LOMO Blaze Inland Championship Report
By Tom Twist and Andy Wilson
Photography with thanks to Malcolm Lewin
The Blaze 30th anniversary season’s last fling was the LOMO Blaze Inland Championship, returning for the first time since 2022 to Draycote Water Sailing Club. In recent history, the Inland Championship provides the setting for the fleet to reconvene in a final flurry of sailing and socialising, with attendance numbers typically strong.
2026 has been a fickle year for winds and the poor forecast was a frustrating continuation of the theme, once again this time forewarning of another drifter for an otherwise enthusiastic fleet. Despite the forecast, entries had trickled through into the final week and the 24-strong list by close was encouraging. A very strong field had committed early, with the notable absence of National Champion, Charlie Matthews, who’d been tasked with representing Blaze Class at the Endeavour Trophy scheduled for the same weekend. However, the names remaining nodded toward determined ambition at the very top end. 2025 Traveller Champion, Christian Smart, was likely to do well in light conditions, but had the presence of Porthpean SC’s Alan Harris-Guererro (Blaze Nationals 2nd) looming. With massive combined mileage to make the trip, Porthpean exports also included Allan Orton, Stacey Bray and Charlie Nunn which formed a fearsome grouping. The gauntlet of Blaze heavyweight clubs had been thrown by 4 more from Christian’s Pembrokeshire YC clubmates, including Great Grand Master, Alan Watkins.
BCA Youth Representative from Felpham SC, Tom Twist, was hoping his new Hartley Mk4 would elevate his habitual 3rds.
Friday’s outlook promised low and shifty winds but as the local pub get-together at The Dun Cow (Dunchurch) progressed amid discussion of tactics and opportunities for the low wind, it was obvious that numbers were solid. A lively evening had dissipated with buoyant spirits, undampened by Saturday’s prospects.
Tom Twist reports on the racing:
Saturday started early for some rigging boats and some a bit later nursing hangovers.
All 24 entries set sail at about 11:30 for Race 1 after a short delay. Despite the keen effort, on H-over-P, sadly no racing was achieved.
Instruction to re-float was given at 1 o’clock for another crack and the LOMO Blaze Inland Championship finally got underway in earnest. The wind was incredibly light and very shifty. Christian Smart had established a commanding lead in conditions we’ve come to expect him to excel in, and he held out against Alan Harris-Guererro and Allan Orton making it a Porthpean 2nd and 3rd.
With half the sailors finishing the wind completely died at the top of the course requiring the remaining fleet to be whiskey flagged and one race was enough for the Saturday.
A disappointing day’s sailing was lightened by a free Battle Beer, jointly sponsored by Battle Brewery and BCA.
After a hard day’s lolling, 20 loud and upbeat Blazers descended on Cinnamon Lounge curry house (Dunchurch) and the Cobras were followed by ale back at the pub after.
The Sunday morning was a brisk one with fog covering the lake, so racing was delayed another hour for the fog to lift. There was a good breeze early in the morning which dropped off for the start of the first race, but it was sailable.
PRO Ethan and his race team did an excellent job getting a good course set early and we were able to get race 2 of the weekend underway just after the scheduled time.
Race 2 was interesting for the whole fleet with some having their best race of the weekend and many having their worst.
Charlie Nunn got off the line early and took the lead but had inevitably been reeled in by Chris, which is a theme of most of the weekend. Some of the inland merchants came through, including Mark Blackham from Chase SC earning third and Douglas Clow from Island Barn Reservoir SC securing fourth.
Christian Smart trundles through Race 3 began almost immediately after the last boat finished in another example of the excellent quality of the RO. Unsurprisingly, the wind remained light and shifty, veering and backing 10° depending on the side of the course. The port side up the beat definitely became favoured - Tom Twist had best position off the line and then found himself at 15th by the windward mark having taken the starboard side. Chris and Alan HG made up the top two once again, followed by Castle Cove SC’s Dave Shafto in third, continuing his progress up the fleet on every race. The wind slowly picked up towards the end of Race3.
Tom Twist and his lucky hat
Race 4 started in a healthy 10 knots with the wind now a lot more steady in direction. Christian, Alan HG and Tom extended early and it was then a race for fourth. Alan HG had harnessed the conditions best this time to overhaul Christian and Tom held on to them for third. Notably, Stacey Bray had woken up with the elevated wind to clinch fourth spot.Charlie Nunn had been let down – like his sail - by a failed halyard cleat mid-race.
Alan Harris-Guererro
Mark 3 carnage Race 5 - For the final race of the weekend the wind had continued to build so everyone’s light wind settings were now starting to cause some problems. There were a few capsizes and a few love-taps on the start line, but the race got underway cleanly. It was all to play for for the top two with only one point separating them to decide the winner of the LOMO Blaze Inland Championship. Alan HG started at the committee boat end and almost made the mark in one tack on starboard. A few others had stuck to the same port-side tactic that had been productive in the light winds and had been the wrong call this time.
The top four rounded the windward mark with Alan HG in first followed by Christian, Stacy and Alan Watkins who’d performed consistently in all races.Then came a battle of fitness and fighting the light-wind rig settings to try and keep the boat going as quickly as possible along the reaches and downwind. Alan HG preserved his lead from the start showing excellent sailing in the windier conditions. Christian held on for second with Stacey Bray in third. Tom Twist and Alan Watkins came through respectively to round out the top five.
An awkward day on the water, but a bit of something for everyone.The prizegiving had been delayed by the ‘relaxed’ Welshmen and were welcomed into the clubhouse by a cheeky slow-clap from the rest of the fleet, keen to start their own long journeys home.
Christian Smart - Winner overall
Alan Harris-Guererro - 2nd overall
Allan Orton - 3rd overall
We extend our grateful thanks to LOMO Watersports for their excellent ongoing backing of the Blaze Class. LOMO Watersports provided their usual expansive collection of prizeware including this year two of their 5mm Octane wetsuits, aptly-named Blaze Expedition Holdalls, gloves, torches, floaty keyrings and more. The Blaze Inlands continues to be lifted by LOMO’s superb support and helps make the Inlands a keystone of the Blaze calendar.
Draycote Water SC had forged 6 beautiful engraved trophies and extra prizes were made available in beer form by subsidy from Battle Brewery.
Overall, it was a great event. 5 races completed over the weekend and despite unideal conditions, smiles aplenty with fun and banter ashore. Blaze sailing has proven to be as much about the camaraderie and community as the racing excellence. Congratulations to Christian for coming away with the LOMO Blaze Inland Championship win - three firsts and two seconds. Alan HG must be congratulated for his two firsts and two seconds to take the event second place and to Alan Orton, coming in third proving that consistency will always get you in the top three.
Thank you to Draycote Water SC for offering up their superb venue to the Blazes. Flawless organising and excellent decision-making by Ethan the RO in very challenging circumstances. We also thank ex-BCA Chairman, Richard Botting, for his simple and easy comms on the DWSC side in helping us put the event together.
1st Christian Smart (Pembrokeshire YC)
2nd Alan Harris Guererro (Porthpean SC)
3rd Allan Orton (Porthpean SC)
4th Tom Twist (Felpham SC)
5th Alan Watkins (Pembrokeshire YC)
First Master – Christian Smart (Pembrokeshire YC)
First Grand Master – Stacey Bray (Porthpean SC)
First Great Grand Master – Alan Orton (Pembrokeshire YC)
First Polyester boat – Richard Proctor (Isle of Sheppey SC)
John Abbott Mid Fleet – Kevin Francis (Castle Cove SC)
Endeavour – Mike Holmes (Paignton SC)
With many thanks to Malcolm Lewin for the photography.
Blaze Traveller Series 2026
Christian also romps home with the Blaze Traveller Series win for the second consecutive year, scoring three firsts and a discarded second. We extend our thanks and congratulations to Christian for his unwavering positivity, merry-making and willingness to trailer-up to events. BCA’s golden boy!
Traveller Series Results:
1st Christian Smart (Pembrokeshire YC)
2nd Tom Twist (Felpham SC)
3rd Douglas Clow (Island Barn Reservoir SC)
4th Charlie Nunn (Porthpean SC)
5th Andy Wilson (Island Barn Reservoir SC)
We wave farewell to the 2026 BCA Blaze event season. We shall continue to celebrate 30 years of Blaze sailing (1996-2026) and look forward to many more years to come…
