9th and final G W Smith Race Trophy Race, Thursday 28th August

Published 15:00 on 30 Aug 2025

Image by Jonathan Key

Sadly the last race of the summer evening series has been sailed. This was a key race with two helms, David Baker in a Merlin Rocket and Tom Bull in an ILCA7, at the head of the table with equal points. A first for either would clinch the series, or a 2^nd if the other finished behind them.

We had a good turnout of 16 boats, 6 ILCA7s, 4 Merlin Rockets, 3 Toppers with Junior helms, 2 N18s and a lone Solo. The wind was from the west southwest prompting the OOD, Chris Taggart to set a dog leg with a start to Canbury. While it appeared to be relatively strong and gusty when rigging, the wind died down a little for the race but still surprised with a few stronger gusts.

Understandably with so many boats the start line was crowded, particularly at the windward end. David Baker was a victim of this and gave himself a handicap with a late start. Two of the other Merlins, Peter Johnson and Paul Jamieson and John and Zoë Adams and benefited from clearer water on the Kingston bank and round the first mark in that order. Peter and Paul led John and Zoë for the first two laps before the Adams managed to find one of the gusts to overtake Peter and Paul on Canbury to take the lead. Meanwhile David Baker and Carolyne Vines had been steadily working their way through the fleet to challenge the Adams for the lead. However although they came close, John and Zoe managed to hold them off for a rare race win.

Meanwhile the other protagonist for the series, Tom Bull in his ILCA7 had also been charging up the fleet, from 7^th at one point, to racing side by side with David Baker for 2^nd. However he dropped back a little and eventually finished 5th behind Peter and Paul in 3^rd, and Tim Medcalf in his Solo who had been quietly keeping out of trouble and picking the wind shifts to finish as the first single hander in 4^th.

The dominance of the Merlins on the water was not repeated in the handicap results. Tim Medcalf was 1^st in his Solo and Tom Bull in his ILCA7 achieved the 2^nd he needed to overtake David Baker in the series, with David and Carolyne coming in 4^th behind John and Zoë.

So after a hard-fought battle, the winner of the G W Smith Trophy for 2025 is Tom Bull in his IlCA7, with David Baker and Carolyne Vines in a Merlin Rocket a very close 2^nd.

The top 6 are:

1^st Tom Bull, ILCA7, 5 points

2^nd David Baker and Carolyne Vines/Barbara Adams, Merlin Rocket, 6 points

3^rd Tim Medcalf, Solo 10 points

4^th Tim Barr, Solo 11 points

5^th Matty Key, ILCA7 14 points

6^th Lyra Wade, ILCA7 16 points

Congratulations to Lyra as the first junior, but also congratulations to all the other juniors who took part, particularly those that had to deal with the larger fleets in August.

Thanks to Chris Taggart and his assistant in the box, Eva Heap and to David and Cameron Jerram in the patrol boat.

Jean-Michel, and his team of Charlotte and Meg in the bar and kitchen, served up a great supper of Seared salmon with tenderstem broccoli, carrots and roasted new potatoes, or Vegetable curry with rice, and followed by Pear belle Helene.

This has been a good series and not only for the closeness of the finishes. We sailed all 9 races with no cancellations for lack of or too much wind, we had 38 entrants sail at least one race and 12 who finished at least 4. Attendance in July was relatively quiet with a maximum of 11, but picked up markedly in August with two nights of 19 entries and 16 as the lowest.

The high entries in August was due in no small measure to Tim Medcalf encouraging the RYA training team to enter (David Baker may not think this was a good idea as it was the chief trainer, Tom Bull who denied him victory in the series) as well as Juniors. It was very good not only to see the Juniors racing but also to the way the younger sailors were enjoying the social aspect of the evenings.

Thanks to all those that sailed, as well as all the box and patrol boat volunteers and to Jean -Michel and his team in the kitchen and bar who all make the evenings possible and enjoyable.

We look forward to Summer 2026.

Last updated 15:11 on 30 August 2025