THE Royal Windermere Yacht Club’s Steve Goacher won the Flying Fifteen National Championships held at Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland - making him the reigning UK, European and World Champion.

Over 50 boats competed in the competition, which was plagued by lack of wind on three of the four days, concluding with three very competitive races.

Also competing in the National Championships at Strangford Lough were Nigel and Gavin Tullett in ‘Niffty’, coming 17th overall.

Youth team members, not just seasoned sailors, travelled well beyond Windermere over the past week to put the club on the map in national events.

Members of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club’s youth squad had a fantastic team in the West Lancashire Yacht Club’s 24-hour race held at Southport.

The club’s team took sixth place overall in a very competitive field of 23 dinghies. The race is over 50 years old and requires sailors to race continuously over a 24 hour period.

Back at home on Windermere, the club’s results for the past week were heavily influenced by very light and warm conditions on the lake:

• Denis Hope handicap race – cancelled owing to lack of wind

• Dinghy Handicap race (June 28) - first place went to Robert Richardson (son) in his RS100, second to Richard Thompson in his GP14 and third to John Richardson (father) also in an RS100

• Dinghy Handicap race (July 1) - first place went this time to John Richardson (father), second to Peter Wright in his Devoti D-One, and third to Phil Hubbard also in a Devoti D-One.

• Two Flying Fifteen races as part of the Ffresco Trophy - Race 1 –first place to Phil Snewin in Carbon Footprint; second place to John Walter in ‘No Illusions’; Race 2 – first place to John Walter in ‘No Illusions’, second place to Adam Cowley in Ffloosey.

Also competing over the weekend was the Royal Windermere Yacht Club’s Ted Parker in ‘Ben O II’ who took first place in the Windermere Cruising Association’s handicap race.