British Keelboat League Women's Qualifier at Royal Southern Yacht Club

British Keelboat League Women's Qualifier at Royal Southern YC during the Women's Open Keelboat Championship © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

Sunshine and breeze made for a memorable weekend of fast and fun racing for the British Keelboat League Women's Qualifier at the Royal Southern Yacht Club. The latest round of the BKL 2025 series was hosted as part of the highly anticipated annual WOKC - Women's Open Keelboat Championship (31 May - 1 June 2025).

Among the BKL teams were two with members from Lymington Town Sailing Club, which for Team Lymo - comprising Shelley McCafferty, Jenni Lewis, Lou Johnson, Jo Elliott (Saturday), Helen Hilditch (Sunday) and George Havers - was perfect timing to prepare for competing in the SAILING Champions League Women's Regatta in Berlin at the end of August.

On the Friday before the regatta, a coached training session was provided in strong winds gusting over 20 knots at times, helping to hone the frantic manoeuvres required by the BKL's short course and intense racing.

The racing format was 15-minute windward-leewards with two laps, providing non-stop action as teams completed up to 14 races each in Royal Southern YC's one design fleet of J70s.

British Keelboat League Women's Qualifier at Royal Southern YC during the Women's Open Keelboat Championship - photo © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

As Team Lymo report: "Saturday was 'champagne sailing' with moderate breezes and lots of sunshine! The races were super close with all the boats set up the same and all the crews swapping boats regularly. We had a very successful Saturday, coming away with quite a few bullets on the scorecard and not finishing worse than 2nd.

"The event had Salcombe Gin as a sponsor and hosted a BBQ and DJ for the evening, with many team members in the regatta taking advantage of both!

"Sunday then dawned with a building forecast, the excitement ashore high. The first challenge of the day was set before leaving the dock - each crew was handed two bits of string and told to reef a J/70! We were first on the water and our schedule was two races on, one off, then five on plus more depending on what happened with the wind.

"We got off to a strong start with a win in race 13 and a second in race 14. Morale high, we headed to the hotel boat for some refuelling. Back on the water and things didn't quite go our way. By now the wind was 25-30 knots and it was getting quite fruity. A broach in race 16 saw us sitting on our side for a bit and clocking our first points outside the top two.

"After a regroup that included a little chat with the boat that this is not how we do things, and with the wind building, the PRO flew the flag to say no kites. Race 17 and we were back in the game, gradually getting to grips with sailing upwind in the big breeze and getting as much power as we could under the jib downwind. We got another second on the board. Race 18 and 19 and the wind was now approaching 30 knots and we finished the day on two thirds, enough to secure second overall.

"All credit to team Smash for taking the overall win, to Sarah Richards and her crew for third and to all the teams who pushed us in the racing and who shared what they had learnt.

"Finishing second, we earned a place in the BKL finals, where we look forward to flying the LTSC flag. But first we are heading to the SAILING Champions League Women's event in Berlin at the end of August to line up against 24 teams from around the world! We look forward to seeing you all next year when we hope to see even more boats on the water."

British Keelboat League Women's Qualifier at Royal Southern YC during the Women's Open Keelboat Championship - photo © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

Thanks go to the WOKC and BKL organisers and volunteers, including the PRO, transfer ribs, hotel boat and mark layers who made the event possible in some very challenging conditions. Thank you also to event sponsors Harken, One Sails, Rooster and Salcombe Gin.

Overall Results:

British Keelboat League Women's Qualifier at Royal Southern YC during the Women's Open Keelboat Championship - photo © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

Also competing were Ace Racing (Exe SC & Royal Victoria YC); Marconi & Burnham; and Team OCSS. Mia Morgan, of BKL regular Marconi SC, said: "It was so much fun. Reefs and no kites by the end, surfing the runs and getting soaked on the up wind. Classic Marconi doing better in the heavy stuff, despite having a lighter crew!"

The top three teams - Smash, Team Lymo and Yealm Yacht Club - now go forward to the BKL Finals, which will be hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Cowes,19-21 September 2025.

Teams will be competing to be crowned British Keelboat League champions, and could also win a chance to represent their club in next year's European SAILING Champions League.

There are two more opportunities for teams to qualify for the BKL finals in 2025, with entry now open to #rockupandrace at Rutland Sailing Club (RS21s), 19-20 July, and for the David Haw Trophy (J70s) at Royal Southern Yacht Club, 30-31 August.

For all the information you need about the BKL 2025 series, including the Notice of Race and entry links, visit britishkeelboatleague.co.uk

British Keelboat League Women's Qualifier at Royal Southern YC during the Women's Open Keelboat Championship - photo © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk