BFSLYC Landyacht Series 2024/25 event at Wirral Sand Yacht Club

The Wirral Sand Yacht Club (WSYC) proudly hosted the sixth round of the 2024/25 BFSLYC Landyacht Series for Mini Yachts and the third round for Class 2/3 in Hoylake, Wirral.

With a promising forecast of 16-24 mph winds and no major rain predicted, pilots were eager to get to grips with the pan and the banks — a crucial warm-up ahead of the European Championships later this year.

WSYC has been buzzing with preparations for the upcoming Euro's, alongside a surge in new members developing their skills both on weekends and during the week.

BFSLYC Landyacht Series event at Hoylake - photo © Gareth Rowlands

Friday Practice: Exploring the Terrain

Friday's practice session saw Mini Yachts out on the pan. The hard, flat sand and steady breeze provided ideal conditions for pilots to explore over 3 km of open beach. Class 2 pilots joined later, venturing onto the banks — an area characterised by alternating hard sand strips and soft ridges, ideal for testing navigation and recovery skills. The soft patches were particularly unforgiving, bringing yachts to an abrupt halt and requiring real effort to get back on the hard. Additional "moonscape" terrain — uneven and unpredictable — presented its own challenge for those pushing for speed.

Despite a dry forecast, rain arrived Friday night just as pilots ventured into town for refreshments.

BFSLYC Landyacht Series event at Hoylake - photo © Gareth Rowlands

Saturday Racing: Adapting to the Elements

Saturday started slowly. Heavy overnight rain had saturated the pan, leaving puddles and soft aerated sand that made it difficult to gain and maintain speed. Race Director Colin Padgett made the decision to move racing to the banks, where a shorter course was laid out. Racing began in the early afternoon once the rain cleared, with a series of 10-minute-plus races. In this format, the first pilot to cross the line after 10 minutes setting the race length, with subsequent positions determined by finishing order after that point.

Minis and Class 2/3 ran the same course at different times: Minis had a 2-minute dial-up start, while Class 2/3 used a grid start. Despite tricky conditions, the wind held strong enough for a long sausage-shaped course—one tack upwind and a broad reach back, with downwind similar to a SailGP, where high apparent wind allows land yachts to power up and take deep angles.

Some Mini Yachts approached 60 km/h (30 km/h average), while Class 2/3 machines reached near 90 km/h (50 km/h average). Safety was a priority, with excellent coordination between the Race Director and three teams from Community 4x4 Response, keeping the yacht son separate routes, and patrolling the course and turning marks.

In Mini Yachts, Ed Ingles dominated with three wins, followed by Mark Sidey and Keith Ecroyd. In Class 3, Jake Cookson took two victories, with Jon Cookson and Chris Wilson securing second and fourth places respectively. Nick Heather consistently placed third.

Sunday: Better Conditions and Tight Racing

Sunday brought brighter weather and stronger wind, with dry patches reappearing on the pan. Winds increased to 18-24 mph at the shore. Some Mini pilots opted for smaller sails— dropping from 5.5 m to 4.5 m — while the Class 3 yachts focused on maintenance and observed the mini action.

With more rain forecast, the Minis hit the pan early to complete enough races for the regatta. The dry sections allowed a windward-leeward course to be set up. A 2-minute dial-up and flying downwind start, with top speeds exceeding Saturday. The downwind legs were spicy, featuring flying wheels, three-wheel drifts and aggressive bear-aways in gusty conditions.

The true challenge lay upwind. Some large-sail setups were overpowered and less efficient, with untrimmed sails acting as a brake. Smaller sails offered an advantage up wind but missed out on the speed downwind.

The first race saw a repeat of earlier positions, but as wind strength grew in the final race, tighter battles emerged in the pack. Mark, Keith, Graham Lynch, and Nick Heather jostled closely. Ed suffered a gear failure on the penultimate lap, allowing Nick—using a 4.5 m" sail—to inch ahead on the beat. With a short run to the finish, Nick clinched the race, followed by Mark and Keith.

BFSLYC Landyacht Series event at Hoylake - photo © Gareth Rowlands

All are looking forward to the next regatta in St Annes in two weeks.

A huge thank you to all the members of the Wirral Sand Yacht Club for their efforts in organising such a fantastic regatta.

If you have an interest in coming for a taster session in a training yacht and then on into a mini, please don't hesitate to contact British Federation of Sand and Land Yacht Clubs www.britishlandsailing.org.uk or pop along to one of the regattas to see what it's all about.

• St Annes, Lytham, 21st / 22nd June
• Wirral, Hoylake, 5th /6th July
• Wirral, Hoylake, EUROS 28th September / 3rd October (Class 2,3,5 & S)

BFSLYC Landyacht Series event at Hoylake - photo © Gareth Rowlands

Mini Class Results:

C2 Fleet Results:

C3 Fleet Results:

BFSLYC Landyacht Series event at Hoylake - photo © Gareth Rowlands