ILCA Northern Circuit 2026 - Summary: Ian Jones makes it 29 in a row

ILCA Northern Circuit prizewinners © Mick Scholes

Ian Jones makes it 29 in a row as Northern ILCA Grand Prix goes out in style

The 2026 Northern ILCA Grand Prix was sponsored by Performance Sailcraft Europe, and has wrapped up at Dovestone, with Ian Jones (Dovestone SC) taking the title for the 29th consecutive year. Over 16 events across the north of England, 163 individual sailors from nearly 30 clubs turned out, and 14 of them qualified by sailing six or more events. The series result counted each sailor's six best results.

Up on 2025

The circuit keeps growing. Scammonden, cancelled in 2025 because of low water, was back on the calendar, and the sailor count climbed by more than a quarter.

The Jones juggernaut

Ian started 11 of the 16 events and won nine: Blackpool, Redesmere, West Lancs, Ogston, Rudyard Lake, Budworth, Leigh & Lowton Day 2, Scammonden and the Dovestone finale. He added a second at Hollingworth, behind Toby Waggett, and a third on Leigh & Lowton Day 1.

Not everything went his way. Tim Keighley (West Riding SC) won at Winsford Flash and Elton, Lewis Bacon (Leigh & Lowton SC) won at West Kirby and Pennine, and Richard Marsh (Hollingworth SC) won Leigh & Lowton Day 1. Six different sailors won events in all, two of them youth sailors.

Last time someone else won

Ian Jones has won 29 years running, the last different name on the trophy was Paul Goodison in 1997. That was a year of Tamagotchis, Spice Girls, local lads Oasis were on their third album, the first Harry Potter book, Teletubbies, Dolly the sheep, a Labour landslide and Cool Britannia. It was also the year Titanic sailed into cinemas, which feels about right for a fleet that has been chasing one man's transom ever since. Some of the sailors weren't even born, so might need to ask their parents what it was like.

Ian Jones wins the ILCA Northern Circuit for the 29th time - photo © Mick Scholes

Women and youth

Women made up 29 of the 163 sailors and young sailors 37, 11 of them girls. Girls were nearly a third of the youth fleet, against 18 women among the 126 adults. The results show they weren't just taking part.

• Ava Harris-Scott (Delph SC) opened the circuit by winning the first event at Delph.
• Toby Waggett (Derwent Reservoir SC) won overall at Hollingworth.
• Wendy Jones (Dovestone SC) finished in the top three at Rudyard Lake, Scammonden and Elton.
• Poppy Bedwell (West Lancashire YC) was runner-up at Elton.
• Kathryn Partington-Smith (Pennine SC) was second at Dovestone.
• Tristan Shaw (Budworth SC) took three podiums, including second at Delph and Pennine.
• Luke Wilshire (Ogston SC) was third at Ogston and Thomas Walker (Nantwich & Border SC) third at Redesmere and qualified as highest placed youth sailor.

Of the 14 qualifiers, three were women (Wendy Jones - Dovestone SC, Lilly Brown - Delph SC and Poppy Bedwell - West Lancs YC) and five were youth (Lilly, Poppy, Thomas Walker, Lochlyn Grant of Delph SC and Oscar Thomson of Rudyard Lake SC).

Girl Power - Wendy Jones and Lilly Brown on the ILCA Northern Circuit - photo © Mick Scholes

The qualifiers

Six events or more winning prizes from the Northern circuit sponsor Performance Sailcraft Europe.

Busy fleets and travelling sailors

The biggest turnout was 41 boats at Delph, followed by 33 at Pennine, then 25 each at West Kirby and Leigh & Lowton.

The hosts

Delph SC opened the circuit with the biggest fleet of the series, 15 of the 41 boats youth sailors. Home sailor Ava Harris-Scott won the first event, and Delph helms were back on the podium at Blackpool (Will Taylor, third) and Leigh & Lowton (Billy Morris, third).

Ava Harris-Scott during the Delph SC ILCA Open - photo © Dave Woods

Hollingworth SC welcomed 20 boats. Toby Waggett of Derwent Reservoir took the win from Ian Jones and Stuart Belfield, and Hollingworth's own Richard Marsh went on to win Leigh & Lowton Day 1.

Blackpool & Fleetwood YC brought 23 boats to the line, ten of them from the home club. Peter McChrystal's second place behind Ian Jones was the best of a strong home showing.

Redesmere SC put ten of the 16 boats on the water. Thomas Brindley was second at home and second again at Winsford Flash, and youth sailor Jemima Woodcook was in the fleet.

West Lancashire YC hosted 15 boats. Poppy Bedwell, who sailed six events and was second at Elton, led a strong women's contingent, with Kaye Evans and Lucy Pettifer on the line at home.

Ogston SC had eleven home helms among 17 boats. Youth sailor Luke Wilshire's third place was the highlight, with Mike Wilshire, Jenny Irish and Daisy Ross also in the top ten. Ogston will appear on both the Northern and Midland circuits in 2027, bringing back a North v Midlands event.

Rudyard Lake SC put three sailors among the qualifiers: Oscar Nowell, Simon Thomson and youth sailor Oscar Thomson. At home, Annissa Baines was the best-placed club sailor in seventh. Rudyard SC was a stand out club, bringing some new faces to the travellers.

West Kirby SC had the biggest home turnout of the series, 17 of the 25 boats. Ioannis Koutsokeras took third behind winner Lewis Bacon. The event was sailed on the marine lake in ice cream melting temperatures.

Budworth SC took second and third at home through Peter Wilkinson and Tristan Shaw. Budworth sailors travelled all season, including Hugh Attfield, Luke Shaw and Reuben Lawrance, who was third at Pennine.

Pennine SC drew 33 boats, the second-biggest fleet of the series. Home sailors included Kathryn Partington-Smith, Emily Dengate, Seb Smith and Alex Horseman, who went on to take fourth at Rudyard Lake.

Leigh & Lowton SC hosted the series' only two-day event, with 25 boats on Day 1 and 24 on Day 2. The club's sailors were prominent all season: Lewis Bacon won at West Kirby and Pennine, Tom Keegan was second on Day 1 at home, and Stuart Belfield qualified with ten events.

Scammonden Water SC returned after 2025's cancellation and brought eight home helms to a fleet of 16, with Oli Boocock best placed in fifth. Sally Ratcliffe and Barbara Higgins were among the women sailing.

Winsford Flash SC hosted nine boats and saw Tim Keighley win. Danny Anderson led the home sailors in seventh, youth sailor Zoe Goodden was eighth..

Elton SC also hosted nine, with a win for Tim Keighley and second for Poppy Bedwell. Lee Drinkall was the top home sailor in seventh, ahead of John O'Brien and Greg Martin.

Dovestone SC brought the curtain down. Ian Jones won the finale, Kathryn Partington-Smith of Pennine SC was second.

The visitors

Visitors travelled in from Blithfield, Bolton, Burton, Filey, Llyn Brenig, Nantwich & Border, Otley, Trimpley, Scaling Dam and Oxford/Netley, and West Kirby, Wish and Redesmere all turned out strongly on home waters.

West Riding SC sent Tim Keighley, who won at Winsford Flash and Elton and was runner-up at Ogston, Rudyard Lake and LLSC Day 2. Nantwich & Border SC was represented by youth sailor Thomas Walker, who qualified with seven events and was third at Redesmere. Burton SC's Carl Avery qualified with eight events.

Delph's opener drew Derwent Reservoir (Toby Waggett), Scaling Dam (Henry Blades, third), Oxford SC/Netley SC (Julien Rohart, fourth), Bolton SC (Om Chandar), Otley (Matthew Ben Mccandless and Christa Shackleton), UYC (Olivia Dembinska) and Burton/Attenborough (Christine Statham, who returned for Pennine). Blithfield SC sent Paul Keeling, fifth at Rudyard Lake, and youth sailor Oscar Johnson to West Kirby. Leigh & Lowton's weekend drew Filey SC's Molly Wilson, an ILCA4 youth sailor who raced both days, Llyn Brenig's Gethin William Kelly and Leuen Kelly, and Trimpley SC's Jacob Blakeway.

Finale prizes

Performance Sailcraft Europe donated two tally prizes for the final event at Dovestone. A Bottom Cover went to Lilly Brown, who won it after a season of racing in the ILCA 6 fleet, and a Ronstan kicker went to Ian Jones. A big thank-you to Performance Sailcraft Europe for backing the circuit, and to every host club and race team who made it happen.

Lilly Brown wins the tally prize - ILCA Northern Circuit - photo © Mick Scholes

Looking ahead to 2027

Somebody, somewhere, is plotting how to end a 29-year run, and the 2027 season is the next chance to try. Sixteen events and 163 sailors have given the circuit plenty to build on next year.

See you on the water in 2027.

Overall Series Results: (those who entered two events or more)