With a record entry of 41 boats, 14 past and present Champions competing, the 2016 Battle of Classes at the Southampton Boat Show was all set to be a classic event.

A brisk breeze and sunshine all added to a great atmosphere, and ensured plenty of spectators watching the various class associations.

As the fleet gathered at Southampton Water Activities Centre (SWAC) for a leisurely 12.30pm briefing, there was plenty of time to catch up with old friends in other classes and compare notes from their Boat Show visits.

The experienced race team from Royal Southampton Yacht Club, got the 2016 Battle of the Classes away efficiently at the scheduled 14:30 start time with Nigel Thomas, sailing his Mirror single handed, leading the way for the 90 minute pursuit race.

Next away at 14:33 was 14 year old Sam Cooper, the current Topper National Champion and recently back from being placed 3rd at the World Championships. It took Sam around 17 minutes and half a lap, for his Topper to overhaul the Mirror. At the end of the first lap, Sam had a good three minute lead over the next boat and was now faced with a gaggle of the faster boats, such as the 505 and B14, who had just started their first lap.

With winds gusting well over 20 kts, the SailRacer GPS trackers were regularly posting ever faster speeds on the reaches. Topping the speed charts, were the father and daughter pairing of Ralph and Sophie Singleton in their RS800, hitting 19.8 kts. The Singletons are no strangers to high speed, being winners in the MUSTO Speed Challenge during last winter’s GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series.

With a decrease in the wind strength during the second half of the Pursuit race, the faster boats were finding it hard to make up time on those who started earlier. At the halfway stage, the front of the fleet broadly followed the starting order, with the Topper leading from the Mirror, with the Miracle Champions, Hannah and NIck Smith still some 7 minutes behind.

One sailor making some progress, was Iona Dixon in one of the Europes which was very impressive given she was sailing a borrowed £500 boat and her first time in the former Olympic Class.

Other boats starting to make progress through the fleet were the 420 of Youth Squad sailors, Tom Collyer and Aaron Chadwick, the OK of Richard Burton, and past RS200 Champion Matt Mee and Emma Norris. The 420 team had made easy work of some of the more challenging gusts earlier in the race, and regularly posting speeds over 15 knots on the SailRacer GPS trackers and topping the adjusted Speed Wall.

With five minutes to go to the finish, the young Topper Champion, Sam Cooper was still leading the star studded fleet and maintaining his first place for over an hour. But with a wall of faster boats getting ever closer, Sam was unable to maintain his position, letting the 420 of Tom Collyer and Aaron Chadwick power through on the upwind leg.

At the 90 minute mark, the 420 took the winning gun, with the Topper a distant second, and the OK of Richard Burton completing the podium. Tom Collyer and Aaron Chadwick, are the first Youth winners of the prestigious Battle of the Classes Pursuit race, taking home both the overall and youth trophies.

The prize giving was held on the main stage of the Southampton Boat Show, with Royal Southampton Yacht Club Commodore, Brian Hinde presenting the prizes.

It was great to see such a diverse range of classes and dinghy types represented, with sailors ranging from 14 to 80 years old, male and female, demonstrating how inclusive sailing is.

With thanks to British Marine, Royal Southampton Yacht Club, SailRacer, Southampton Boat Show and SWAC for supporting the 2016 Battle of Classes.

Top 3

Video

https://youtu.be/3m18w3aKiNA

Full results

http://Battle.SailRacer.org