Lincoln Radio Sailing Club

Lincoln Radio Sailing Club

Midland District/LRSC Winter Series Pop-up Event – 4th January 2026

Report by Martyn Aspinall.

The weather conditions gave us an auspicious start to the day, with a very light wind and a temperature below -4 degrees which allowed ice to form around the edge of the lake. The wind increased and the rising sun rectified this situation however and allowed racing to start at the scheduled time. A course was set with a beat and run utilising most of the length of the South bank. Course length 2 ½ laps taking around ten minutes.

Tim Hand took the first race followed by Peter Stollery and Josh King. Peter and Josh then proceeded to give something of a masterclass, taking most of the first and second positions in the following 14 races. Tim also took the sixth race, but the only other person to gain a race win was Rob Wilson, who commanded the last race from start to finish.

Race winning was only a small factor in this very enjoyable day however. The sun shone, the wind stayed with us and the sporting attitude of the competitors gave everybody a good day of sailing with a chance to do well. The racing was close and the competition was fierce in a very pleasant way. The cold was largely forgotten about!

The final result was Peter Stollery in first position with 19 points, Josh King, second, with 25 points and Tim Hand (as the first Midland District boat) in third place with 60 points. An inspiring practice for the IOM Worlds at Datchet you guys!

Many thanks to the helpers in setting up and putting away the gear. To Jen, for the race day starting, finishing and race management in which she was ably assisted by Alan, Adrian Cripps and Terry King, who will hopefully be supplying some photos after his and Josh’s long journey home. Special thanks to Darin for the background work in setting the day up and for the course laying/boat rescues and general operational advice on the day.

Report by Martyn Aspinall (PRO)

We as a club just wanted to wish all skippers, and followers ,of the club a fabulous new year ahead.

2025 has been a fantastic fantastic year for the club, and it’s skippers, and now we move into 2026, The I.O.M fleet returns to Lincoln with the Rd 3 of the Midland District Winter series this coming Sunday the 4th January , with 14 entries in so far ,don’t delay and get you entry in via the MYA events page.

A very pleasant day, considering it was December and it was Lincoln’s last racing for 2025 , we could have done with a bit more breeze , but no complaints, it was not raining and that’s a plus. 8 keen skippers were out , could have been 9, but Martyn’s coach ( Jen ) was resting.🤣, we also greeted a visitor Alan , he has done a bit of dinghy ( is that spelt right) but never set eyes on a Transmitter, until now.

Joint OOD’s for the day , like all of us chipping in , and racing got started just after ten am, Martyn got off to a good start ( I knew it was a mistake lending him my best sails ) but he romped home with the first two bullets, a silent smug look on his face 😏, The bank was strangely quiet everybody concentrating very hard and as you can guess with a Northern quarter wind direction it got very light and very shifty up near the weather mark.

Most were on A +rigs but i did see a B rig out , its OK Kevin I wont say a word , Micky Boy then got into his stride, but he could not shake off Martyn, much to his annoyance😒, Sam P 59 was going well as was Mike H 22 who has not been a member for too long, but I hear may have a dark secret !!!! Ill tell you about it next year in the news, provided your a member !!!! Paul 232 was up and down and a few of us showed some nice touches, but you really needed to get to the weather mark in the first three to be in with a sniff of this very long 1 lap course, Richard and Kevin seemed to be suffering a bit , maybe set up , maybe not, but they were just not at the races today, Mike got a bullet in race 6 and is definitely one to watch, But Martyn just goes marching on , Taking the last 4 races and the mornings top step.

Just want to say that a couple of us gave our newcomer a couple or more goes with the transmitter, and personally you could tell he has experience with bigger boats Dinghy’s and in the short time he was with us seemed to get on very well . so lets hope we see him again, and he get’s the bug just like the rest of us has . Very well done Martyn, and next time bring your own shoddy old sails 🤣.

Thanks to all for getting the stuff put away , and Ill see you all next year .

Cant believe how quiet it was on the bank, still back to normal next week 😊

# IOM round 6 Race Report Sunday 21st December 2025, By Paul Kelly

In a bold display of optimism, helms managed a ten-race series on the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year. Fortunately, IOM racing moves at a blistering pace. 

A few regular faces were notably absent – whether they were caught up in last-minute Christmas shopping or had opted to celebrate the solstice at Stonehenge instead remains a mystery. However, a strong fleet of 14 helms turned out, all bidding for victory.

Despite the unpromising conditions during the journey to the club, with rain lashing windscreens and spirits dampening en route, the weather gods smiled upon Lincoln once racing commenced. The rain held off throughout the day, allowing all ten races to be completed in dry conditions – a welcome reprieve that was no doubt appreciated by skippers. The wind was light, rarely exceeding 5 kts, so A rig was the order of the day.

Special thanks go to Darin Ballington and Pete Walters for their efforts in setting up the course & equipment before racing, ensuring everything was ready for a prompt 10 am start.

Pete Walters (Venti sail #65) dominated the day’s racing, claiming victory with an impressive 12.0 points from the ten races (with two discards). His consistency was remarkable, highlighted by him taking 5 race wins and when utilising his discards not counting any race outside the top three across the day. This masterclass in consistency saw him take the top spot with a comfortable margin.

Tim Hand (Britpop sail #134) secured second place overall with 19.0 points. Tim showed strong form with two victory’s and demonstrated excellent consistency throughout the fleet. Hand has qualified for the World Championships at Datchet next year, demonstrating the high calibre of competition at Lincoln.

Roger Crates completed the podium in third position, also sailing a Venti (sail #30), finishing on 20.0 points. Crates opened strongly with a commanding win in race 1 and maintained solid positions throughout, proving the Venti hull’s competitiveness in the conditions.

Darin Ballington (Pikanto sail #98) finished fourth with 27.0 points. Like Hand, Ballington has also secured his place at the Datchet World Championships, underlining the quality of racing at Lincoln where world-class sailors regularly compete.

Mick Chamberlain rounded out the top five with 29.0 points in his Venti (sail #46). Chamberlain showed flashes of brilliance with a race win in race 7.

Chris Elliott (Britpop sail #74) finished sixth on 47.0 points after a challenging day that included some higher-placed finishes. The battle intensified further down the fleet, with Martyn Aspinall, Mick Cooper, Paul Kelly, and Adrian Cripps all finishing within twenty points of each other.

The conditions clearly suited a variety of hull designs, with Venti, Britpop, and Pikanto hulls all featured prominently in the results, showcasing the competitive nature of IOM racing. The slightly older designs on show today were very much in the mix and not far off the leaders with the Vision and Robot of Peter and Ron both getting some excellent mid fleet results at times.

Grateful thanks go to everyone who helped pack away at the end of the day – many hands made light work, ensuring the club was left shipshape for the festive season.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Paul Kelly OOD