Mirror UK National Championship 2025 at Netley Sailing Club - Overall

Where to begin?! What a long weekend! 53 boats at a Mirror Nationals, the first time since ages that there were more boats at the Nationals than the annual pilgrimage to the beach at Abersoch Mirror Week, really underlining the class resurgence in recent years.

A list of names reading more and more like a who's who of UK dinghy sailing with more than the odd World/European/National Championship littered amongst them, but this was all about the next generation - either sailing with their parents, siblings or friends, doing their first ever mirror event, or visiting from Australia - and having, without doubt, the most competitive fun you can have in sailing right now.

Yes, the front of the fleet was dominated by the parent/small Haribo eating child teams in winds that barely dropped below 25 knots, but the smiles, enjoyment and stories of adventure were universal throughout the fleet.

A brilliant reminder of this were the past mirror sailors who came down to watch the racing each day and left with equally big smiles on their faces, some even maybe considering a comeback! It was great to see Howard Tear, Ian Capener and Guy Wilkins come down to spectate. These were the Mirror legends of old who used to sail with their children and beat the aforementioned current crop of parents when we were teenagers 30(ish!) years ago, a process through which many of us learnt our sailing craft. It is awesome to see that cycle repeating, and with a Mirror Worlds on the horizon on UK waters in 2027, it's time to get yourself a Mirror.

So, what happened? Well, it was very windy, and Netley Sailing Club and the team did a great job of getting 6 races in testing conditions, looking after us on the water, shore and through the breaking waves on the beach.

Day one was curtailed from 3 races down to 2 with winds in the high 20's gusting over 30 knots at times making for some very exciting reaches and airborne mirrors. Ben and Evie McGrane started as they meant to go on with 2 firsts, although not having it all their own way with Matt and Albie McGovern nearly taking Race 2 off them, with half a boat length deciding it at the end. A great comeback from Ben and Evie after a capsize at the first windward mark where recovery was delayed slightly by Evie swimming off for her sweet jar and a slightly frustrating finish for Matt and Albie after a snapped rudder in Race 1 of the day. Ian and Ted Dobson had a great day with a 2, 4 to hold second overall and a great performance from Toby and Molly Wincer in the big breeze kicking off their nationals with a 3, 5 to sit 3rd overall overnight. With the wind increasing further and casualties starting to grow the sensible decision was made to get to shore for food and drinks at the Commodore's reception and daily prize-giving with trophies for the race winners and bottles of gin from sponsors Mermaid Gin.

Day 2 dawned with a more sensible wind strength in the forecast, but hopes of some sailing in sub 20 knots were quickly dashed as the wind came in stronger than Windguru suggested and stayed at a good 25 knots all day. Meris Date had an enjoyable morning celebrating her 10th birthday, which included cake for breakfast and dragging her Dad round the course to win Race 1 by a healthy margin, followed by James and Eluned Stewart and Ben and Evie. Ian and Ted took Race 2 in some style with Ben and Evie in 2nd, Matt and Albie in 3rd with Roz and Keira McGrane in hot pursuit putting in their best score of the week in 4th. Normal service was resumed in Race 3 with Ben and Evie taking the win followed by Ian and Ted in 2nd with Nick and Edie Charles scoring completing the podium and sneakily putting together a very consistent series - after leaving himself off the list of pre event favourites in the Mirror Nationals preview article, but showing that they very much deserved to be on it. The evening prize-giving was again a great affair with standing room only in the club, a birthday to remember for Meris with everyone singing Happy Birthday for the Date's race win, the trophies not all going to Ben and Evie for a change (at least Ben's engraving bill will be smaller this year) and thankfully the bottles of gin were rolled down the order as you couldn't win one twice!

The leaderboard was starting to shape up with several of the contenders having at least one disaster on their scorecard due to gear failure/incompetence/swimming practice (delete as appropriate). Consistent series were being put together by Phil and Lucy Smith, Nick and Edie, Toby and Molly, and Matt and Pippa Burge - all regular occupiers of the top 10 so these boats were all ready to pounce at the hint of a slip up from the boats carrying discards ahead. Special mention also to Jasper Bramwell and Lewis McGovern as first under 19's who were also putting together a strong series with many top 10 results and mixing it up with the parents/trying to get one over on Lewis' Dad at the front. With only 2 races scheduled on the last day before even more wind arrived and having lost a race on the first day, it was to be a 1 discard series.

The start time on Day 3 was brought forward by an hour with the hope of squeezing 2 races in before the big wind and rain forecast hit. In Race 1, Matt and Albie led the way and a tight battle ensued with Ben and Evie, Ian and Ted and James and Meris in close attendance. Lots of place changes in the building breeze left James and Meris leading down the final reach, until Ben and Evie sneaked past to clinch the win and the event with a race to spare. James and Meris took second, with Ian and Ted finishing 3rd. The warning signal for Race 2 of the day could barely be heard above the flapping sails as the wind built to 30 knots, and with the fleet watching their national champion stuck in irons trying to get around a tack, a few eyebrows were raised that the countdown continued. The start got away cleanly with mains and jibs flapping as the fleet went upwind, but within a minute Flags N over H were displayed and the right call was to get everyone home and packed up before it got windier and wetter - which it definitely did!

That left Ben and Evie McGrane as deserved National Champions, Ian and Ted Dobson in a clear second place, with James and Meris Date doing enough to round off the final podium position.

The Mirror class history brings with it a great array of trophies that were handed out at the prize-giving (full list of winners below) - with some standout performances from younger teams and crews in what was a challenging few days sailing including Ted and Rupert Pugh as first under 13's, Zoe Green and Merryn Wealthy taking the under 15's trophy, Jasper Bramwell and Lewis McGovern winning the under 19's trophy, Roz and Kiera McGrane winning the first all-female trophy in 13th overall, and Tom and Sam Halhead taking home the coveted first wooden boat trophy. Many stayed down to enjoy a last night party with live music, including an amazing performance from our very own Jewels Vass who also won the first Singlehanded trophy, too much beer and gin for the parents, and the kids outlasting many of the adults and then picking up the DJ'ing duties after the paid entertainment had left for the evening.

A big thank you to our sponsors Hyde Sails, Winder Boats, Prometheus Sailing, Mermaid Gin, and Clamcleat. Special thanks to the team at Netley who organised and ran the event including Terry Hunt, Polly Dawson, Roz McGrane, Oliva Risk, Andy Chapman, and the many other volunteers doing the catering and beach and shore duties. And also to Race Officer Dave Henshall and his team who didn’t have an easy or comfortable task given the Southampton water chop and wind conditions.

The next event on the horizon is the Mirror Inlands at Chew Valley Sailing Club on the 4/5th October, with a growing schedule of events planned for 2026, as we get warmed up for the Worlds at Poole Yacht Club in 2027. The atmosphere at events is why we all keep coming back and why the fleet keeps growing, with the adults busy working out how much weight they need to lose to stay in it for another year, and the crew of Mirror kids from age 5 (and younger!) to teenagers all having the best time, making friends for life, and learning the finer arts of sailing by absorption without actually realising it because they are having too much fun.

If you haven't got Mirror sailing on the calendar next year, it is time to start scouring the classifieds, and planning that 2027 Worlds campaign!

Photos © Dougal Henshall, Tim Bees & Andrew Burge

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Mirror nationals then enter your Yachts & Yachting Gear Guide information here

Trophy Winners

Trophies in text were not returned. The 40th Anniversary Trophy, Mylor Yacht Harbour Trophy, the Roger Graffy Trophy, the Western Trust & Savings Trophy and the Aberdeen Trophy were not awarded.

More photos, links and prizegiving details will be added as time allows.