DF95 National Championship 2025 at East Kent Radio Sailing Club

by Nigel Barrow 29 Sep 12:54 PDT 27-28 September 2025

DF95 National Championship at Barton's Point, Sheppey © Kath Hounsell

East Kent Radio sailing club at Barton's Point is a gem of a venue on the NW corner of the Isle of Sheppey just west of Sheerness. The surrounding countryside is flat without trees, and the prevailing wind runs straight down the lake.

It is one of the few venues which has a spit of land on which to house a control area which means you can sail in just about any wind direction. There are ample launching points, and the best news is there is no weed to catch the unwary fin and spoil competition.

The lake has locked, quiet overnight parking for motorhomes, a café which sadly closed on Sunday and a selection of hotels and restaurants to retreat to after racing to share stories and the successes of the day.

This was the venue for the DF95 National championships. 52 competitors arrived for registration on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and after a thorough briefing by Wayne Stobbs the PRO who introduced the race team and the course, the seeding races got under way shortly after 10 am.

DF95 National Championship at Barton's Point, Sheppey - photo © Jim La Roche

Racing under the Heat Management System the fleet was split into 3 heats of 17 boats for one round of seeding races. Your finishing position determined which heat you would be subsequently sailing in and to spice things up, in each heat there were opportunities to be one of the top or bottom 6 to be promoted up or demoted down from one heat to another.

There was drama from the start. In the C seeding race, which was the first on the water, there was confusion by one of the two favourites Craig Richards as to which heat he was in and with 30 seconds to go he was pulling his boat off the water. After realising he was in the heat, he literally threw his boat on the water and charged to the start line to round the outer mark 20 yards behind the last boat.

Like a man possessed he charged through the fleet and had passed half the boats by the windward mark, and it was no surprise to see him take the win at the finish. It was astonishing to watch his constant progress around the course. The other winners of the seeding races were Colin Honour and Dave Adams. The other main favourite John Tushingham was 5th in his seeding race.

DF95 National Championship at Barton's Point, Sheppey - photo © Jim La Roche

After the seeding races the heat board was set and the main racing of the day got under way. C heat first, then B and A. After three races the two favourites hit the top of the leaderboard closely followed by Tjakko Keizer (Netherlands), Derek Priestley and Peter Baldwin. With the wind in the south, racing took place opposite the café and car park.

The slightly elevated banks gave good visibility for both the competitors and the spectators. The only niggle for the race officer was the wind flicking from left to right by 30 degrees, but Wayne kept his nerve and maintained good courses and start lines based on the average wind.

By the end of day one after 6 races, Craig Richards was top of the leaderboard and led John Tushingham by three points followed by Peter Baldwin, Derek Priestley and Tjakko Kaizer who made the trip over from the Netherlands.

DF95 National Championship at Barton's Point, Sheppey - photo © Jim La Roche

On day two the leaders battle continued and by race 9 John Tushingham had closed the gap and was level on points. In the next race, he took a 2-point lead setting up a battle royal with Craig Richards in the last race. Craig won that but John held his nerve to finish second and win the championship.

The other story of note on Sunday was the wind. Early on it held Southerly nicely for us to continue racing opposite the café but as the morning went on and as per the forecast it shifted from South to Southeast making setting a course off the café impossible, so we all moved to the point about 100 yards from the café. The course was set and the first C heat successfully got round the course but then come B heat the wind backed meaning the fleet laid the first mark in one, so the race was abandoned.

DF95 National Championship at Barton's Point, Sheppey - photo © Jim La Roche

The course was shortened to get a better beat and marks set to starboard and of course with a short beat and marks to starboard there was carnage at the first mark, and the race was abandoned. The wind then died suddenly as forecast but then filled in again from its original southerly direction meaning a course off the café was perfect, so back we all shuffled. After a quick course reset, we were able to get two more heats before close of play.

Wayne Stobbs as PRO did a marvellous job keeping cool and managing the variability of the wind. These events are only made possible by the help of our volunteers. Some are East Kent club members, but several came from afar. It's funny how the same names appear over and over again. Thank you all for sacrificing your valuable time.

Thanks to you this weekend went so efficiently without any kind of a hitch as far as the author could see.

DF95 National Championship at Barton's Point, Sheppey - photo © Jim La Roche

Registration & general help : Debbie La Roche & Kath Hounsell
PRO & start line : Wayne Stobbs
ARO, finish line & organiser : Jim La Roche
Finish recorder & heat board : Judith Baldwin
Finish recorder : Sharon Plested
Finish recorder & scorer : Richard Jones
Judge : Rob Owens
Course & recovery boat : Rob Owens/Ed Coxon Saturday, Jamie Blair/Ed Coxon Sunday
Observer Marshal : Ralph Wilkinson/Andy Nicholls Saturday, Ralph Wilkinson/Spencer Pope Sunday
Lunches : provided by Sheppey Sea Cadets

A Derek "In it to win it" raffle for various items donated by sponsors was held before the prize-giving. Everyone then left looking happy with the weekend.

DF95 National Championship at Barton's Point, Sheppey - photo © Jim La Roche

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Club/City	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Pts
1	51	John Tushingham	Keighley&Dist MESL	5	3	2	3	2	4	1	1	10	2	2	20
2	5	Craig Richards	Datchet RS	1	7	1	1	18	1	2	3	7	4	1	21
3	172	Peter Baldwin	Birkenhead RS&PC	3	5	11	9	5	8	16	2	4	1	5	42
4	54	Nigel Barrow	Datchet RS	5	10	8	16	10	6	13	4	1	8	4	56
5	88	Olly Murray	Fleetwood MY&PBC	6	11	7	4	13	7	3	15	6	7	7	58
6	180	Tjakko Keizer	KOM	8	2	4	7	11	20	4	13	2	9	21	60
7	57	Nick Martin	Woodspring MSC	3	17	24	29	8	9	9	7	5	3	8	69
8	84	John Brierley	Birkenhead RS&PC	10	4	3	13	9	12	5	12	3	15	14	71
9	23	David Lindsay	Datchet RS	4	12	6	10	4	17	7	5	11	16	12	71
10	67	Derek Priestley	Fleetwood MY&PBC	7	1	9	2	12	18	6	14	19	10	17	78
11	12	Buzz Coleman	Coalhouse Fort RYC	11	6	17	15	1	3	8	6	15	20	22	82
12	97	Paul Robson	Poole RYC	11	8	5	18	34	15	24	8	9	12	9	95
13	10	Rob Dyer	Eastleigh&Dist MBC	8	25	13	8	14	10	11	11	18	13	11	99
14	358	Dave Adams	East Kent RSC	1	20	25	12	7	2	21	23	14	11	18	106
15	83	Ken Binks	Eastbourne & Dist. MYC	4	13	12	11	6	5	10	21	27	34	50	109
16	877	Martyn Aspinall	Rotherham MYC	3	21	30	26	29	13	12	18	32	14	3	139
17	149	Peter Spence	Windrush RYC	2	9	10	19	24	29	18	19	17	34	50	147
18	55	Nigel Brown	Gosport MYBC	6	32	31	25	15	16	14	16	24	21	10	147
19	16	Richard Aucott	Durtleigh SC	10	27	32	36	23	30	29	22	12	6	13	172
20	6	Paul Middleton	Fleetwood MY&PBC	6	26	26	23	16	25	15	21	21	28	24	177
21	418	Glenn Meekcoms	Coalhouse Fort RYC	5	16	19	6	19	26	30	36	41	31	26	178
22	173	Jay Williamson	Pembrokeshire MBC	18	24	15	20	22	11	17	28	38	38	27	182
23	154	Paul Plested	Birkenhead RS&PC	13	37	35	17	31	36	22	10	8	19	28	183
24	133	Stig Stromkvist	Raa Helsingborg Segel	9	28	27	31	33	22	25	9	20	27	19	186
25	30	Adrian Tomlinson	East Kent RSC	9	31	18	28	3	22	23	34	31	25	30	189
26	40	Mark Holt	Norwich MYC	12	39	28	27	35	14	21	17	26	18	36	198
27	14	Bob Conner	Woodspring MSC	18	30	39	37	28	23	26	30	28	5	15	203
28	73	Vernon Appleton	Datchet RS	9	23	22	21	26	28	34	29	34	24	25	207
29	66	Phil Holliday	Datchet RS	2	14	14	14	20	34	27	34	50	50	50	209
30	201	Taco Faber	KOM	2	19	22	30	40	39	21	27	25	30	34	210
31	519	Barry Rolfe	Birmingham MYC	4	15	16	22	30	37	40	34	36	42	35	229
32	100	Liz Tushingham	Keighley&Dist MESL	11	33	38	39	27	31	44	26	22	23	20	231
33	211	Petert Jackson	East Kent RSC	13	43	42	38	41	49	28	34	13	17	6	232
34	712	Garry Box	Manor Park RSC	8	36	37	33	49	38	38	37	16	29	16	250
35	49	Barrie Martin	London MYC	12	38	47	24	32	24	32	35	35	26	32	252
36	46	Mickyboy Chamberlain	Lincoln RSC	7	22	23	34	17	19	34	50	50	50	50	256
37	316	Graham Brewster	Eastbourne & Dist. MYC	10	35	36	40	42	32	39	25	23	22	38	260
38	380	Alan Hounsel	East Kent RSC	14	41	43	41	25	27	31	24	29	40	29	260
39	48	Colin Honour	Chipstead SC RS	1	18	20	35	49	49	45	42	39	35	31	266
40	875	Mike Brand	East Kent RSC	13	29	29	5	21	36	50	50	50	50	50	283
41	52	Martyn Crysell	Guildford MYC	7	34	34	32	38	44	42	39	46	37	23	286
42	68	Mark Quayle	Norwich MYC	12	50	48	43	37	33	37	45	30	39	40	316
43	69	Jen Hand	Lincoln RSC	18	40	40	42	36	42	36	41	40	36	37	324
44	299	Phillip Hadaway	Coalhouse Fort RYC	16	42	44	44	44	41	41	38	37	34	33	326
45	120	Paul Woodward	Royal Temple YC	18	50	45	49	39	45	35	40	34	41	50	346
46	585	Michael Barnes	Hampton Court MYC	15	44	46	49	49	46	46	44	46	43	39	369
47	13	Alan Smith	Fleetwood MY&PBC	15	46	49	46	43	43	43	43	46	50	50	374
48	60	Graham Hetem	Datchet RS	14	45	41	45	49	40	50	50	50	50	50	384
49	199	Tim Long	Abersoch RYC	18	50	33	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	401