IOM Unicorn Trophy with Met & Southern Championship Round 1 at Chipstead Sailing Club
by Dave Allinson 3 Feb 23:55 PST
31 January 2026
IOM Unicorn Trophy with Met & Southern Championship Round 1 at Chipstead © John Caruana
At 07:30am the air temperature was plus 9, the water temperature was only plus 3 degrees, and the tri-swim folks were out in force for their morning dip.
Twenty-one competitors had ventured out on this bright wintry morning with some travelling almost two hours.
At 09:45am a nice little breeze of 3-5 mph had settled in from the South (not our best wind direction) and the building and trees on the raised bank were causing some significant shifts. A short briefing was held whilst the leeward gate was adjusted, and we were away with race one on a windward leeward port hand course.
Peter Stollery was a slight 8 seconds early at the pin end of the line and had to loop back around to start correctly; he still managed to be fourth at the windward mark. Nigel Barrow and Craig starting from the middle of the line and were clear ahead quite quickly. Nigel still led Craig at the start of the final beat, but it was Craig who interpreted the shifts correctly to take the win from Nigel and rapidly improving Phil Holliday.
In race two, following a general recall, Peter got his timing sorted and he led at the windward mark from Harry Neill and Nigel. These places stayed the same all the way to the finish with Phil again improving through the race to take fourth place.
Craig, Peter and Nigel won the rest of the morning races and were also well placed when they did not win. Phil Holiday and Tony Guerrier had a consistent morning and placed well in the races.
Lunch was taken at 12:20 and everyone adjourned to the clubhouse. The club caterers were serving shepherd's pie which went down very well. Results were entered and calculated whilst the food and hot drinks were consumed, and everyone sat together and chatted.
A lunch time discussion decided that racing would resume at 13:20 and continue until 3pm when the fleet would decide whether to continue sailing.
The breeze had picked up a little and was now between 4-6 mph.
Peter (the wind whisperer) Stollery won the next three races. Harry, Nigel, Tony, Craig and Ben Harker took the other places.
In race ten, as the competitors approached the last ten seconds of the start, the wind shifted twenty degrees right and gusted up to fifteen mph (the highest gust of the day). This comfortably took more than half the fleet over the line with five seconds remaining on the clock. Peter and Craig both nailed the restart and slipped away around the windward mark and onto the run a few metres apart. He chased Peter all the way around the course and managed to slip through to win in the last twenty metres, Peter was second and was followed by his son Oliver.
In race eleven, Peter led comfortably at the windward mark and caught a nice line of breeze down the run to extend his lead to over 20 metres. Craig chased him, but he also had to cover Mike McIntyre who was very close at the finish.
Craig took race twelve from Buzz Coleman who just managed to hold off Peter at the finish.
Peter won race thirteen from Nigel and Buzz.
At 15:10, the fleet was consulted and they decided to do two more races and then have another chat.
Race fourteen was also won by Peter with Craig just managing to hold off Oliver.
Race fifteen was Peter lead around the windward mark but was very closely followed by seven others. Down the run they went, spreading out line abreast. Craig, Nigel, Oliver and Buzz hugged the bank, whilst Peter, Tony and Ben ventured further out. The deciding puff of additional breeze hit came down the bank allowing Craig, Nigel and Buzz to make it to the gate in front.
Up the second beat they went. At the windward mark Craig was a couple of metres in front of Nigel and Buzz, Ben, Oliver, Peter and Tony.
They again spread out down the run, but this time the breeze was even across the course. The final beat was a tactical tense few minutes with Craig holding on from Nigel, but with Peter climbing through into third place.
A further discussion ensued and decided to hold one final race. This would provide a third discard.
Nigel led race sixteen at the windward mark by a boat length from Tony and Craig. The offshore run line paid this time for Peter Copsey who found a clean line of breeze to slip through into second place but closely followed by Craig, Tony, Peter and a quickly catching Vernon Appleton. Up the final beat they sailed with Nigel was trying to cover about five other boats who had spread out across the racecourse.
He held on to win from Tony and Vernon who had sailed the offshore route on the final beat to perfection.
The afternoon session had sailed races and in light and shifty conditions which provided everyone with an extreme tactical workout. The day had been sailed in a very good-natured manner and was a credit to all who participated.
Hot drinks and cake were served in the clubhouse whilst the results were entered and processed.
PRO Dave Allinson thanked his race team of Mike Lightwing, Stuart Ord Hume and John Caruana for coming out to help run the event.
Two, maybe three of our sailors are competing in the IOM world championships at Datchet in May. We wish them and the rest of team GB all the best at the event.
Prizes awarded to:
1st Club sailor Robin Aldcroft
6th place Buzz Coleman 82 points
5th place Oliver Stollery 77 points
4th place Tony Guerrier 59 points
3rd place Craig Richards 35 points
2nd place Nigel Barrow 34 points
1st place Peter Stollery 19 points