International Snipe Class | UK

Author: Will Maguire

2025 Budworth Open & SCIRA UK NW Championship
For the final Snipe Class UK Open meeting this year the travelling boats made their annual visit to Budworth Sailing Club. Home of one of the UKs most active Snipe fleets.

With 28 entries, expectations were high for another weekend of competitive, fun and close racing throughout the fleet that have been enjoyed during all the well supported previous events this year.

Weather forecasts were mixed but almost all agreed that Saturday would be light winds with a high chance of rain and that Sunday would be bright sunshine with a slight increase in expected wind.

This forecast proved to be correct with one race completed on the Saturday and four on Sunday.

Ultimate overall event winner was Matthew Wolstenholm crewed this time by Aylish MacKenzie. This result confirmed Mathews near total domination of the UK Snipe events this year but, in this event, as in all his other victories this year, he was pushed all the way with the final race being the decider!

Special mention and appreciation from the racing fleet must go to the race committee and support boat crew. With the light and shifting wind on both days it would have been easy to compromise the quality or number of races. However, with brilliant judgement on timing, hard work shifting marks and start lines all five completed races maximised the opportunities the light and variable winds offered.

Individual race winners were Tim Tavinor crewed by John Greenwood (race one and five). Matthew and Aylish (races two and four) and Guy Marks with Sam Boniface taking race three.

However, none of the race wins or any final race positions throughout the fleet during every race were guaranteed until crossing the finish line. With the excellent courses, opportunities were there for everyone to make gains or losses in every race, so it was a great way to finish the open meeting circuit for this year.

Overall:
1. Matthew Wolstenholme/Aylish MacKenzie (Bough Beech SC)
2. Fin Waterhouse/George Holbrook (Budworth SC)
3. Tim Tavinor/John Greenwood (Stone SC)
The hospitality and great facilities at Budworth were much appreciated.

UK Snipe class AGM on Saturday evening was followed by an fantastic dinner and then a presentation from long time Snipe racer Richard Marshall detailing his amazing achievement earlier this year of swimming the English Channel. (Link to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/richardchannelswim2025)

Everyone finished the weekend in good mood, packing in the sunshine and looking forward to another active year of racing within the increasingly competitive domestic events and internationally with four boats qualified and competing in next years Snipe World Championship at Mahon (Menorca) later in 2026. Also more UK boats are planning travels to compete and enjoy some of the many European events in 2026 the Snipe Class has to offer.

Report by Tim Tavinor

Results:
September 23, 2025
2025 Snipe Junior & Under 25 National Championships

Congratulations to Fin Waterhouse and Ben Smallwood for winning the 2025 Snipe Junior & Under 25 National Championships

Thank you to Aylish, Greg and Mark for organising and running the racing and to everyone else at Budworth SC who helped make the event happen.

August 25, 2025
UK Snipe Nationals 2025 – Report

The class motto – Serious Sailing, Serious Fun…. Ullswater Yacht Club did not disappoint – it is a glorious setting, surrounded by stunning mountainous scenery, friendly and well organised plus we were blessed with sunshine and wind (but not much).

The Snipe designed in 1931, has a massive international following and a huge variety of sailors. It is an easy boat to sail but is difficult to sail well due to its technicality and fierce competition.

Friday morning, the fleet were met with a glassy looking lake but Sean – the local race officer was confident there would be racing. After a postponement the wind filled in, so we hit the water for some fun and interesting races. Large mountains around made sure the light wind was shifty, and puffy with plenty of opportunity for gains and losses throughout the day.

Two windward/leeward races were completed, and a third race was started but abandoned as the wind became more unstable late in the afternoon.

It was Joe Warwicker and Andy Service who got to grips with the conditions and started the series with a dominant two first places, Yohei Koso and Katia Royer followed closely behind with two second places. The tricky conditions and individual recall on the second race start meant some possible contenders had already added some high points to the score sheet which they were hoping they would be able to discard.

On Friday evening the Serious Fun, after the Commodores BBQ, mayhem of a class games night ensued, won (by fair means or foul) by the All-Star team with a special award to Chris Surridge for his enthusiasm and ingenuity!

Three races on Saturday were again held in “snakes and ladders” conditions. There were plenty of opportunities to be had, with patches of wind funnelling down the lake.

During Race 3 Tim and Kay Tavinor built a good lead but were chased hard by Yohei and Katia who finally finished within a few boat lengths. Guy Marks and Sam Boniface finished third.

Race 4 saw Joe and Andy leading again with the Wolstenholmes and Neil Martin chasing hard. Concentration was vital with small dark patches of wind visible across the course but not always easy to get to!

Race 5, at the end of a long and mentally challenging day, proved things are “never over until the fat lady sings.” The leading bunch lost count of the number of laps (four) they had sailed and started heading back upwind instead of going to the finish, this reshuffled the leaders with Yohei and Katia taking first place. Lloyd Roberts and Emma Preen second, and Matthew Wolstenholme and Eichi Higuchi 3rd.

The Race Officer assured us they had recorded a 20.6 knot gust during the racing, but I think most of the sailors blinked and missed it.

A splendid dinner and celebration of the long-standing Snipe Class chairman Brian Gregory’s birthday filled Sunday evening. Our event sponsors P&B and Allen Brothers received plenty of mentions by the master of ceremonies and received great cheers of support from the participants.

Sunday morning – mirror conditions on Ullswater again. After a postponement, a start was attempted but abandoned as the wind failed to sufficiently stabilise, so we all headed ashore.

Despite the challenging and tricky conditions everyone enjoyed the venue and racing. With five races completed a discard kicked in and Yohei and Katia who sailed remarkably consistently took the UK Snipe National Championship 2025.

Report by Kay Tavinor

Results:

August 21, 2025
UK Snipe Nationals 2025 – Day 3

Unfortunately we had no races sailed today on Day 3 of the 2025 UK Snipe Nationals. The fleet attempted a start however the race was abandoned due to lack of breeze and an inconsistent wind direction.

After a further 30 minute wait the Race Committee sent the fleet home to pack up for the journey home.

Congratulations to Yohei Kosu & Katia Royer who are the 2025 UK Snipe National Champions.

Joe Warwicker & Andy Service – 2nd Overall

Tim Tavinor & Kay Tavinor – 3rd Overall & 1st Master Helm

Freya Antonelli & Nayth Twiggs – 1st Female Helm

Mark Taylor & Anna Taylor – 1st Orkney Boat

James Alexander & Finn Waterhouse – 1st Junior Helm and Crew

Thank you to Allen Brothers and P&B for their sponsorship of the event. Thank you to Ullwater Yacht Club and the galley for the fantastic catering and a massive thank you to the organising committee for putting on a great event.

The next event on the UK Snipe calendar is Budworth on 20-21 September.

August 17, 2025
UK Snipe Nationals 2025 – Day 2

Today the fleet woke up to a forecast that left many concerned we wouldn’t be racing with a prediction of a South Easterly between 3 and 5 knots. Luckily the fleet were blessed with 3 good races for Day 2 of the 2025 Snipe National Championships sponsored by Allen Brothers and Pinnel & Bax.

Race 1 was sailed in a light Easterly Force 2 breeze with the fleet eager to get racing, there was a single general recall after which the fleet went racing. The race was won by Tim & Kay Tavinor.

Race 2 was sailed in a building Force 2 breeze with Joe Warwicker and Andy Service taking the win.

Following a small wind shift and the course being moved slightly, Race 3 was sailed in a shifty Force 3 under the lee of Bonscale Pike. Race 3 was won by Yohei Koso and Katia Royer.

August 16, 2025
UK Snipe Nationals 2025 – Day 1

Today we were given a very warm welcome by Ullswater Yacht Club for the first day of the 2025 Snipe National Championships sponsored by Allen Brothers and Pinnel & Bax.

Race 1 & 2 were sailed in shifty conditions with the fleet having to play a tricky Force 2 breeze.

Race 3 was abandoned after the wind disappeared, leaving the fleet sailing home to enjoy the Commodore’s BBQ.

August 15, 2025
2025 Stone Open

On Saturday, the 2025 Snipe Blackwater Open began with 28 boats competing. The event saw competitors from several countries and representation from 3 continents. In the spirit of keeping competitors on their toes, a club line was used for the starts. This was an unfamiliar sight to many, adding to the challenge of a ripping tide. However, the longer 10-minute sequences provided ample time for a quick pit stop at the beach for lunch if you were fast enough.

The first day saw winds of 8-12 knots and picking up throughout the day as the sea breeze settled in. The initial intent was to do two laps of the Olympic course, but it was shortened each race to no more than one lap. The first race started with most of the fleet near the shore to escape the strong tide flowing, with a few daring boats deciding to start near the pin and take their chances with the tide. Luckily for the boats off to the left, while they battled the tide, the boats on the right had an even more unfortunate face-off with a sand bank, leading to disastrous outcomes for many and even a few capsizes. This saw Tim and Kay Tavinor show an early lead, with Audrey Foley and Connor Line in hot pursuit, and Ian and Charlotte Knight leading the chasing pack. On the reaches, boats fought to stay high as the current pushed them down. On the second upwind, boats played it close to the shore even playing dodge the paddle boarder’s and occasional lilo. Again taking up the right side to stay out of the tide. While on the downwind, they did their best to stay in the deeper waters. With the final beat to the finish still looking right dominant with Matthew Wolstenholme and Eiichi Higuchi coming from the back of the pack after being one of the boats that hit the sandbank, passing Ian and Charlotte with meters to the finish.

Race two saw a similar pattern of many boats starting near the shore for tide relief, but with a dying tide, this had less of an impact. With no surprise the general recall flag made an appearance as the tide was not so strong so the fleet was all rather early to Race 2 starts. The pattern of staying high on the reaches continued but the race was shortened due to time to only four legs, which caught many off guard. Mark and Tracy Antonelli played the second beat perfectly to go from fifth to an unassailable lead by the windward mark. Yohei Koso and Katia Royer passed Matthew and Eiichi on the final run to take second place.

The final race of the day and arguably the most important, as it means you can get to the bar before Sue’s big birthday party (which did not disappoint!!) , saw a slightly different top three. With the majority of the fleet struggling to adapt to the new tide ripping upwind, there was a second general recall of the day. After the windward mark some of the fleet had mixed opinions with which the gybe mark was. I’m sure for many boats this caused for some interesting conversations. This left many splitting off and ultimately sailing a significantly longer course in comparison to those who stuck with their gut, Little did they know there would be no following race for redemption. This then left a large gap within the fleet. Leading the pack to what turned out to be the correct mark was Matthew and Eiichi with Audrey and Connor, and the Tavinors chasing. The second upwind saw boats sailing up the left side to maximise benefits from the tide, while on the downwind, they hugged closer to the shore. Tim and Kay managed to pass Audrey and Connor on the second beat which they held to the finish.

As ever Saturday night at a Snipe event was a great affair, comfortably living up to the class moto of “serious sailing, serious fun”. Made even more memorable by one of the long time sailors and committee members big birthday. Following the fantastic three course meal, the party continued well into the night with a DJ in the bar upstairs and a very competitive game of potato bobbing (who knew potatoes sank?).

Unfortunately, the final day held no races as the wind was uncooperative. But that’s sailing for you, the boats that were able to make the best of the three races we had and avoid an OCS were the ones that came out on top. This was evident as the winners worst race was a 3rd showing how consistent they were. The event was full of sailors from around the world, of various ages and skill levels. Showing just how diverse and welcoming the UK snipe fleet is.

Race Report by Audrey Foley and Connor Line.

Congratulations to the winners -Matthew Wolstenholme and Eiichi Higuchi

2nd-Tim Tavinor and Kay Tavinor

3rd- Audrey Foley and Connor Line

1st Female helm- Audrey Foley

Full results to follow

July 18, 2025
2025 Bough Beech Open

23 Snipes met at Bough Beech SC for the 2025 Open Meeting on the 14th and 15th of June. We have had fantastic positive momentum in the fleet over the last few years with Nationals and Open attendance constantly growing so it was great to see such a strong fleet on the water with similar numbers or even more expected for our next event at Stone on the 12th and 13th July.

Day 1 was windy conditions, Force 5 and gusty from the south-west. The race officer (Nick Marden) set a triangular course resulting in some great reaches across the lake when the big gusts came in. Peter Wolstenholme & Will Maguire won two of the 5 races to lead overall on Day 1. Also winning races on the first day were Lloyd Roberts & Emma Preen, Mark Antonelli & Sarah Seddon, and Tim & Kay Tavinor. The results were still very close overall with the top 8 all with some poorer results meaning the event was still open for any to win with a good day on Sunday.

Andy the club’s caterer put on a fantastic evening meal while Sue Roberts hosted a great fun evening quiz and, as usual for the snipe fleet, the party continued will into the early hours.

Day 2 saw much lighter conditions, averaging a force 2, but the wind had swung westerly and off the trees making it shifty, gusty and patchy for some tricky but exciting racing conditions. Matt Wolstenholme & Bonnie Marshall won the first two of Sundays Races before Joe & Mike Warwicker took the third.

This left Peter & Will to claim the overall title, Joe & Mike second, and Yohei Koso & Uko Tiidermann third after being the 3 most consistent boats over the weekend. Also a special mention must go to Freya Antonelli & Nath Twiggs as a junior pair for a fantastically sailed event! Huge thank you to the club, the race team and everyone involved in hosting such a great event. See you all at Stone!

Race report by Matthew Wolstenholme

June 16, 2025
2025 Blackwater Open

The Blackwater Open marked my second visit to Blackwater Sailing Club – and once again, I was blown away. The club is a vibrant hive of activity, especially among the junior and youth sailors buzzing around the dinghy park with infectious energy. The clubhouse itself is magnificent, and the entire event was seamlessly run, from the beach crew to the race officer and safety team. They even managed to provide six perfectly executed races, sunshine throughout, and a glorious Force 3-4 breeze on one of the most picturesque stretches of water around… wow!

Snipe open weekend at Blackwater SC © Belinda Sturge

The Racing

Tight competition was the order of the weekend, with boats converging on the marks just seconds apart. Well, all except for one team: Matthew Wolstenholme and his crews, Sam Boniface and Ian Gregory, who were simply dominant. Their boat looked flatter, pointed higher, and moved faster than anyone else’s – a masterclass in Snipe sailing.

Race 1

The classic triangle-sausage course was set. With the pin end favoured, the first beat saw Matthew & Sam (28541), Richard & Debbie Marshall (29970), and Tim & Kay Tavinor (29611) lead the fleet. They rounded in that order and held on to the finish, with a tight battle for 4th seeing Mark & Tracy Antonelli (20226) edge out Lloyd Roberts & Emma Preen (28384).

Race 2

Matthew and Sam were in a league of their own, leading from start to finish. Tim and Kay backed up their strong Race 1 performance with another 2nd, while Joe & Mike Warwicker (38834) took 3rd. Lloyd and Emma were again just outside the top three, finishing 4th.

Race 3

With the tide turning, tactical options opened up. The right side of the beat proved favourable, and once again, Matt and Sam built an early lead and never looked back. Behind them, Richard & Debbie secured 2nd, with Mark & Tracy in 3rd and Joe & Mike close behind.

Day 1 Recap

At the close of Day 1, Matt and Sam sat comfortably atop the leaderboard, having notched a hat-trick of wins. The rest of us mere mortals were left to jostle for the remaining podium places.

Day 2

Sunday began with a steady 8-11 knots, forecast to build to 15-18 later. The tide was still flooding early on, with Osea Island playing a pivotal role in wind and tide strategy. The smart move upwind was to head right and hug the lee side of the island, where the tide slackened. Once again, Matt and Ian were uncatchable, claiming their fourth straight bullet. Tim and Kay Tavinor came through in 2nd, followed by a strong showing from Allan Williams & Liz Pike in 3rd.

Race 5

With the breeze now at 14 knots and the tide easing, the right side continued to pay. Richard & Debbie led for much of the race, but Matt and Ian sailed to perfection to steal the win, with Joe & Mike in 3rd.

Race 6

The tide began to ebb, opening up the course. Shifts and pressure played a bigger role, but the result was the same – Matt and Ian sailed a flawless final race to complete a clean sweep. The real battle was for 2nd and 3rd overall, 2-4th went in to the final race with only 2 points separating them. Joe & Mike edged Richard & Debbie in a nail-biting final downwind, securing 2nd in the race but only 3rd overall as they needed a place in between. Richard & Debbie’s consistency earned them a well-deserved 2nd place in the regatta.

Final Thoughts

A superb weekend of racing at a superb venue. Big thanks to Blackwater Sailing Club for their exceptional hospitality, slick race management, and creating such a welcoming and competitive atmosphere. And, of course, hats off to Matt, Sam, and Ian – a dominant display from start to finish.

Race report by Joe and Mike Warwicker

May 15, 2025
Snipes on the UK Map

A huge congratulations to Lloyd Roberts and Matthew Wolstenholme for securing first place in the 2025 Oxford Blue event held in February. The breeze in Oxford started out at 8 knots for the first race but dropped throughout the afternoon, although still three races completed as scheduled. For additional details, including the complete results, please refer to the article on Yachts and Yachting.

After their success at the Oxford Blue, Lloyd and Matt achieved an impressive third place overall in the Sailjuice Winter Series – Results.

March 14, 2024