Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series – Gearing up for the King George Gallop
The King George Gallop follows in quick succession from last weekend’s GJW Direct Bloody Mary, as sailors continue to turn out in force for events in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. Last year three trapeze boats took the top three spots at King George Reservoir in North London, with Ben McGrane and James Ross sailing their Osprey to the narrowest of victories.
As we saw last Saturday with the success of the Pank family in their Firefly, the predominantly light airs of the 2024/25 winter are working to the benefit of the slower handicap boats.
Gillard & Gray move to the top
With five events completed, the first discard kicks in. Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray have enjoyed a couple of excellent weekends sailing their Scorpion to impressive results – victory at the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash followed by second at the GJW Direct Bloody Mary. So no surprise to see these former Series winners jump to the top spot. In total, 303 boats now have a ranking, and with three events to go, there is still chance to attack for the top spots…
Top Class
The Fireflys were the joint largest class at the GJW Direct Bloody Mary with eight boats entered. Not only did they win the event, they were the only class to get two boats in the top 10. This made the Firefly top class overall at Queen Mary. However in the overall series it’s the RS200s who retain the lead. This ranking is based on the best three results of each class across all races. ILCA 6s and ILCA 7s complete the top three so far.
Zhik Old Boats
Currently, 25 boats are registered, if your boat is over 20 years old you may well qualify for a better PY handicap. The aim is close the gap between an old boat and a state-of-the-art example of any given class. In other words, you don’t need to spend a fortune on new kit to get a good result. Please send details to info@sailracer.co.uk
Currently leading the rankings is the Enterprise sailed by Paul Young and Oliver Mason (and other crews)…
Youth Rankings
Hugo Hardy wins the £75 voucher for coming 17 at the Bloody Mary in his ILCA 7 / Laser.
Sophie Forbes leads overall in her Topper…
Age Categories
19-30 : Ben Flower leads in his ILCA 7…
31-60 : Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray lead this category as well as overall…
Masters
Paul Young in his Enterprise again!
Top Lady
Sophie Forbes also tops this category in her Topper…
Simon Horsfield Coaching sponsored by GJW Direct Insurance
Aside from sponsoring the Bloody Mary, GJW Direct has also been supporting a brand new initiative this season, coaching for competitors, many of whom have never experienced coaching in their sailing careers. Three-time winner of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, Simon Horsfield is running a preview of the Gallop on Thursday, 16 January, at 20:00 hours.
WhatsApp Group: chat.whatsapp.com/KFlRWkTrhxpDMkqcJbanWR
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SeldenSailJuiceWinterSeries/videos
Ready to Gallop?
To get the cheapest price on your entry fee, make sure you beat the deadline of 23:59 on Wednesday 15 January 2025. After that, entry fees rise by an extra £10. Entry on the day is also possible, but the price increases further still. So enter today and save yourself the extra.
Navigators & General SailJuice Winter Series, UK's premier winter handicap racing.
