B14 Sydney Worlds Results

- Reports and results from the B14 Worlds on Sydney Harbour, January 2025.

Overall Results

Event website: www.b14worlds.com

DAY 5

We weren't sure what sort of weather we would get for the final day of the B14 Worlds in Sydney. Dark clouds to the north, light clouds to the south, some rain, some very little sun. The Race Officer held us on shore as a storm cell passed, skirting us to the north. Then out we went.

Again it wasn't the promised 10-12 knots, but less for a change (probably 7-10 and ranging from NE to SE). A possible three races were planned for the day, but the delay in the start meant the final day cut off time came into play and allowed us only two races.

After the sailing to the start of the day, the podium was secured, but the order could change, as it could in the many private battles throughout the fleet, with everyone having their personal targets of which boats they had to stay ahead of.

Coming into the day, Chris Bateman and Lucy Loughton on Squirrel (IRL774) led over Craig Garmston and Paul Fleming (Snatch AUS375) and Nick Craig and Tobytastic Lewis (Harken GBR801), with five points separating the top three.

The fleet was keen, resulting in our first general recall of the regatta. But once under way, Squirrel and Harken sped away with the superior speed they have been showing all regatta. Chris Bateman was looking good at snakes and ladders in the shifty and challenging conditions, but Harken worked the headland on the last work, cementing their gain on the final run, taking out race one ahead of Squirrel, followed by local lightweights The Nude (AUS800 Richie Reynolds and Lissa McMillan), who also had a great last run to pick up a few spots. The Aussie hopefuls Garmo and Flemo finished 5th in Race Eight.

A few boats had their best race of the regatta so far, with Townsville team RCS AUS280, Renee and Robert Cordingly (new to the B14s and a very good fit with the class!) coming 6th, Simon and Nikki Hadley (Captains Bunk GBR770) finishing 10th.

Race Nine, again the fleet was edgy and another general recall. Off the start, the few boats that tacked away early to hit the shore of Point Piper made some big gains, leaving many playing catch up. Squirrel came out with a good lead maintaining it until the finish line, ahead of Harken.

Building on their solid result in the previous race, Captains Bunk came in 3rd, ahead of Snatch. Other notable performances in the final race were Leaky's Bunk (GBR 786 Gerry Fermor and Leaky). Brady Tassicker and Nathalie Wisniewska (On the Edge AUS794) finished in 10th. Anthony House and Natasha Pollette (Yellowbone AUS357) finished on a strong note in 13th.

Final results were Chris Bateman and Lucy Loughton 1st, Nick Craig and Toby Lewis 2nd, Craig Garmston and Paul Fleming 3rd.

The B14s partied in their normal fashion after the presentation, with celebrations, dancing and even impromptu karaoke well into the night.

Many thanks to all the many volunteers, sponsors and the club for what has been a memorable regatta.

Lissa McMillan and Richie Reynolds

AUS800

Overall Results:

Event website: www.b14worlds.com

DAY 4

With 2 days of lost racing on Tues and Weds the race officer was determined to get 4 races in on Thurs. This was made apparent at the last evenings entertainment "Buggar the Bone" A B14 tradition that perhaps hasn't delivered crews at the top of their game the following day.

The evening started with Adrian Beswick the Tassie Chairperson challenging Robyn Tames our esteemed Race Officer to Chubby Bunnies! It usually involves stuffing as many fluffy marshmallows into your mouth. This version started with eating chillies, a challenge Robyn was more than capable of! Much to the dismay of Bezzer! For every 2 marshmallows the contestants needed to shout chubby bunny!!!!

Needless to say, Robyn was far and away the winner with her parting shot being "and don't forget there are 4 races tomorrow!"

The rest of the Buggar the Bone event was memorable for those who attended and may have even have a psychological impact down the line!

So onto Thurs catch up day. With the whole fleet expecting 4 races, crews turned up in the morning rain expecting a southerly 10 to 15 knts. How wrong could we be. A lovely little sail out soon turned into a burn downwind to the starting area. As the wind increased the sea state also become more random and difficult. I'm not sure how to describe the conditions suffice to say that most of the time it wasn't 10knts or even close. More like 15 to 20 gusting 25knts at times with a mixed sea state and large shifts. A very difficult day for most. Oh and biblical rain at times!

From the start line in the middle of the harbour off Watsons Bay we mostly headed towards the Vaucluse Bay making the most of the compression around Shark Point and the lift into Rose Bay and the windward marks. However this wasn't always the way to go and those going right and staying in the steadier breeze also gained at times.

Whichever way paid it was Chris Bateman and Lucy Loughton in IRL774 Squirrel who dominated the day with three 1sts and a 2nd giving them 7pts overall. Craig Garmston and Paul Fleming AUS375 Snatch in second with a 3, 3, 3, 2 scoreline on 13pts and on equal points with a 2, 2, 1, 3 scoreline is Nick Craig and Tobytastic GBR801 Harken. Only 4 points separate the next 3 boats from 4th to 6th.

But the real stories are those of the fleet. Stories of heroics and stupidity that will be remembered for many years to come. The jib cleat that was mended using string theory, the youngsters in the association boat who capsized more than 10 times, the broken toe stubbed on the centreboard during the tack, the face punched by someone in another boat on the start line! (an accident by all accounts) These stories and many more will go down in the history of the Sydney Harbour Worlds...

THEY TOLD US US IT WOULD BE SUNNY AND 30 DEGREES!!!

Tony Blackmore
B14 788

DAY 3

Conditions on Sydney Harbour for day three were much the same as day two. A strong, gusty Southerly breeze brought with it relatively low temperatures and driving rain, leaving some European boats wistfully dreaming of home waters. A productive Worlds AGM was held in the morning, with plans outlined for the next northern hemisphere worlds in Torbados in 2026, the first worlds held in the UK since 2007. Shortly after the AGM the race committee announced that there would be no racing for the day.

Fleet tactics after this were mixed: some sailors walked through the driving rain to a chandlery and bought wetsuits that they didn’t need. Some sailors went to the aquarium. Some sailors went to the bar. Day four will show which strategy paid off.

The fleet enjoyed the legendary Buggar the Bone in the evening, with a series of inuendo-fuelled and inappropriate games organised by Callum, featuring special guest appearances from legends of B14s past, Matt Searle, JB, Nick Richardson, Bangers, Fun Megan, Marty Johnson, to name a few. Tobytastic put many to shame and proved himself the northern hemisphere’s most flexible man, winning the cornflake box game. The games were followed by a fantastic barbecue kindly provided by Andy Harper from V&C Foods (one of our fantastic sponsors), and cooked expertly by the UK fleet’s premier grill man, Amir.

Day four looks likely to be 10-15 knots (hopefully not like Tuesday’s 10 knots…)

By Alastair Moppett (aged 38 ½)

DAY 2

The weather wasn’t exactly welcoming on Sydney Harbour for the B14 World Championships today. With the sky heavy and overcast, the drizzle falling steadily, and winds gusting, there was little enthusiasm in the boat park. The conditions weren’t exactly ideal for racing, and you could feel the collective sense of hesitation among the sailors.

As the morning wore on, the anticipation faded into a waiting game. With postponement ashore, it seemed the sailors were caught between preparing for a race they didn’t quite feel ready for and the hope that things might improve. Still, the usual energy and excitement of a world championship day seemed somewhat subdued.

After a couple of hours of waiting, the call finally came. We were instructed to head out onto the water.  Sails were raised, boats were launched, and the start line was set. As we made our way toward the course area, the wind was still very much a factor—blowing in unpredictable gusts.

However, just as all the boats were hitting the water and lining up for the first race, the call came once more: racing was abandoned for the day.

It wasn’t an easy decision by the Race Officer. The sailors had made their way out, the course was set, and we were almost there. But the conditions were simply not conducive to fair and safe racing. With the wind still howling unpredictably and the drizzle continuing, it was clear that pushing ahead would have been a risky endeavour.

While the day didn’t unfold as expected, it was a reminder of how unpredictable sailing—and weather—can be. Sometimes, even at a world championship level, nature has its own plans. It’s days like this that test patience, resilience, and the collective spirit of the sailing community.

In the end, though the racing was called off, the camaraderie in the boat park remained strong. There was plenty of time for sailors to chat about past experiences, share a laugh about the conditions, and mentally prepare for the upcoming races when the weather would (hopefully) cooperate.

The B14 World Championships are not over yet, and while today was a washout, there’s still plenty of action to come. We’ll be ready when the wind and the skies finally align.

DAY 1

Day one of the B14 World Championship kicked off today in Sydney, Australia at Woollahra Sailing Club.  

With a medium wind forecast for the day, competitors looked forward to a stiff sea breeze filling in across the bay, just in time for the first start of the day. Thirty boats lined up on the start line, and the harbour glistened with a mild chop beginning to build. 

In Race one it was Craig Garmston and Paul Fleming of Australia sailing "Snatch" who were leading at the top mark. The Irish pairing of Chris Bateman and partner Lucy Loughton in "Squirrel" challenged from behind just ahead of Nick Craig and Toby Lewis of Great Britain. As the breeze increased, the fleet spread out across the course and the pace of the race began to change. After an exciting downwind on the first leg, the Irish pair (IRL 774) overtook the leaders to take first place. Nipping at their heels were team Snatch (AUS 375). Taking third place was Craig and Lewis (GBR 801).  

Race two, and the wind had increased to a steady fourteen knots. However gusts of up to eighteen knots blew across the course, making manoeuvres challenging. 

A clean start later and the B14's screamed out to the left side of the course, which proved to be the favoured side. In the melee of tacking dinghies, Bateman/Loughton popped out ahead, to round the first mark in the lead. Craig/Lewis rounded in second, however they were overtaken by the Aussie team of Garmston/Fleming on the first downwind leg. 

The finishing order was Bateman and Loughton in "Squirrel" (IRL 774) taking line honours, with Garmston and Fleming in "Snatch" (AUS 375) coming in second. Nick Craig and Toby Lewis (GBR 801) completed the board, taking third place.  

Race Three began after a slight course change. Surging into the lead was Garmston/Fleming. Attacking the port layline with a vengeance, they rounded the top mark in first. Glen Cardwell and Karen Branch in "Bandit" rounded in second, having sailed a great first beat. Craig/Lewis challenged, overtaking Cardwell/Branch on the downwind leg. Brent Frankcombe and Leigh Dunston in "Demon" sailed a fast second beat, pulling into third place. A ferry and a couple of pleasure craft made the second windward mark rounding quite a challenge, however the order of finishing was not altered. Taking first place was Garmston/Fleming (AUS 375). In second place was Craig/Lewis (GBR 801) and in third place was Frankcombe/Dunston in "Demon" (AUS 378). 

Overall standings are tight, with AUS 375 (Craig Garmston and Paul Fleming) taking the overnight lead. In second place is IRL 774 (Chris Bateman and Lucy Loughton). In third place is GBR 801 (Nick Craig and Toby Lewis). 

Tomorrow's forecast is for more wind, so it was with a relief that the sailors headed home to enjoy much needed rest before the breezy day ahead!