The impressive turnout of 47 boats was treated to a warm welcome and excellent hospitality at Filey SC for the Greatkit Musto Skiff UK National Championship 2006 over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The boats came from 23 clubs spread all over mainland UK – from Peterhead in North East Scotland to Torbay in South West England.??Event sponsor Greatkit provided excellent prizes and mementos in the form of Gerber gear, and the class association kept the fleet informed of the latest information and results with an innovative and very useful text messaging service.?

The event had a wide range of conditions, starting with light winds and finishing with two days of gusty 15 to 20 knots. In between there was a day of no wind – which was a good opportunity for the better sailors to help the others, encouraged by an enthusiastically applied buddy system.?

The fleet is becoming increasingly competitive, but despite this the results were dominated by Richard Stenhouse from Rutland SC, who has regained the trophy that he last won in 2003. Richard puts much of his success down to his recent efforts to create a DVD for the class – which is making him think again about how he sails the boat and has led to improvements in his sailing.?

Overall Results

1st Richard Stenhouse, Rutland Sailing Club

2nd Ian Trotter, Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club

3rd Ian Renilson, Dalgety Bay Sailing Club

4th Dan Dixon, Stone Sailing Club

5th Rick Perkins, Whitstable Yacht Club

6th Simon Reynolds, Whitstable Yacht Club

7th Mark Addison, Stokes Bay Sailing Club

8th Dave Poston, Datchet Water Sailing Club

9th Graeme Oliver, Whitstable Yacht Club

10th Ant Chapman, Rutland Sailing Club

Silver fleet

1st Silver fleet Gareth Davies, Stone Sailing Club

2nd Silver fleet Gavin Homer, Dalgety Bay Sailing Club

3rd Silver fleet Will Crocker, EPSC