Autumn Series 2025 at Medway Yacht Club - Overall

Autumn Series at Medway YC © Catherine Gore

The mantra for the last series of the year said, "Finish the Season in Style!"

We did finish the season in style. 16 yachts, including a Melges 24 "Lockstock" from Ramsgate raced in the river over five Sundays through October and November.

Race starts were from a committee vessel with Philip Clarabut as RO. Philip provided courses that gave great variety, testing every owner and crew member. Courses took the fleets down river towards Queenborough, always incorporating a number of windward and downwind legs.

There were two fleets - Class 1 with nine yachts and Class 2 with six yachts. Class 1 yachts ranged from the 42ft Swan (Mercury) to the 30ft remodelled Scampi 30 (Chips). Class 2 yachts brought together the yachts looking for less intense racing. It was pleasing to see two Dragons join this fleet.

Autumn Series at Medway YC - photo © Catherine Gore

Both fleets enjoyed the balmy weather of October and the two in November before a chilly north wind for the last race. The weather also provided both light wind and strong wind (up to 25 knots) allowing each yacht to provide different performance/results.

As previous years, Class 1 results provided dual results from the IRC and YTC format. Both sets of results showed how close the competition was within the class. Over the five races there were four different winners in Class 1. Chips (Stewart Syndicate helmed by Simon Smith) showed early performances in the first two races but the high winds of race 3 saw only a point between them and Xray II (Andrew Baker) for the overall.

Race 3 was won by Countdown (Sigma 33 - Quentin Strauss). Mercury (Swan 42 Club - Ross Eldred) never seemed to find enough time in the 2 to 3 hour races to generate enough distance to save time under IRC. They did, however record some good results under the YTC rating. Xray II, Aquila (Joe Bolton) and Zephyros (Tim French) were snapping at each other's heals throughout the series and trying to keep Chips at bay.

Autumn Series at Medway YC - photo © Catherine Gore

The final race gave the competitors another windy race with conditions best suited to the visiting Melges 24 (Lockstock) from Ramsgate, winning by 6 half minutes on corrected time. The final tally between first overall IRC to fourth a mere 4 points. Under YTC the points were equally as close.

Class 2 starts were much more relaxed. There was one boat that led the way - Dragon Freebie took the lion share of winning scores. Petite Fleur was always plugging away along with The Wizard and Toucan. Phil Walker made up the remaining entry sailing initially Dragon Vendesi in one race but Dragon Repeat Offender for the last two races.

After the final race we enjoyed a well-attended lunch and prize-giving. Philip Clarabut, our Vice Commodore and Race Officer, was our compere, with prizes handed out by our Commodore Catherine Gore. Tales of broaches, light wind drifting, boat on boat interaction and tactics were heard every weekend. Simon Smith from Chips thanked the Race Team, the class for organising this annual racing series and all the boats that took part (in particular Lockstock from Ramsgate).

Class 1 winner for both the IRC (the Robbie Stewart Trophy) and YTC by one point was Chips (Stewart Syndicate remodelled Scampi 30) and Aquila (Joe Bolton) second.

Class 2 winner by an impressive margin was Toby Atack in Freebie, Petite Fleur second.

Medway Yacht Club and the class look forward to an exciting season in 2026 with a number of events and racing series, in particular our annual regatta 6th and 7th June.

Autumn Series at Medway YC - photo © Catherine Gore

Class 1 IRC Results:

Class 1 YTC Results:

Class 2 Results:

Autumn Series at Medway YC - photo © Catherine Gore