daffodil Regatta event. 12 RS200s took to the water having their own start and a fantastic windward / leeward course. Posted on 30 Apr
OK class in Daffodil Regatta at Ullswater
Fleets of 12 for part 1 of the Border Trophy A dozen OKs turned up at Ullswater for the annual Daffodil Regatta, this year sponsored by Magic Marine and also being run as part of the SailRacer Summer challenge. It was especially encouraging to see several new faces join the fleet. Posted on 28 Apr
OK Border Trophy Preview
The first half takes place at Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta next weekend This coming weekend sees the first half of the OK Border Trophy being sailed at the Ullswater YC Daffodil Regatta. The Border Trophy started in 2023 as an initiative to help grow the fleet in the North of England and Scotland. Posted on 21 Apr
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_GP BOTTOMPredictWind - GPS 728x90 BOTTOM