BFSLYC Landyacht Series 2024/25 round 8 at Wirral Sand Yacht Club
by Nick Heather 10 Jul 2025 19:31 AEST
6-8 July 2025
The Wirral Sand Yacht Club (WSYC) proudly hosted the final round of the 2024/25 BFSLYC Landyacht Series for Mini Yachts, Class 2/3 and Standard. With a forecast of 16-24 mph winds and dry conditions, pilots were eager to tackle the terrain of the hard-packed beach.
Friday Practice: Exploring the Terrain
Friday's practice session kicked off with strong winds at the upper end of the forecast range. Blown sand created drifts on the beach, leading to exciting conditions. Mini yachts showcased impressive speeds with a variety of sails from 3.5m2 and 4.5m2, clocking in at +40 mph downwind with yachts recording an average speed of 17 mph around a windward-leeward course. Class 2 pilots were out for a tested and tune session with new sail upgrades and axle modifications ready for the Euro's.
Saturday Racing: Another Day of Soft Conditions
Saturday began slowly due to unexpected rain overnight, which softened the beach's surface. This made it challenging for the race director to establish a course, but racing proceeded with favourable winds throughout the day. Class 2/3 enjoyed a lengthy rectangular course, utilising the softer eastern end of the beach, while Mini and Standard yachts raced on a shorter course to the west. Despite a delayed start, all classes managed to compete in three races, with positions determined by finishing orders.
Saturday videos: part 1, part 2, part 3
Sunday: Firmer Ground and Increased Winds
Brighter weather greeted participants on Sunday, along with stronger winds. Although Saturday's rain had left some areas soft, a full beach search by Keith and Nick uncovered a suitable hard patch at the east end of the permitted beach, for the Mini and Standard yachts. With the Class 2/3 enjoyed an extended course to the west, with race conditions allowing maximum speeds of up to 60 mph for Class 2/3 and 40 mph for the Mini and Standard classes.
The event concluded on a high note, with camaraderie among participants and successful racing across all categories.
Sunday videos: race 2 start, race 2
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.
- Wirral, Hoylake, 2nd/3rd August - taster and tune weekend for all classes, in preparation for the Euros
- Wirral, Hoylake, 28th September/3rd October - Euros (Class 2,3,5 & S)
Overall Results:
| Pos | Class | Number | Pilot | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Mini | K916 | Dave Green | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 2nd | Mini | K2 | Keith Ecroyd | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| 3rd | Mini | K121 | Mark Sidey | 5 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 21 |
| 4th | Mini | K508 | Chris Wright | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 28 |
| 5th | Mini | K917 | Emma Green | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 30 |
| 6th | Mini | K40 | Graham Lynch | 8 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 36 |
| 7th | Mini | K7 | Ed Ingles | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 37 |
| 8th | Mini | K911 | Simon Tomlinson | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 38 |
| 9th | Mini | K920 | Les Brooks | 11 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 47 |
| 10th | Mini | K16 | Max Spears | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 55 |
| 11th | Mini | K23 | Nick Heather | 6 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 57 |
| Pos | Class | Number | Pilot | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | C3 | K62 | Jake Cookson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | 2 |
| 2nd | C3 | K109 | Tim Spears | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ‑ | 12 |
| 3rd | C3 | K115 | Mark Lloyd | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | 12 |
| 4th | C3 | K23 | Nick Heather | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ‑ | 19 |
| 5th | C3 | K125 | Graham Matia | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | ‑ | 28 |
| 6th | C3 | K43 | Chris Wilson | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ‑ | 29 |
| 7th | C3 | K41 | Jon Cookson | 0 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ‑ | 30 |
| Pos | Class | Number | Pilot | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | C2 | K800 | Gareth Rowland | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 0 |
| 2nd | C2 | K45 | Nigel Spurr | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6 |
| Pos | Class | Number | Pilot | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | S | 351 | Craig George | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2nd | S | 434 | Derek George | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 3rd | S | 427 | Darren Rhys | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 18 |