Future Phantom National Championship Events
• 2024 - Sunderland Y.C. Sunderland. - 6th, 7th & 8th September
Discussions are continuing with Sunderland Y.C. to refine the details of this year’s Nationals in September. An experienced club PRO has been nominated for the series and the hunt for event sponsors is well underway.
As and when firm details have been agreed between the Club and our Class Association, including entry process and pricing, accommodation etc. these will be shared to you all in the coming months.
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Looking further ahead, our rolling Nationals programme continues to evolve and I am pleased to say that we have now secured firm venues up to and including 2027. Previously, some of these locations had been talked about, but no firm commitment from either our Class Association or potential clubs had been made. It’s great that we can now move forward with the following firm commitments.
• 2025 - Hooe Point S.C. Plymouth. - 19th, 20th & 21st September
We are very pleased to be have agreed with Hooe Point S.C. our Nationals in Plymouth which is now a firm booking. The growing fleet in the south west region have been keen to promote their patch and are very excited to be hosting the 2025 Nationals. The last time the Phantoms held a Nationals at Plymouth was 1995, so it’s long overdue !
We’re in good company in 2025 as the J24 Worlds are booked in for the first half of September, hence our slightly later date.
Hooe Point S.C. has evolved since the loss of Mayflowers SC and are the only dinghy club to be sailing in Plymouth Sound. Based at the Mount Batten Centre the club has fantastic facilities with great and easy launching, 30 accommodation rooms, 25+ camper van spaces onsite (with electric hook up) and camping less than a mile away.
For any non sailors, spectator viewing from nearby Jennycliff provides panoramic views of the race course with the Barbican and Plymouth via a water taxi for some of retail therapy !
I think this absolutely ticks all the boxes of your ‘Nationals criteria’ from our recent survey.
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• 2026 - Tenby S.C. Tenby - 4th, 5th & 6th September *
Some of our longer standing Phantom sailors (old gits) will recall our previous visit to Saundersfoot, South Wales in 2003 just down the road from Tenby. Tenby is not a venue I’ve ever sailed or visited but believe it’s a great seaside venue with sandy beaches and fantastic open sea sailing. The club is a popular venue for classes holding their national championships, so much so it’s booked up until 2030 !
As a tourist destination the town itself provides ample accommodation and local camping. So out of season it will be a great time to visit South Wales. “Croeso i gymru.”
* In discussion with the club to secure the dates and paying a deposit, it transpires that Tenby hold an annual ‘Ironman’ event every September. This effectively closes the town down and would make it impossible to run our Nationals on the same dates. The club will not know the Ironman dates until 12 months before (September 2025) Our dates are therefore provisional and may move to the 11th-13th September to fit with the Ironman event. Watch this space for a firm date announcements.
- So at this stage don’t book your accommodation !!
PS If you want to enter the ‘Ironman’ event as a warm up to our nationals let me know !
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• 2027 - Castle Cove S.C. Weymouth - 3rd, 4th 5th September **
Weymouth, the home of our aspiring Olympic hopefuls at WPNSA is just across the water from Castle Cove S.C. What better place to hold our nationals and rub shoulders with the best of the best !
One of ‘the’ classic UK venues providing great open sea sailing or the flexibility of the more sheltered waters inside the habour. Castle Cove SC offers great facilities and the benefit of local accommodation and camping/campervan sites very close by. The last time the Phantom’s visited Weymouth for a national championships was the year of the Queens Silver Jubilee back in 1977.
Some of the fleet weren’t even a twinkle in the eye back in the 70’s, but some of us will remember top of the chart hits like ‘Stayin alive’ by the Bee Gees and ‘YMCA’ by the Village People. I can feel a song coming on, those were the days …….
So it will be fantastic to be back sailing on the Jurassic coastline and enjoying the amazing waters off Weymouth.
** A booking has been made with Castle Cove S.C. But club policy dictates that due to it being over three years away the booking is classed as ‘provisional’ and will be upgraded to a firm booking nearer the time.
- So at this stage don’t book your accommodation !!
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• 2028 – Eastern Venue - to be confirmed
The Class Association are keen to rotate our national championship around the country, endeavoring to locate venues in every region. (Accepting that could be difficult for the Midlands ! )
Looking at the above programme the East Region is definitely next in line in 2028.
Currently, contacts have been made with numerous clubs across the region suitable to host a national championships. There’s lots of old favorites in the land where the Phantom was born, so watch this space for news out there and if you want to suggest any particular venue, you’ll have to bend my ear when you see me on the circuit.
It’s a long time off but let’s keep the programme rolling. From experience the best venues get booked up well in advance !
Mike Webster
Events Officer
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