Lord Birkett ready for 230 on the start line
by Andy Rice 3 Jul 02:36 NZST
5-6 July 2025
The Lord Birkett at Ullswater © Tim Olin /
www.olinphoto.co.uk
There's a huge array of dinghies and keelboats lining up to compete at this weekend's Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy, sponsored by Magic Marine. Hosted by Ullswater Yacht Club, the two-day event is going to be busy on and off the water with 230 boats entered.
They range from singlehanded dinghies and doublehanded hiking boats and skiffs through to a range of sportsboats and keelboats, all racing against each other under the Great Lakes handicap numbers that are used in the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series as well as this summer's new travellers circuit, the Sailjuice Challenge.
In Honour of Norman
The Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy, sponsored by Magic Marine, is an iconic long-distance event which was established by Ullswater Yacht Club in honour of Lord Norman Birkett who died in 1962, two days after making a successful speech in the House of Lords preventing Ullswater from becoming a reservoir which would have restricted public access. The Lord Birkett has become more than just a race but a festival of sailing, attracting entries in a wide range of different dinghies, keelboats and cruisers from all over the country.
Who will win?
An International 14 - sailed by Robin Steavenson and Ewen Stamp from Tynemouth - won the first edition in 1963. And the most recent winners from 2024 were another Tynemouth duo also sailing an International 14 - Adam Ovington and Stuart Keegan. While the faster boats often fare well in the Lord Birkett, the weather will doubtless play a big part in the outcome of this year's event as it always does in handicap competition. A Snipe hiking dinghy won the Magic Marine Daffodil Regatta back in April, so perhaps it could be a year for the slower boats.
Ovington and Keegan are back to defend the title although there are a number of hot International 14s lining up against them including former World Champion Martin Jones who's sailing with Harry Kennedy.
Other leading lights include Neil Marsden racing the GP14, a class he dominated 30 years ago with multiple championship victories. Last year's Musto Skiff World Champion and winner of the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series in the same year, Sam Pascoe, is crewing for his son Benjamin in a 2000.
There are big entries in the RS200 and RS400 fleets, and a whole host of different larger boat classes represented including Hunter Europas, SB20s, Tempests, VX Ones and Liverpool Bay Falcons.
What is the Sailjuice Challenge?
Following on from 16 successful seasons of the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series, the aim of the Sailjuice Challenge is to provide good handicap racing across a series throughout the year, including the busy summer months. The organisers of the Sailjuice Challenge are working with existing events to help bring additional publicity and increase participation.
Find out more here...
The Lord Birkett is being supported by Magic Marine who are making a big push into UK dinghy racing. Magic Marine's new trapeze harnesses are the first on the market to be officially approved under the new ISO standard for quick release systems - a development strongly recommended by World Sailing. Magic Marine is currently the only manufacturer to have passed the World Sailing CE / ISO 10862 certification for quick release.
More events are coming up in the Sailjuice Challenge this summer. For further information about how to get involved, either as a participating Class or a host Sailing Club,
Please contact Simon Lovesey, email: