Firefly Weekend Report
Published 09:55 on 20 Oct 2026
Perfect conditions blessed the Spinnaker Firefly Weekend, hosted by Spinnaker Sailing Club over the weekend of 17–18 October 2026. After a season dominated by easterly and westerly breezes, which can reduce Spinnaker's already modest 65 acres of sailing water to something closer to 30, it was a rare treat to enjoy a strong and relatively (by Spinnaker standards, at least!) stable Force 4 north-north-easterly breeze throughout the weekend.
The conditions were ideal for both events, allowing an impressive 68 team races to be completed at the Twisted Tube on Saturday 17 October, followed by a seven-race fleet-racing sprint series at the Firefly Open on Sunday 18 October. In total, 58 competitors took part across the two days, with 18 entries for the Twisted Tube and 20 for the Firefly Open. The strong turnout was particularly impressive given that several class stalwarts were otherwise engaged celebrating the marriage of National Firefly Class Association Chair Jenny Smallwood to her Firefly crew, Philip Aldhous.
From everyone at Spinnaker Firefly Weekend, and as so beautifully put by Firefly class legend Guy Davison: "We wish congratulations to the Happy Couple!!! Here's to many years of happiness and Fireflying!"
Saturday - The Twisted Tube
The Twisted Tube's unique random-pairs format attracts a wonderfully eclectic mix of sailors. Seasoned Wilson Trophy champions find themselves lining up against up-and-coming team racers still cutting their teeth on the schools and university circuits. Of course, a few competitors may have been a little rusty and perhaps not quite as well prepared as they once were! Following the pre-start briefing from Chief Umpire (and Spinnaker Commodore) Tom Clay, there was a sudden rush to acquire protest flags. Fortunately, a quick application of the Race Committee's scissors to a Lidl bulk-shopping bag produced several rather fetching, and crucially protest-rule-compliant, red flags for those who had forgotten theirs!
Mel Sherrington had swapped her usual helm (and husband) for her son Toby, while Arthur Greaves teamed up with another Sherrington, Toby's younger brother Rowan. Arthur & Rowan had secured a free entry courtesy of last year's champion helm, Ed Smith, who was forced to withdraw shortly before the event. Last year's champion crew, Gilly Ansell, having been left high and dry by Ed, teamed up with 2013 Twisted Tube-winning helm Chris Guy.
The university contingent was well represented, with two boats from Southampton University and four from Plymouth University. Leading the local charge, albeit as newly arrived Plymouth University fresher, was Spinnaker regular Jaz McQuillan, sailing with her father, Keith, who arrived fresh from his victory at the Frensham Pond SC Solo Open the previous weekend.
In the youth competition, last year's winners, Claires Court School, returned with a new line-up. They were joined by Freya Phillips, granddaughter of Spinnaker SC & Firefly Class legends Tiggy & Greg, who was sailing with helm Jack Knapper.
Following a long, hot summer with barely a drop of rain, compounded by two weeks of continuous reservoir drawdown to supply water to firefighters tackling the infamous A31 New Forest fires in August, Blashford Lake had become blighted by climbing weed. Fortunately, the Race Committee managed to lay the course in the deepest part of the lake, avoiding the worst of the weed. The comprise however was that Dragon Island was positioned ominously on the righthand side of the downwind leg, providing a rather more formidable obstacle than the virtual boundaries of a modern America's Cup course! But really, who wants to approach the third mark of a standard Digital S team-racing course on port tack anyway?
Racing got underway in a building breeze. Perhaps it was already apparent that Toby & Mel meant business: they were among the few boats on the water and ready for the 1027 warning signal. With 30 seconds to go, the start boat raised an AP signal, giving the stragglers time to make it to the start area. The first race eventually got underway at around 1040.
Racing continued without a hitch until approximately 1245, by which time 32 races had been completed. The fleet then headed ashore for a short lunch break, which was appreciated by competitors, umpires and race management alike. It is another real benefit of this excellent format: well-fed, watered and rested officials must surely make better umpire calls? I am certain the competitors would agree... At lunchtime, Arthur & Rowan, and Toby & Mel, had emerged as the teams to beat, both boasting five wins from seven races.
After the break, Race 44 provided a vintage team-racing encounter and decisive to the final standings, bringing together several of the leading combinations. Arthur & Rowan were paired with Adam Aziz & Alessandro Frank Pegoraro of Southampton University, facing Toby & Mel, who were teamed up with Ollie Thompson & Amy Ching of Plymouth University. The race came down to classic two-boat team-racing tactics on the final beat. Toby & Mel won the race's final manoeuvre, allowing them to finish third, with Arthur & Rowan behind in fourth. Thus Toby & Mel with Adam & Aziz were awarded the race win. In Race 49 Toby & Mel were again against Arthur & Rowan. This time, Toby & Mel were paired with David & Henry Cheshire, while Kieran Bowsher & Rose Dale teamed up with Arthur & Rowan. Arthur & Rowan initially appeared to have the upper hand, but Toby & Mel managed to prevent them from fighting back, by holding Kieran & Rose in fourth place, while David & Henry stormed to victory. Meaning another race win for Toby & Mel.
Ultimately, Toby, ably assisted by his mum and following in his father's footsteps, nailed the important races to claim the 2026 Twisted Tube title. Arthur & Rowan finished a valiant second. The battle for third place went right down to the final race of the day. Chris & Gilly, sailing with Henry Hawkes & Laura Jubb, managed to get the better of Arthur's father, Steve, and his crew, Izzy Bretherton, who were paired with Toby & Mel. A decisive umpire call on the starboard layline of the final beat helped Chris & Gilly finish second in the race, with Henry & Laura third. That result secured the race win for Chris & Gilly and with it 03rd place in the overall rankings. The were just ahead of Ollie & Amy in fourth and Steve & Izzy in fifth in the overall rankings. All three boats were tied on 10 races wins, with the tiebreak being broken easily using the new KSail Race Management software. It should be noted, however, that had the Organising Authority provided the schedule in a larger A3 format, and Steve & Izzy correctly used the, event provided, waterproof pouch… they might have secured a few more wins; Failing eyesight and a disintegrating race schedule had conspired against them, resulting in a few missed starts!
James Power & Esme Prower were best of the rest, finishing sixth overall in the rankings. In the youth competition, Monty Morgan & Ben Havelock of Claires Court School SC took the title, recording nine wins from their 16 races. Second place went to Jack & Gilly, with Henry Adamson & Felix Reason, also of Claires Court School SC, taking third. Racing was completed by 1545, allowing competitors to enjoy a well-earned afternoon cup of tea in the clubhouse, some of who were, joined by several generations of their families. At the prize-giving, Toby Sherrington thanked the race teams. The Organising Authority would also like to send a with a special mention to the team at KSail, whose excellent and newly created race schedule allowed more racing than in previous years and dealt effortlessly with the tricky tie-break situations that so often blight random-pairs events. The KSail team provided wonderful support to the event, both in the lead up and during it!
Sunday - The Firefly Open
Saturday's excellent breeze continued into Sunday. Ten boats from the previous day were joined by three local Spinnaker boats and seven visitors, including the furthest-travelling competitors from Llangorse Sailing Club in mid-Wales. Race Officer Pete May set a classic Spinnaker SC orienteering course, featuring two reasonably long beats (this is Spinnaker after all), runs offering plenty of tactical options and a broad reach expertly positioned in the part of the lake with the most reliable wind. The result was some exhilarating sailing, with boats frequently planning across the water in gusts reaching 20 knots.
Racing got underway shortly after 1030. In Race 1, Nigel Wakefield & Sally Wilson, sailing the Ovington demonstration boat (which is due to be raffled at the club's 80th-anniversary party later in the year), nailed the pin-end start and carried that momentum throughout the race to take a comfortable victory. Oliver & Amy led the chasing pack, seemingly still in excellent form following their fourth-place finish at the Twisted Tube. Toby & Mel finished third, while Adam Aziz, now sailing with Martha Green, took fourth, just ahead of local helm Tom Clay, sailing single-handed. Finn Kameen, with his dad Paul crewing, led the youth fleet with an impressive eighth place, well clear of the remaining youth competitors.
In an effort to keep the racing short and sweet and achieve the seven-race target, the Race Committee shortened the course after one lap. Unfortunately, this meant that boats finishing between fifth and eighteenth were separated by less than 20 seconds. It was quickly decided that two-lap races would be needed to provide sufficient separation for the Race Committee to record the results accurately. Despite some understandable confusion, competitors amiably resolved a few discrepancies in the provisional results over lunch. This came as a considerable relief to the Race Committee, who had begun to fear that the race might need to be abandoned altogether. What a lovely bunch the Firefly Class is!
Race 2 was started promptly after the first race finished. Nigel & Sally once again nailed the pin end and were near the front at the windward mark. However, Lucy Boreham & Rachel Crebbin rounded first. After a couple of windward-leeward legs, Nigel & Sally regained the lead and held it to the finish, securing their second bullet of the day. Lucy & Rachel finished second, with Toby & Mel leading the chasing pack and Barney Smith & Alannah Hebbert in hot pursuit with several place changes throughout the fleet. Finn again led the youth fleet, but Jack Knapper & Freya Phillips were closing in, finishing just one place behind Finn and Paul.
Race 3 saw Nigel & Sally make a rare mistake, finding themselves outside the top five. Arthur Greaves, now sailing with a new crew, George Gillispe, led from start to finish. Lucy& Rachel were hot on their heels in second, with Adam & Martha taking third. Consistency was once again the name of the game for Finn, who led the youth fleet. Henry Adamson & Felix Reason overtook Jack & Freya to claim second in the youth standings.
The final race before lunch was won by Guy Davison & Sally Wakefield. By now, they seemed fully warmed up and reacquainted with Blashford Lake's truly unique conditions. They sailed beautifully, gradually carving out a commanding lead by the end of the two laps. It is worth noting that most crews had elected to forgo the jib stick, given the short legs and shifty breeze. Somehow, though, Sally's jib always seemed perfectly set, with the pole ready for Guy to simply take awaiting sheet. Truly impressive! Behind them came Nigel & Sally, while Ed Morris, now sailing single-handed, led the chasing pack in third. His seven-year-old son, who had been crewing for him, had decided that three races in a day were quite enough — a perfectly understandable nod to traditional sailing customs!
Lunch was a swift affair, with around 40 minutes planned between the end of Race 4 and the start of Race 5. Just enough time for a hot drink and a bite to eat! The Race Committee was once again ready and waiting and graciously held the fleet under an AP signal until all the stragglers had reached the race area.
Race 5 saw a return to normal service, with Nigel & Sally once again coming off the pin end perfectly and maintaining their lead all the way to the finish. Guy & Sally took second, with Ed Morris third after a close battle with Toby & Mel. Finn & Paul retired after lunch, leaving Jack & Freya to battle Henry & Felix for the honour of being the leading youth boat.
For Race 6, Ed Morris decided that he fancied a go at the pin end, which had seemed to be the exclusive preserve of Nigel & Sally. Lining up just above the pin-end layline, Nigel and Ed enjoyed an animated discussion about the intricacies of RRS 11 & 15. While the two boats tussled, Barney & Alannah pulled the trigger and went for the pin, only to arrive two seconds early! Barney & Alannah duly cycled round, while Nigel tacked away and crossed the line in the middle-left on port tack. Ed, meanwhile, was satisfied that he had finally won the pin. The three boats arrived at the windward mark in quick succession, only for Nigel and Ed to both be informed that they were OCS (on course side). Barney & Alannah were now in the box seat and sailed cleanly to take the win, with Guy & Sally second. Third place went to local boat Ben Schooling & Lucy May, who improved steadily throughout the day. Not bad at all, considering Lucy had been recruited that very morning and was crewing a Firefly for the first time — but surely not the last!
In the seventh and final race, three boats once again tussled for the pin end: Nigel & Sally, Guy & Sally, and Ed Morris. Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps not, but Guy & Sally managed to position themselves between Ed and Nigel & Sally, with Ed furthest to port at the pin. Ed rounded the windward mark in first place and managed to hold on for the win. The fleet then battled its way around Blashford Lake's familiar snakes and ladders, with several changes of position along the way. Adam & Martha eventually secured second, with Arthur & George third.
At the end of seven races, Nigel Wakefield & Sally Wilson took a comfortable overall victory. They could perhaps have come ashore after their OCS in Race 6, but the close racing throughout the day made it difficult to know when to call it a day! Second overall went to Guy Davison & Sally Wakefield, with Arthur Greaves & George Gillespie taking third. Racing was completed by 1545, after which competitors were treated to a scrumptious Regatta Tea. The spread included smoked salmon bagels left over from the lunches provided for the Twisted Tube umpires — how the other half live! The centrepiece, however, was a batch of truly delicious brownies baked by Alannah Hebbert.
At the prize-giving, Nigel heaped praise on Pete May and his team for running seven excellent races with minimal fuss. Pete, never one for the limelight, simply remarked: "with good wind anyone can look like they know what they are doing!" This modest assessment rather undersells the excellent work of the Spinnaker SC volunteers, who delivered a superb event across both days. Bravo to them all, and a huge thank you!
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend of Firefly sailing, combining excellent conditions, fiercely competitive racing, good humour and the camaraderie for which the class is renowned. There cannot be many dinghy classes where boats tussling for the lead can have an age range of 65 years! A huge thank you to everyone who competed, officiated, volunteered and helped make the Spinnaker Firefly Weekend such a success. We hope to see even more of you at next year's edition!
Last updated 09:55 on 20 October 2026
