Wayfarer UK National Championship 2025 at Shoreham Sailing Club, Craftinsure National Circuit event

by Sam Pygall 9 Sep 06:40 PDT 4-7 September 2025

The 2025 Wayfarer National Championship, part of the Craftinsure National Circuit, was held between the 4th & 7th September at the fantastic sea venue of Shoreham Sailing Club. As per the very successful event at Paignton in 2024, this was held jointly with the Contender Fleet, who contributed to a great vibe on and off the water.

We had a number of familiar faces competing and some new teams and a forecast for decent winds which set us up for an exciting event. The event saw a strong turnout of 17 boats from a wide variety of clubs across the country. The championship was very generously sponsored by Craftinsure, Allen Brothers, McNamara Sails, and Hartley Boats alongside local sponsors Shoreham Port, Ocean Sports Boardriders and Lady Bee Chandlery in association with Marlow ropes.

The scheduled day one of racing on the Thursday saw competitors greeted with 30-40 knot gusts, lashings of rain and a sea state described as "awful" by our Event Race Officer and Commodore William Warren. Following a short postponement to see if racing was at all possible for the day, the sensible decision was made to cancel the racing for the day and amend the schedule to push for four races on Friday and Saturday. We then had a great Commodore's reception at the club where a few spot prizes were awarded via a raffle.

With the loss of the first day, Friday saw competitors heading out with a 14-16 knot south westerly and a somewhat fruity sea state from the day before, with wind against tide. A triangle-sausage course was set and after a short wait for the Contenders to set off, the racing began in earnest. Game on! The first test for the crews was deciding on which side of the beat to take and then navigating the waves for maximum speed in your lane and picking your moments for tacks. Then as per Shoreham tradition, have a screaming three sail reach, survive a gybe and scream down another reach before repeating the beat with a scary run to the finish.

After a keenly contested pin end between most of the fleet, the front runners initially were Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend, who sailed a controlled first race to take a solid win from Wayfarer newcomers Paul Cullen and Vyv Townend, who showed some speed straight out of the blocks with their P&B sails. John Clementson and Mel Titmus took a solid third from Mike Saul and Clive Harries in fourth and Ian Foxwell and Sam Pygall in 5th. The rest of the positions were largely determined on level of risk appetite with spinnaker flying and downwind wave technique.

The wind and waves continued to build for race two which added to the excitement/terror across the fleet. Generally started heading left after a pin end start was paying, unless you misjudged the port lay line. However, more critical was upwind wave technique, spinnaker handling and surfing ability and the leading boats demonstrated superiority in this arena. The wind was solidly consistent in both direction and strength. McNamara and Townsend again dominated the race but Paul and Vyv were getting to grip with the Wayfarer and chased them hard and kept them honest all the way around the racecourse. Newcomers Mike Saul and Clive Harries popped up to complete the top 3 in this race, narrowly beating a consistent John and Mel and Tim Townsend, crewed by daughter Georgina, demonstrating some great consistency after a great start to take 5th.

The wind steadied somewhat but the waves were getting bigger and somewhat scarier for the start of race 3. A familar tale at the front after the first beat and two screaming reaches saw an unfolding tight battle between Cullen and Townend and McNamara and Townsend and this time the P&B team took the gun to open the overall championship somewhat. A tight battle down the final run and mega surf between the charging team of Ben Townsend and Ed Richardson, Clementson and Titmus and Foxwell and Pygall went down to the final gybe and final surf over the line. Foxwell/Pygall benefited from a fortuitous wave pattern from their perspective and took their first top 3 race result of the event by hardening up inside the other two teams with John and Mel in 4th and Townsend and Richardson in 5th. It was close at the front of the fleet and surfing technique was proving critical.

The final race of day one was held in slightly more wind, perhaps touching the top end of the teens, early 20 knots. McNamara and Townsend demonstrated their class and resilence by coming back from the previous race disappointment and took a third win from the four races on a tough, gruelling day of "big wave sea sailing". Remarkable consistency in testing conditions. Cullen and Townend solidified their series with a second and Townsend and Richardson capped their improvement throughout the day with a strong 3rd. Also demonstrating their consistency, Clementson and Titmus again shut out Foxwell and Pygall at the finish after a close battle to take fourth and local team Bill Whitney and John Shelton showed some remarkable downwind sailing to push Foxwell/Pygall down a place on the now familar "surf and hang on" to the line. The waves were pretty massive and keeping control downwind was now a real test of skill and seamanship.

The club treated the fleet to a fantastic BBQ and musical from a local band for the evening as stories of the waves and wind were exchanged. The Wayfarer is as much about the off-the-water banter as much as the sailing itself and this was on full display at Shoreham.

Day 3 but the second racing day started with more of the same wind and waves but with a shift of wind direction to the south east. After a decent beat to the start line to get used to the waves we were off for more triangle sausage. This time in race 5 there was a shake-up at the front as McNamara and Townsend had Townsend/Richardson duking it out at the front. The teams were never far apart but McNamara and Townsend eventually prevailed over the youngsters. Cullen and Townend slipped out of the top 2 for the first time but still held onto a solid third to continue to build their series.

Resuming their battle from the previous day, Clementson and Titmus and Foxwell and Pygall were nip and tuck down the final run until the latter team had an infringement on the final gate that allowed Clementson and Titmus to take another 4th and local team Peter Bennett and Andy Philips to slip through. Foxwell and Pygall manage to do a penalty spin between the gate and the line and hold onto 6th for the race.

At this point of the event, McNamara and Townsend were developing a firm grip on the championship but with an increasing breeze for race 6 Cullen/Townend were not giving up and pulled out a handy bullet from McNamara and Townsend after some tight upwind and downwind racing. Could this prove to be a turning point? Behind the top two and their epic contest, Townsend and Richardson were now well into their groove and were proving hard to live with upwind as they smashed through the waves with power and speed. They took 3rd in this one and so continued a charge up the rankings. Clementson/Titmus and Foxwell/Pygall again found themselves in a battle behind the top 3 and again John and Mel just edged it to maintain a consistent set of results.

Race 7, marking the conclusion of the second day of competition, commenced under some of the strongest wind and wave conditions observed during the week. Early equipment failure forced McNamara and Townsend to retire from the race, creating an opportunity for Cullen and Townend if they could leverage the situation. Initially, Foxwell and Pygall appeared poised to secure a shock victory, establishing a considerable lead after a swift two-sail run at the top of the triangle, while Townsend and Richardson encountered difficulties with a kite "hourglass" on a tight reach. However, Foxwell and Pygall opted for a conservative strategy at the gate, choosing not to deploy the spinnaker and taking the left-hand side, heading out to sea versus gybing inside and heading to the shore. This decision enabled Cullen and Townend, Clementson and Titmus, and Townsend and Richardson to move ahead. Guy Marks and Sam Boniface also advanced into the leading group and achieved a commendable fifth-place finish against significantly heavier crews.

The win secured by Cullen and Townend marked their second in a row and positioned them as strong contenders for the overall title entering the final day. Meanwhile, Townsend and Richardson's third and Foxwell and Pygall's fourth in this race reinforced their places within the event's top five standings, although the final rankings remained undecided.

Coming ashore, for the final evening of the championship, Shoreham hosted a fantastic championship dinner and a nautically themed quiz on Saturday night, ensuring the fleet was well entertained. Knowledge of sea-themed television shows and music proved critical!

As Sunday arrived for the final races, the wind picked up from the southeast, accompanied by a "rough" sea state. The race team promptly decided to postpone, anticipating moderation in the wind as per the majority of forecasts. This uncertainty and two hard days of big wave sailing led many competitors to take it as an opportunity to start packing up their boats early. However, those vying for top positions ventured out to compete for the championship.

Those who took to the water were met with a rapidly decreasing breeze and large, choppy seas—not an ideal combination. In the single race that took place before the cut-off, Cullen and Townend skillfully navigated the challenging conditions, narrowly defeating McNamara and Townsend to secure a critical victory and the overall championship win on countback. These remarkably consistent results marked a stunning debut for them at the Wayfarer Championships. The competition was incredibly close, showcasing a masterclass in big sea sailing that was a pleasure to witness. Hats off to both teams!

The competition for third place was incredibly close. Although Clementson and Titmus finished third in the last race, reaching the 8-race threshold for the championship allowed for a second discard. This was crucial, as it enabled Townsend and Richardson to replace a sixth-place finish with a fourth in the final race, ultimately securing third overall on countback, thanks to their additional third-place finishes. Meanwhile, Mel celebrated by taking home the Pork Pie trophy, awarded to the top female crew and donated by Wayfarer legend Colin May. She successfully retained this honour from the 2024 Paignton Nationals. Although Foxwell and Pygall did not sail on the final day, their earlier performances ensured they finished fifth overall, just ahead of Mike Saul and Clive Harries in sixth, who were recognized as the top silver fleet competitors. The rest of the top 10 included Shoreham teams Bennett and Philips and Whitney and Shelton in 7th and 8th and Wayfarer veterans Brian Lamb (crewed by Paul Berry) and John Goudie (crewed by Mike Bryant) in 9th and 10th.

Main Prize Winners:

1st Place: Paul Cullen and Vyv Townend (Bough Beech Sailing Club)
2nd Place: Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend (Rollesby Broad Sailing Club)
3rd Place: Ben Townsend and Ed Richardson (Emsworth Sailing Club)

First Silver Fleet - Mike Saul and Clive Harries (Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club)
First Bronze Fleet - Bob Reynolds and Graham Ditcham (Bough Beech Sailing Club)

Other Prize Winners:

• Pork Pie Perpetual - Mel Titmus
• Crew Trophy - Vyv Townend
• Double generation - Tim and Georgina Townsend
• First Shoreham Boat - Peter Bennett and Andy Philips
• First husband and wife - Chas and Mandy Hammond
• First Club Team - Bough Beech Sailing Club

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Wayfarer nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1st	10936	Paul Cullen	Vyv Townend	Bough Beech Sailing Club	‑2	2	1	2	‑3	1	1	1	8
2nd	11321	Michael McNamara	Simon Townsend	Rollesby Broad Sailing Club	1	1	‑2	1	1	2	(RET)	2	8
3rd	10648	Ben Townsend	Ed Richardson	Emsworth Sailing Club	‑7	‑6	5	3	2	3	3	4	20
4th	11101	John Clementson	Melanie Titmus	Chipstead Sailing Club	3	‑4	‑4	4	4	4	2	3	20
5th	11170	Ian Foxwell	Sam Pygall	Bough Beech Sailing Club	5	‑8	3	6	6	5	4	(DNC)	29
6th	11422	Mike Saul	Clive Harries	Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club	4	3	7	7	‑10	6	‑8	5	32
7th	11059	Peter Bennett	Andy Phillips	Shoreham Sailing Club	6	7	6	‑8	5	‑8	7	8	39
8th	10688	Bill Whitney	John Shelton	Shoreham Sailing Club	9	9	10	5	8	‑13	6	(DNC)	47
9th	10875	Brian Lamb	Paul Berry	Dabchicks Sailing Club	8	‑12	9	9	12	10	9	(DNC)	57
10th	11118	John Goudie	Mike Bryant	Wilsonian Sailing Club	10	10	11	(RET)	9	12	(DNC)	7	59
11th	11120	Guy Marks	Sam Boniface	Bough Beech Sailing Club	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	7	7	5	6	61
12th	10716	Chas Hammond	Mandy Hammond	Shoreham Sailing Club	‑13	11	12	10	11	9	10	(DNC)	63
13th	11012	Tim Townsend	Georgina Townsend	Medway Yacht Club	11	5	8	12	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	72
14th	11129	Paul Hughes	Josh Lowe	Arun Yacht Club	15	14	13	13	13	11	(DNC)	(DNC)	79
15th	11458	Nigel ODonnell	Belinda ODonnell	Swarkestone Sailing Club	12	13	14	11	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	86
16th	11207	Bob Reynolds	Graham Ditcham	Bough Beech Sailing Club	16	16	15	14	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	97
17th	11046	Ian ODell	Tim Richardson	Shoreham Sailing Club	14	15	(RET)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	101

Acknowledgements and Gratitude

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Shoreham Sailing Club for hosting such an outstanding event. Special recognition goes to Lisa Whitney, whose tireless efforts as our event organizer made everything possible.

We are also deeply grateful to all the volunteers who contributed their time and energy. A big thank you to William Warren, Shoreham Commodore and Event Race Officer, along with his dedicated Race Team, for their exceptional leadership and support.

Additionally, we appreciate the hard work of the galley and catering staff, who kept everyone well-fed and energized. Shout out in particular to Ivan and Mandy Walsh who worked tirelessly behind the bar. Finally, we thank Beachmaster Philip Ayton and his team for their invaluable assistance.

Your combined efforts made this event a resounding success!

Next events to conclude the 2025 racing season

• As 2025 enters its final quarter, so we approach the conclusion of the 2025 Craftinsure UK Wayfarer Association National Circuit. We have an exciting inland championship at Northampton Sailing Club over the weekend of 27-28 September (shared with the Larks and Europes) before concluding with the Finale at Bough Beech over the weekend of the 8-9th.

• For those that like to plan further ahead, we have the 2026 Wayfarer National Championships at Grafham Water over the 26-28th June 2026. If you are thinking of attending, please do get in touct at .

• We had a number of newcomers to the fleet over this championship. If you are a racer or sailor of Wayfarers or any other boat, why not give one of our events a go?