International 14 Autumn Pint and Autumn Trophy 2026 at Itchenor Sailing Club

International 14 Autumn Pint at Itchenor © Caroline Gosford

Day one of the International 14 Autumn Weekend saw 12 boats out on the water, with Andy Shaw & Rob Struckett returning after an excellent World Championship win on Lake Ontario, and Martin Jones, sailing with Harry Kennedy, returning from an Achilles injury.

Conditions were fairly boisterous on the way out, with gusts topping 20 knots. PRO Jo Bernie set an excellent course in the westerly — so excellent, in fact, that the HISC elite fleet chose to set up its own start line on the upper part of the course.

Race 1

Andy & Rob, Andy Fitzgerald & Dan Johnson, Martin & Harry, and George Yeoman & Alex Knight shot off on the first lap. At the windward mark, there was a little confusion as Martin & Harry wrapped the buoy's anchor line. Andy & Dan also got involved in a port-starboard incident.

Kimball Morrison & James Cunnison rounded just behind the leading group and enjoyed the best hoist, setting up a tight battle between four boats down the next run. It was an early-gybe course, and boats found themselves hanging on to their gybes for too long while fighting each other. This allowed 1557 and 1546 to close the gap at the bottom mark.

Meanwhile, at the front, Andy & Dan had taken a swim, allowing George & Alex to take up the chase on Andy & Rob. They ran out of race track before they could catch the World Champions — although Andy & Rob kept the fleet honest with a capsize of their own just after the finish.

International 14 Autumn Pint at Itchenor - photo © Caroline Gosford

Race 2

The wind dropped a little, but the sea state built at each corner. Andy & Rob made things interesting by capsizing on the first beat.

At the first windward mark, there was a hoist-off among the leading boats, and it was Martin & Harry who got the jump on the fleet. George & Alex came back down the run but hooked the downhaul under the bow, allowing Martin & Harry to lead into the next beat.

By the next windward mark, George & Alex had pulled through and were being chased down by Andy & Rob. However, George & Alex extended their lead to a comfortable margin going into the final lap.

The wind shifts were still out there, though, and fortune favoured the brave. Andy & Rob pushed further out into the tide on the right-hand side and managed to complete the beat in one tack, taking a huge chunk out of George & Alex's lead.

On the next run, Andy & Rob had just overhauled George & Alex for first when the latter capsized in the chase. With failed kite blocks, George & Alex had to retire.

Martin & Harry kept the pressure on, but ultimately Andy & Rob sailed to a comfortable win, taking the Autumn Pint in style with a perfect 1-1 scoreline. Kimball & James came home in third, demonstrating that keeping the mast in the air is a skill worth having.

Podium — Autumn Pint

1. Andy Shaw & Rob Struckett: Still good on salty water.
2. Martin Jones & Harry Kennedy: Still good after a break.
3. Kimball Morrison & James Cunnison: Crewing is hard work for a helm.

International 14 Autumn Pint at Itchenor - photo © Caroline Gosford

Autumn Pint Full Results:

International 14 Autumn Trophy at Itchenor - photo © Caroline Gosford

Sunday

Sunday saw the International 14 fleet competing for the Autumn Trophy, with nine boats greeted by a very light northwesterly, gusting up to six knots. The fleet also saw the welcome return of multiple POW champion Neale Jones, sailing with Jam Adam.

The race officer bravely headed down the harbour in search of a race course, eventually being caught up with in dribs & drabs by the fleet before managing to get the first of two windward-leeward races under way.

International 14 Autumn Trophy at Itchenor - photo © Caroline Gosford

Race 1

A heavily pin-end-biased start line saw a gaggle of boats pile onto the pin. It was George Yeoman & Alex Knight who managed the best start, leading out towards the left-hand side.

As the fleet slowed to a crawl, it became apparent just how unstable International 14s are at low speed, let alone high speed. Both Andy Fitzgerald & Dan Johnson and Martin Jones & Harry Kennedy went for a swim mid-tack.

However, this may have been a stroke of genius by the masters. Both teams scooped their boats upright and accelerated out of their capsizes, hooking into a lovely left-hand breeze that lifted them inside George & Alex and carried them all the way to the top mark, closely followed by Kimball Morrison & Lottie Johns.

The same breeze was still there as the early rounders set off downwind, some choosing to gybe early. George & Alex stayed high, hooked back into the breeze and clawed their way back to second place.

It wasn't enough to overhaul Andy & Dan, who rounded the leeward mark comfortably and took the first race of the day as the shortened-course flag went up.

Dom & Simo also had a fantastic race, going toe-to-toe with Katie Nurton down the run, only to lose out at the final leeward mark.

International 14 Autumn Trophy at Itchenor - photo © Caroline Gosford

Race 2

By the start of the next race, the wind had shifted around to the south, although conditions were becoming increasingly glassy.

The fleet got away with little movement on the start line, but George & Alex were able to peel out to the left-hand side and find a zephyr of breeze that carried them across Andy & Rob, Neil & Jam, and Martin & Harry.

Charlie Duchesne also managed to find the favoured left-hand side. As the fleet approached the windward mark, the race committee motored past and raised the shortened-course flag, turning what would have been the final windward-leeward lap into a windward sprint.

George & Alex held on to take their second race win of the day — and with it, the Autumn Trophy.

Podium — Autumn Trophy

1. George Yeoman & Alex Knight
2. Andy & Dan
3. Martin & Harry

International 14 Autumn Pint and Autumn Trophy at Itchenor - photo © Caroline Gosford