At the recent Flying 15 world championship held in Dun Laoghaire, Eire, it was agreed by the Council of Flying 15 International that the first Flying 15 European Championship will be held in Puerto Pollensa, Majorca, in May 2004, and that France will host the 2007 worlds at a venue yet to be decided. This will be the first FF worlds to be held in Continental Europe. Despite the introduction of new classes the 15 is as popular as ever. In recent years strong fleets have been developing in Eire, France Belgium and Spain, some 50 years after Uffa Fox first tried to introduce the class to France by sailing a Fifteen across the Channel. A new European championship will give further impetus to the development of the class in Europe.

The Flying 15 is a well established international class with some 1200 boats worldwide. Apart from the UK which has over 40 recognised fleets there is a growing representation worldwide in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, USA and South Africa.

The next world championship will be held in Auckland, New Zealand in March 2005.

The 2003 Flying 15 worlds, hosted by NYC in Dun Laoghaire, were won by the husband and wife team of Barry and Sue Parkin in a five-year-old boat – the first time a ladies name has been on the trophy. There were 77 entries mostly from the UK and Ireland but there were nine boats from Australia, seven from New Zealand and representation from France, Hong Kong and Spain. There was a separate Championship for Classic/Silver boats with 23 entries.

Overall Results

1 GBR 3630 Barry and Sue Parkin 42.0

2 GBR 3703 Mike Hart and Richard Rigg 42.0

3 AUS 3781 Rod Beurteaux and Chris O’Keefe 46.4

4 GBR 3721 Steve Goacher and Phil Evans 47.0

5 IRL 3688 Justin Burke and Alan Green 61.7

6 USA 3779 Rupert Mander and Chris Hewkin 62.0

7 GBR 3675 Adrian Tattersall and Tim Smart 66.0

8 GBR 3615 Roger and Barbara Palmer 66.7

Classics/Silver

1 Classic GBR 798 Simon Dangerfield and John Washington 6.0

2 Silver GBR 3175 Brian Campbell-Bottoms and Allan Harley 16.0

3 Classic IRL 671 David Hill and Johnny Armstrong 16.7

4 Classic GBR 2663 Jeremy Arnold and Mike Pearce 21.7

5 Classic AUS 2251 Ian Anderson and Richard Blanquiere 24.7

6 Classic GBR 759 Peter Hogg and David Downes 27.7