Ripe Craftinsure GP14 National Championship 2025 at Tenby Sailing Club

Ripe Craftinsure GP14 National Championship 2025 at Tenby Sailing Club - Day 1

by Russ Cormack 5 Aug 06:56 PDT

Thanks to Vanessa Devereaux for planning and organising the 2025 GP14 National Championships as it kicked of in style at beautiful Tenby. The welcome from the Sailing Club volunteers was amazing as they guided the fleet through the narrow streets and the oblivious tourists who were more focused on their ice creams and the gorgeous coloured buildings than the GPs being towed through.

Floris was the talk on Saturday while rigging and the decision to increase the number of races for Sunday was welcomed by all. So Sunday was Practice race, Race 1 and Race 2.

To summarise the racing in a few points:
1. Super sunny and very warm
2. Super shifty
3. Super close racing
4. Super fun

Ripe Craftinsure GP14 National Championship at Tenby day 1 - photo © Richard Craig / www.SailPics.co.uk

So the 'new boys on the block' with their borrowed boat won the day with two bullets. Harry and Oliver from Poole/Southampton soon got to grips with the GP and picked out the shifts with some intelligent upwind tactics.

Behind the two super fast youngsters were GP veterans with the 'magic still very much there' was Joel and John from Southport and Mateo and Keith from Ireland.

However, the battle during the races was throughout the fleet with all of the top ten showing good speed and lots of changing of positions as the testing shifts arrived.

Ripe Craftinsure GP14 National Championship at Tenby day 1 - photo © Richard Craig / www.SailPics.co.uk

As always, there are 'championships' within a National championships with friendly competitiveness in the Bronze, Silver and Gold fleets. Day one has shown some impressive results with Dale and Matthew Knowles from Bolton leading the Bronze fleet and punching into the top ten and scoring a fifth in Race 2.

Leading the Silver fleet is Matthew and Fin from Budworth currently fifth overall and would have been higher if Matthew had not decided to rugby tackle the final mark in Race 1.

The fleet enjoyed Tenby SC warm hospitality at the Commodore's reception on Sunday evening and prize-giving with Race 1 sponsored by Impact Marine and Race 2 by Rooster.

Curly Morric following Fergus Barnham - Ripe Craftinsure GP14 National Championship at Tenby day 1 - photo © Richard Craig / www.SailPics.co.uk

Race bibs were issued for the next day of sailing which will be Tuesday, as Race officer Nigel Denchfield and Floris decided that the fleet should stay ashore on Monday.

Race Bibs:

1st place - Harry and Oli
2nd place - Joel and John
3rd place - Mateo and Kieth
Leading Juniors - Matthew and Fin
Leading Ladies - Lucy and Charlie
Leading mixed - Ali and Russ

Oli Hayle and Harry Shaw score two bullets - Ripe Craftinsure GP14 National Championship at Tenby day 1 - photo © GP14 Class

Floris has now been and gone and the sun is out again for a beautiful afternoon on the beach in Super Tenby.

Results after day 1:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	Pts
1	14095	Oli Hale	Harry Shaw	Poole YC	1	1	2
2	14220	John Hayes	Joel James	RYA &	3	2	5
3	14214	Keith Louden	Mateo Louden	Loch Foyle YC	2	4	6
4	14240	Russ Cormack	Ali Cormack	Budworth SC	4	10	14
5	14253	Finley Waterhouse	Matthew Baird	Budworth SC	7	7	14
6	14277	Curly Morris	Meg Tyrell	East Antrim BC	12	3	15
7	14091	Matthew Knowles	Dale Knowles	Bolton SC	10	5	15
8	14117	Jonny Sinclair	William Sinclair	Budworth SC	5	12	17
9	14201	Hugh Devereux	Zina Martin	Budworth SC	9	8	17
10	14125	Jasper Barnham	Graham Sexton	Snettisham Beach SC	6	13	19
11	14034	Jonathan Nagle	Seb Nagle	Royal Windermere YC	8	11	19
12	14090	Simon Joyce	Rosanna Joyce	Budworth SC	14	6	20
13	14238	Fergus Barnham	Ellie Devereux	Snettisham Beach SC	11	9	20
14	14295	John Mcguinness	Donal Mcguinness	Moville Boat Club	13	16	29
15	13818	Andrew Shrimpton	Maria Kireeva	Welsh Harp SC	17	15	32
16	14292	Maurice Cleal	Romek Kowalewski	Welsh Harp SC	15	19	34
17	14190	Paul Trubridge	Matt Hall	Frensham Pond SC	18	17	35
18	14110	Stephen Cooper	Elizabeth Guest	Welsh Harp SC	22	14	36
19	13611	Sharon Freeland	Paul Freeland	Llandegfedd Lake SC	16	20	36
20	13316	James Ward	Richard Whitehill	Papercourt SC	19	24	43
21	13456	Adeel Khan	Roger Jeffs	Welsh Harp SC	26	18	44
22	14021	Hender Blewett	Josh Ryznar	Derwent Reservoir SC	24	21	45
23	13532	Charlie Cotter	Lucy Barrie	Welsh Harp SC	21	25	46
24	13299	Jamie Isles	Catoline Mitchell	Welsh Harp SC	20	31	51
25	13979	Mike Martin	Nina Martin	Budworth SC	25	26	51
26	14234	David Innes	John Mcguinness	Frensham Pond SC	30	23	53
27	13865	Jennifer Bryce	Vivika Timmer	Newtownards SC &	27	28	55
28	4615	Steve Parry	Ann Penny	Yorks SC	35	22	57
29	14014	Andy Wadsworth	Cathy Howard	Paignton SC	23	34	57
30	14044	Richard Connett	Tom Jackson	Welsh Harp SC	29	29	58
31	13780	Lesley Freeman	Susan Webb	Trimpley	33	27	60
32	13787	Keith Street	Hannah Liptrot	Welsh Harp SC	28	32	60
33	14208	Simon Henshall	Savannah Henshall	Budworth SC	34	30	64
34	13489	Liam Dempsey	Paddy Lambton	Bolton SC	31	33	64
35	13941	Dennis Adams	Sarah Lohan	Welsh Harp SC	32	35	67
36	13495	Oliver Gabbitas	Peter Napier	York SC	36	DNC [38]	36
37	8524	Sean Cattanach	Bailey Cattanach	York SC	DNC [38]	DNC [38]	76