2026 Ash Trophy at Littleton Sailing Club

Mike Barnes sailing 535 struggled to get a trim until he won Race 8 of the © Roger Stollery

A lot has happened since the 2025 event when Guildford had no lake and hosted the event at Frensham Pond. The link up with Littleton Sailing Club has been a great success and the seven visitors were able to enjoy marvellous facilities at Littleton and a big open lake to sail on.

The forecast wind was southerly blowing parallel to the clubhouse. However it was the varying wind speed and direction that that created a big problem for race officer, Roger Stollery.

Ten sailors with seven visitors arrived to what was best described as a flat calm. Despite this twelve races were sailed initially on a course for the southerly wind, however every now and again the wind became more southeasterly and the course was relayed with the beats in that direction. Even during a race in a reasonable breeze the wind would suddenly disappear and make progress difficult if you were in the wrong place.

In Race 1 experienced dinghy sailor Dave Adams from East Kent picked the right shifts and sailed into a good lead from John Darbyshire from Emsworth with local sailor Alan Viney third. John was seen sheeting in and out to prevent his sails stalling on the offwind legs, whilst Alan had the benefit of wind indicator clipped to the backstay crane.

Mike Wilkie took Race 2 after a good start from the port end of the line and finished with a big lead from Jim La Roche from Datchet and John in third place.

The course was then changed to suit the more SE breeze, which brought the start closer to the control area and made it easier for competitors and the race team to see the boats and their sail numbers. Moving the innermost marks closer to the control area caused a problem as the depth of water was shallower and the blue polyprop mooring line floated higher and caught two boats keels in Race 3. Mike and jim were awarded redress, hence the three scores of 3 in that race.

After finishing last in Race 2, Andrew Wigley from Huntingdon got it dead right to win Race 3 from his clubmate, Phil Davenport with John again third.

Race 4 produced another winner, Jim with John second and Peter Townsend from Hampton Court third. The SE breeze was now of reasonable A rig strength and Mike with really good boat speed got his second win in Race 5, from Phil and John. The results of Race 6 predicted the event result, Dave, Mike with John third again.

John had been very consistent all morning and in Race 7 he turned that into a win from Jim and Mike. Local sailor Mike Barnes had been struggling to find a trim, but when he did he turned it into a win in Race 8 in a very tight finish with John with Dave in third.

In Races 9 -12 Dave was only beaten once in Race 11 by Mike's extra boat speed. As the wind had dropped to virtually nothing all competitors agreed to do just one more race, which was won by Dave, very pleased with his light weather performance not experienced on his exposed seaside lake at Barton Point.

At the prize-giving Roger thanked competitors for their fairness in the racing and providing a marvellous spectacle with incredibly close racing, as only five points separated the first four competitors. Dave thanked Roger and ARO Martin Crysell for setting up this event and giving everyone a good day's sailing.

Overall Results:

1st Dave Adams, East Kent 22pts (winner of the Ash Trophy)
2nd Mike Wilkie, Hampton Court 25pts
3rd John Darbyshire, Emsworth 25pts
4th Jim La Roche, Datchet 27pts
5th Peter Townsend, Hampton Court 57pts
6th Andrew Wigley, Huntingdon 58pts
7th Phil Davenport, Huntingdon 58pts
8th Alan Viney, Guildford & Littleton 60pts
9th Mike Barnes, Hampton Court 70pts
10th Andrew Granger, Datchet 72pts