Finn UK Masters Championship at Hayling Island Sailing Club
by Lawrence Crispin 30 Apr 07:49 BST
25-26 April 2026

Finn UK Masters Championship at Hayling Island Sailing Club © HISC

Finn UK Masters Championship at Hayling Island Sailing Club © HISC


35 eager Finn sailors entered this year’s UK Masters Championship, ably hosted by Hayling Island Sailing Club over the 25-26 April.


This year’s competitors included a couple of legends of the Finn fleet, Rob McMillan from Australia, the current IFA President, and Filipe Silva from Portugal, a recent World Masters champion, plus Cameron Tweedle, a recent three-time National Champion. It was great to see many new sailors in the fleet and several returning Finnsters. Several new Finn clubs were represented, with three entries from Rutland and Blackwater apiece, proving that it’s more fun to travel to BFA events with your mates and save on travel costs.


A 5-8 knot south easterly with sunshine was forecast for Saturday, and racing was held in Bracklesham Bay, east of Chichester Harbour, off the Witterings. In race one at the top mark, the fleet was led round by Lawrence Crispin from Stone SC, closely followed by John Greenwood of West Kirby SC, a two-time World Masters champion, followed by Silva and McMillan. These positions more or less stayed the same until the last downwind, when Tim Carver from Warsash SC, noticing a tide change, gybed early at the top mark and managed to pass all five boats and crossed for a deserved win. It was noticeable that the top sailors at the front of the fleet followed the wind shifts closely downwind, frequently gybing to maintain the optimal VMG to the bottom gate.


In race two the ever-consistent Greenwood and John Heyes from Warsash SC led round the top mark, these two had a great battle round the course, with Greenwood getting the nod as they crossed the line.


Race three sailed in a decreasing wind; most of the fleet headed out to sea hoping for a possible clocking sea breeze, but a few stayed left and were rewarded with a touch more wind. Daniel Dixon from Blackwater SC, with superior upwind speed, led round the top mark followed by Greenwood and local sailor Mark MacDonald from Mengeham Rythe SC .


As the fleet crawled downwind in the dying wind, the race officer wisely decided to shorten course, and Dixon crossed for the win with a sizeable gap behind.


Sunday dawned with a chilly wind of 10-15 knots, and cloudy skies greeted the sailors for day two, with racing taking place on the more traditional area of Hayling Bay.

In race four started in a choppy sea, with the breeze gusting to 18-20 knots, the majority of the fleet heading left into the shore to keep out of the ebbing tide. Rob McMillan led, followed by a Cam Tweedle, a successful product of the BFA Under 23 squad and recent three-time British champion. The consistent Rob McMillan managed to stay comfortably ahead and crossed for his only win of the weekend.


Race five was almost a repeat of race four, with the fleet heading left, but this time headed by Tweedle, followed by the pretenders of McMillan, Silva and Crispin. On the last run a storming Nick Craig, a multiple world champion in numerous classes, overtook the pretenders with his superior downwind technique, but he was unable to catch race winner Tweedle, who showed strong athleticism in his downwind technique to match Craig’s speed.


Race six was sailed in a declining breeze but still with an awkward sea state, and so was far more tricky with an oscillating wind and a turning tide. This was not a problem for 2026 UK Masters champion John Greenwood, who cemented his overall victory with a dominant win.


The UK Finn fleet continues to attract the top sailors, and the standard of competition at this year’s Masters event was particularly high. The depth in the fleet provided close and friendly racing for all levels of experience, across a whole range of wind conditions.


Thanks must go to HISC for hosting yet again a professionally run regatta, and it was good to see a sprinkling of new faces in the fleet, which bodes well for the rest of the
season ahead.


Overall Results:


posHelmCatSail NoClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1stJohn GreenwoodGGMGBR5WKSC & Blithfield Sailing Club2123‑619
2ndRob mcmillanGGMAUS 2RPAYC‑33313313
3rdFilipe SilvaMPOR21CNC44‑1054219
4thLawrence CrispinGGM74Stone SC56‑725523
5thTim CarverGGMGBR8Warsash Sailing Club1‑13497425
6thNICK CRAIGGM2Warsash Burghfield Frensham LoS6‑26842828
7thDaniel DixonGMGBR717Blackwater sc‑128189733
8thRichard SharpGMGBR 90Emsworth Slipper89578(DNC)37
9thCam TweedleU40GBR 64Hyde Sails9‑241561940
10thMichael De CourcyGGm21HISC7‑201710101054
11thMark MacdonaldMGBR 119MRSC‑2551411121355
12thMark SpruceGGMGBR 776Warsash SC & Lee on Solent SC1414‑161613663
13thJohn HeyesGGMGBR 61Warsash SC132(DNF)14231668
14thDavid HitchcockGGm48HISC1516131311(DNC)68
15thJon SimpsonGM715Blackwater sc‑24191912141276
16thRichard EvansMAUS 25Blackwater1822‑2315151484
17thRoman KhodykinM13HISC1030(DNF)18161185
18thRUSSELL NEWMGBR40Christchurch SC16‑231222201585
19thMark CooperGM738Burghfield SC‑2925919211993
20thPaul CarringtonGM124NBYC171720‑21192093
21stAdrian WardGM708HISC2011‑2925221795
22ndSimon RadfordGGM45HISC111227‑282724101
23rdMatthew WebbGMGBR 26Blithfield Sailing Club26(UFD)18171822101
24thChris WaplesGGM12HISC1928(DNF)201718102
25thOwen DaviesGGM721Bosham SC211021‑292823103
26thNick LoganM668Rutland SC23151123(DNC)DNC105
27thIvan BurdenGM750Netley22186(DNC)DNCDNC112
28thNeil PetersGGM67Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club2727222424(DNC)124
29thGareth TweedleGMGBR71Emsworth SC30724(DNF)DNCDNC127
30thNick MasonGGM16Emsworth Slipper28‑3126262621127
31stTom WatkinsU4063Itchenor‑322925272525131
32ndIan FrayneGGM30HISC312128(DNC)DNCDNC146