ILCA 6 Regatta Report

Published 14:49 on 11 Aug 2026

It was always going to be a competitive week, with George Reynolds and Charlie McKenzie just returning from strong performances at the ILCA Nationals, and Freddie Smithers switching to the somewhat more physical ILCAs after his Blue Fleet win at Yawl Weekend. We also had an increasingly rare appearance from Edward Alexander, as the rugby season doesn't start for a few weeks yet.

Across the six races, there were four different winners, with brilliantly close finishes coming down to just seconds on many occasions. There was a clear top four vying for the podium across the whole week, but every element of the fleet had its own personal battle throughout, for fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, with sailors moving up and down the leaderboard quite consistently.

Race 1

The first race was typical of how the week panned out, with leads changing hands, close finishes, and great battles. Freddie Smithers raced off into a big lead, only to be reeled in by George Reynolds and Charlie McKenzie. On the final beat, Smithers chose the East Portlemouth side, whilst McKenzie and Reynolds opted for the Salcombe side. Smithers regained the lead to take the bullet, with Andrew Groves almost sneaking into 2nd, just 7 seconds separating 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Race 2

On a day when wind was at a premium, and the ebb tide was picking up speed with every passing minute, Reynolds pulled away on the final beat and took the bullet, with McKenzie second, Groves third, and Smithers fourth. It was a bit of a masterclass in roll tacking from Reynolds and McKenzie, as they managed to propel themselves forward with pretty much zero wind and scant regard for rule 42.

Further down the fleet, a real battle was beginning to take shape for fifth, sixth, and seventh overall. Penny Guess, Gabriel Cranch, Alan Wilcox, and Alexander were all in close contention for those spots.

Race 3

Day three saw a reasonable breeze coming from the north-northeast. The first four round mark one were all pretty close, with McKenzie just taking the lead. McKenzie and Smithers pulled out a lead as they ran down towards Gerston, with Groves lagging back in sixth or seventh place, and Reynolds leading the chase of Smithers and McKenzie.

The race finished with McKenzie taking the bullet, Smithers in second, and just seven seconds separating Reynolds and Groves. Fifth and sixth, between Alexander and Wilcox, was also a close affair, with just a few seconds separating the two.

Race 4

Day four brought a force six southwesterly, causing havoc on the start line for all the classes that morning. There were many capsizes, followed by many more capsizes, as the fleet stretched out quite considerably between Blackstone and Yalton. Reynolds raced off into a big lead and took the win, his strong wind skills coming to the fore. Smithers reeled in Groves and McKenzie, as his weight advantage saw him gain some impressive upwind speed, to take 2nd, with Groves in 3rd and McKenzie 4th. Alexander finished right on McKenzie's transom, unable to find a way through.

Race 5

Race five saw Groves finally get a win. Reynolds came in second, and Smithers just after Reynolds, again with mere seconds between the two. McKenzie was lagging down in sixth after a disastrous capsize going towards the final mark, allowing Alexander and Guess through to take fourth and fifth, with Cranch coming in seventh, just a sparrow's fart behind McKenzie.

Race 6

On the final day, there was everything to play for, first v second, third v fourth, fifth v sixth, all battling it out. Smithers took an early lead, which he never relinquished, with Reynolds second and Guess 3rd.

Groves was on for a podium place, sailing in 3rd for just about the entire race, whilst McKenzie, battling more with himself than anyone else, was three places adrift. But in true Salcombe style, Groves was becalmed at the final mark, as Guess and Alexander sailed through with their own private wind. Despite hauling in Alexander, Groves couldn't get back past Guess, who held on to 3rd, having been improving all week after a long layoff from sailing, which had been spent completing marathons and triathlons at mind-boggling pace.

Overall Standings

Smithers' first place in the final race gave him the overall win for the week, with Reynolds in second and McKenzie in third.

First and second were level on points, with Smithers taking the overall win on countback, having recorded one more first place across the week. Third and fourth were separated by just a single point, between McKenzie and Groves. Fifth and sixth were only separated by three points, with Alexander just pipping Guess. Seventh and eighth were separated by just two points, between Wilcox and Cranch, although Cranch was AWOL for race six, last seen heading for Boardmasters with a tent and a very clear sense of priorities. Again, very close racing throughout the field.

Elsewhere in the fleet, Venetia Andrew came alive in the strongest winds, while Sudais Karin deserves a mention just for getting a boat with 1970s technology through the regatta in one piece. There was also a fierce battle at the tail end of the fleet, with Andy Searson and Jane Walker finishing on equal points, Searson taking it on countback.

It's safe to say this was the best regatta week for at least 10 years, and possibly ever. It had everything. Light winds, strong winds, medium winds, a high-quality field, and the week's best three sailors on the podium. It really was an absolutely brilliant week, and to top it all, we had Mediterranean-style weather. What more could we ask for, other than for next year's regatta to be brought forward to next week.

On behalf of the ILCA fleet, I'd like to thank the organisers and all the volunteers who made a fantastic week possible.

A.Groves | Photos Lucy Burn