Big Winds at the UKLA East ILCA Grand Prix at Grafham Water Sailing Club
by John Elder 15 Sep 06:47 PDT
12 September 2026
John Elder was 2nd in the ILCA7 fleet at the UKLA East ILCA Grand Prix at Grafham Water Sailing Club © Paul Sanwell / OPP
Conditions at the UKLA East ILCA Grand Prix Open at Grafham Water Sailing Club matched the formidable forecast of a South-Westerly breeze of 12 knots, gusting up to a vicious 27 knots under changing cloud cover and bright intervals.
The wind conditions prompted several of the 38 entrants to change down a rig size before launching to maintain control. The race management team ran three back-to-back races over a trapezoid course. Due to the high winds, the fleet was glad that the opening race of three laps was shortened to two laps for the remaining two races.
ILCA 4 Fleet
In the ILCA 4 fleet, Will Keys-Batson (NBYC/WOBYC) put on a spectacular display of heavy-weather boat handling, winning all three races to take the class victory with 2.0 net points. His score also secured him the overall handicap title for the event. Isobelle Johnson (WOBYC) finished second overall with a 2-2 recovery in the final two races, finishing ahead of Ella Bonnett (Orford Sailing Club) in third.
ILCA 6 Fleet
The 22-boat ILCA 6 fleet proved to be the largest and fiercest contest of the day, demanding boat speed and pinpoint downwind control.
Nathan Clark (WOBYC) won all three races to take first place overall. Ciara Murphy (Cayman Islands Sailing Club) finished second with two 2nd-place finishes after discarding an initial 5th. Kieran Vanhoutte (Ely Sailing Club) took third overall. Local Grafham sailor William Swann finished fourth overall, securing two 4th-place finishes in the final two races after a difficult opening race.
ILCA 7 Fleet
John Elder (Grafham Water Sailing Club) won the opening race of the ILCA 7 fleet. However, Daniel Bull (Rollesby Broad Sailing Club) won the class outright on 2.0 net points after winning both Race 2 and Race 3, recovering from a 7th-place finish in Race 1.
John Elder (1-3) and David Gale (2-2) finished tied on 4.0 net points. Elder took second place overall on the tie-break due to his opening race win, placing Gale in third. Marcellus Pryor (Draycote Water Sailing Club) finished fourth overall, helped by a 2nd-place finish in Race 2.
Conditions and Capsizes
The 27-knot gusts made handling difficult across the course, causing two mast failures during the event. Capsizes were frequent across all fleets, with one competitor recording at least 20 capsizes over the three races before reaching the finish line.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from the competitors to the race officer, safety boat crews, and shore volunteers for managing the heavy weather conditions safely.
Grafham Water SC extends an invitation to all ILCA sailors to join them for their winter series running from November to March offering big courses and fleet racing every Sunday.
Overall Results:
ILCA 4 Fleet
1. Will Keys-Batson (NBYC/WOBYC) - 2.0 net pts (Overall Handicap Winner)
2. Isobelle Johnson (WOBYC) - 4.0 net pts
3. Ella Bonnett (Orford Sailing Club) - 5.0 net pts
ILCA 6 Fleet
1. Nathan Clark (WOBYC) - 2.0 net pts
2. Ciara Murphy (Cayman Islands Sailing Club) - 4.0 net pts
3. Kieran Vanhoutte (Ely Sailing Club) - 5.0 net pts
4. William Swann (Grafham Water Sailing Club) - 8.0 net pts
ILCA 7 Fleet
1. Daniel Bull (Rollesby Broad Sailing Club) - 2.0 net pts
2. John Elder (Grafham Water Sailing Club) - 4.0 net pts (Won tie-break)
3. David Gale (Grafham Water Sailing Club) - 4.0 net pts
4. Marcellus Pryor (Draycote Water Sailing Club) - 7.0 net pts