2026 GP14 Venetian Trophy at Welsh Harp Sailing Club
by David Innes 16 Mar 06:01 PDT
14-15 March 2026
2026 P&B GP14 Venetian Trophy at Welsh Harp © Richard Craig /
www.SailPics.co.uk
The annual GP14 Venetian Trophy was this year organised as part of a two-day Inland Championship on the 14th and 15th March. With 34 entries and 16 visitors from around the country, including the current World and National champions, the event was set to be a gold star event.
Saturday dawned with a superb cooked breakfast, blue skies and a light 10 -14 knots alternating between north and west making course and start line selection rather difficult. The first race saw the fleet trying to make last minute decisions on which way the wind was going resulting in three general recalls before the black flag was set. Three boats were caught BFD when the race finally got under way with Cleal/Kowalewski (Welsh Harp) leading around the first mark from Jasper Barnham/Sexton (Snettisham Beach) and Tom and Jamie Partridge from Burwain. The leg down the lake was difficult with a pile up as the fleet tried to leave the windward mark with some escaping by going low and then dropping kites. World champions Mee/Robinson came through into 3rd on the short windward leg by the dam but could only finish second behind Jasper Barnham with Fergus Barnham/Deveraux in third after Cleal did penalty turns. The leading Silver fleet boat was Trubridge and Hall (Frensham Pond) with Blanchard and Hazell (Welsh Harp) leading the Bronze fleet.
With the day warming upwith promise of summer sailing the wind failed everyone on the second start with a huge shift making it difficult to get over the line leading to a few OCS. Local Cooper/Street were first round the windward mark followed by Smith/Rimmer (Bass) and locals Renaud/Lomax in third. After a sharp reach down the lake a short beat took the fleet up the north shore where large holes threatened everyone with Cooper still leading from Renaud, Jasper Barnham and Mee. The same leg did for Cooper on the second lap as Mee came through to the lead from Barnham and Smith. Trubrige/hall and Blanchard/Hazell again led the Silver and Bronze fleets.
With the fleet, and possibly the Race Officer, getting the start line sorted the third race got the fleet away cleanly with a shortened figure of eight course keeping the fleet in the wider end of Welsh Harp. Smith, Mee and Jonathan and Seb Nagle (Windermere) led at the first mark with a difficult tight reach down the pond with all but the leaders dropping kites. Mee came through to take the lead on the second lap from Barnham and Smith. Newcomers to the GP14 fleet Malcolm James and Alex Atack from South Cerney won the Silver fleet and Welsh Harp Commodore Liz Guest taking the Bronze fleet win.
With another days sailing to come for the Inland Championships the Venetian Trophy was awarded to Matt Mee and Chris Robinson (Red Wharf/Windermere) with Jaspar Barnham and Graham Sexton (Snettisham/Fishers Green) second and Andy Smith/Al Rimmer (Bass) taking third. There was a great social in the evening with BBQ and the traditional harp-fest.
Winner of the Silver Fleet was Paul Trubridge and Matt Hall (Frensham) and winner of the Bronze fleet was Liz Guest and Will Macdonald (Welsh Harp/Wembley).
With Welsh Jarp hospitality out in force the fleet had a great evening with another whole day's racing ahead of them - but that is another story!