The 2025 Craftinsure Wayfarer National Circuit had its penultimate round in the form of the Inland Championship hosted by Northampton Sailing Club on Pitsford Reservoir.
The event, held over the weekend of September 27th and 28th, featured a compact but highly competitive fleet and saw the title ultimately decided by very close margins. The event was shared with the Larks and Europes, who also held their Inland Championships over the same weekend.
Northampton Sailing Club provided an excellent setting for our Inland Championship. Sailors were greeted with typical late-September conditions—a crisp autumn atmosphere with temperatures hovering around 15C to 18C. The racing on Pitsford Reservoir delivered the classic inland challenge: shifty, gusty winds that demanded sharp tactical awareness and constant gear changes from the crews. The super efficient Race Committee successfully completed the full complement of five scheduled races over the two days, allowing one discard, with a tweak to the scheduling allowing for four races on the Saturday and a single race on the Sunday based on a light wind forecast on the Sunday.
The entire event ultimately became a thrilling head-to-head battle between two teams: regular fleet front runners John Clementson and Melanie Titmus (Chipstead SC) in Wayfarer 11101, and a scratch pairing of Andrew Wilson and Sam Pygall (Datchet Water SC) in 11093. John and Mel had already tasted victory at the season opener at Datchet, whereas Andrew won the event at Banbury earlier in the season.
With the final scores calculated, John Clementson and Melanie Titmus emerged as the 2025 Wayfarer Inland Champions. Great sailing!
Overall Results:
Pos Helm Crew Sail No Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Pts
1st John Clementson Melanie Titmus 11101 Chipstead SC 2 1 1 ‑3 1 5
2nd Andrew Wilson Sam Pygall 11093 Datchet Water SC 1 ‑2 2 1 2 6
3rd Nigel O'Donnell Michael O'Donnell 11458 Swarkestone SC ‑4 4 3 2 4 13
4th Paul Hughes Josh Lowe 11129 Arun YC 3 3 ‑4 4 3 13
5th Shaun Burland Andrew Knappet 10794 Slaughden SC 5 5 5 (DNC) 5 20
The results highlight the consistency of both teams, with Clementson/Titmus prevailing by just one net point thanks to their three first-place finishes.
The 2025 Craftinsure Wayfarer Inland Championships proved to a true test of consistency and tactical precision on inland waters. Congratulations to John and Mel on their hard-fought victory. A huge thank you is extended to Northampton Sailing Club for their superb hospitality and for the efficient running of the event with a particular call-out to Ricky for all the pre-event and event support, Sarah the Commodore. Roger the Race Officer and Harry and the team of safety crew. Finally, the Wayfarer Class extends its gratitude to the title sponsor, Craftinsure, for their continued support of the National Circuit.
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