Pascoe's emphatic victory in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2023/24

by Andy Rice 6 Mar 17:34 UTC

Winner Sam Pascoe with podium finishers Ben Flower and Sam Barker - Prizegiving for the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2023/24 © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

It's hard to recall a more dominant performance in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, with Sam Pascoe winning all but one of the six events in which he competed. Not since 2011 has a Musto Skiff won the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, when Andrew Peake took the overall prize.

Sam Pascoe showed signs of greatness last season when he finished runner-up at the GJW Direct Bloody Mary. Winning this year's Bloody Mary was one of many high points in the Castle Cove competitor's winter season.

Usually the Musto Skiff is raced almost exclusively on windward-leeward courses. One-sail reaching is very difficult, standing on the trapeze and trying to sheet in and ease the mainsheet one-handed as the tiller hand works to luff and bear away through every gust and lull. But Pascoe knew he was going to have to improve his skills in this area if he was going to be successful over the winter.

Sam Pascoe during the 2024 Tiger Trophy - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Huge range of courses and conditions

The huge diversity of course configurations in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series demands an ability to think and respond in the blink of an eye to changes of wind speed and direction, as well as the high-traffic hecticness of 93 different types of sailing craft in limited space.

Through all the randomness of multiclass handicap racing and some really challenging wind conditions, Pascoe managed to win at the:

Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash
Datchet Flyer
Gill Grafham Grand Prix (Fast Fleet)
GJW Direct Bloody Mary
Tiger Trophy

The only one that Pascoe attended but didn't manage to win was the last of the Series, the Oxford Blue, when he finished in third behind winner Luke Fisher's RS Vareo and Matt Mee and Chris Robinson's GP14.

Luke Fisher wins the slow asymmetric fleet - Prizegiving for the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2023/24 - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

A tale of two Sams

Pascoe travelled the circuit together with fellow Ovington Boats employee Sam Barker with their double-stacker from Dorset. The two Sams added an extra metre to their mainsheets to be able to cope with all the trapeze reaching in the Series and their boathandling got better throughout the events, also being pushed hard by other Musto Skiffers from Stokes Bay SC, Rob Richardson and Dan Vincent (fourth overall in the Series).

After all his efforts travelling up and down the country to different events, Sam Pascoe was gutted not to be able to make the prize-giving at the RYA Dinghy Show. But with a prior commitment to attending a friend's wedding, it was top 2.4m keelboat sailor and Sam's sister Megan Pascoe who came up to accept the overall trophy on her brother's behalf. She said Sam will be back next year but most probably it will be competing off a more difficult PY number set by the Great Lakes handicapping group.

Ben Flower has been as committed as he can be to attending events in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series whilst campaigning hard on the Olympic circuit in his ILCA7. With the ILCA7 World Championships taking place early in the year in Australia, Flower was absent from some of the events but made a return for the Oxford Blue and did enough to hold on to second place overall ahead of two Musto Skiffs in third and fourth overall, respectively Sam Barker and Dan Vincent.

Draycote Water SC win top club - Prizegiving for the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2023/24 - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Coaching on the horizon

Young sailors from Draycote Water, Imogen Wade and Hugo Valentine, were solid performers throughout the series in their 420 and were fifth overall ahead of Oxford Blue winner Luke Fisher in his RS Vareo.

While the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series continues to attract Great Britain's very best amateur sailors, and even a few from the professional ranks, the organisers are looking to extend the appeal to young up-and-coming sailors who can't necessarily afford new boats or coaching support.

Three-time winner of the Series, Simon Horsfield, is looking to offer remote and on-site coaching for next winter's events, and there are moves to create favourable handicap numbers that take account of older boats being slower than their brand new equivalents.

There will be an online forum on 26 March to discuss the Future of Handicapping in great detail. You can sign up here: enter.sailracer.org/eventsites/content.asp?id=50564&eventid=225490

Ben Dearden and Alice Carter win the sticker competition - Prizegiving for the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2023/24 - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Simon Lovesey and Andy Rice are keen to work with class associations looking to increase engagement and activity, so please send an email to if you want to talk through ideas and ways of building interest and activity on the water.

You can find out more about the Series at www.SailJuiceSeries.com with the full results shown at enter.sailracer.org/eventsites/content.asp?id=50499&eventid=225490 (also below).

Val Millward wins the Masters fleet - Prizegiving for the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2023/24 - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Previous winners of the series:

2023/24 Sam Pascoe (Musto Skiff)
2022/23 Peter Gray & Geoff Edwards (Osprey)
2021/22 Roger Gilbert & Ben McGrane (505)
2020/21 Simon Horsfield & Katie Burridge/ Natalie Johnson (2000)
2019/20 Simon Horsfield & Katie Burridge (2000)
2018/19 Simon Horsfield & Katie Burridge (2000)
2017/18 Alistair Goodwin (Laser)
2016/17 Matt Mee & Emma Norris (RS200)
2015/16 Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe (GP14)
2014/15 Nick Craig & various crews (Merlin Rocket)
2013/14 Michael Sims (Solo)
2012/13 Tom Gillard & Simon Potts (Fireball)
2011/12 Peter Gray & Rachael Rhodes (Scorpion)
2010/11 Andy Peake (Musto Skiff)
2009/10 Olly Turner & Richard Whitworth (Merlin Rocket)

Prizegiving for the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2023/24 - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Overall Results of 2023/24 series: (showing boats that competed in two or more events)

Pos	Class	Helm	Crew	Dash	Flyer	Brass	GP	Bloody	Gallop	Tiger	Blue	Pts
1	Musto Skiff	Sam PASCOE		1.79	2.29		7.16	1		1.74	5.21	6.82
2	ILCA 7 / Laser	Ben FLOWER		8.95	9.18	10.74	7.46	29			6.95	32.54
3	Musto Skiff	Sam BARKER		16.11	18.36			6		10.43	12.17	44.7
4	Musto Skiff	Dan VINCENT			391		21.48	19	7.16	5.21		52.85
5	420	Imogen WADE	Hugo VALENTINE	42.96	4.59			53	4.77	6.95		59.27
6	RS Vareo	Luke FISHER		44.75	52.78		11.19	34	38.19	29.54	1.74	76.47
7	ILCA 7 / Laser	Jamie BLAKE		26.85	558		59.67	25	23.87	34.76	19.12	94.83
8	RS Aero 6	Ellie CRAIG		341	32.13				52.51	39.97	15.64	121.75
9	RS200	Ben WHALEY	Lorna GLEN	66.23	20.65			36			17.38	140.26
10	National 18	Oliver HOUSEMAN	Steve WATTON					28	28.64	332	74.73	164.39
11	Osprey	Roger BLAKE	Jonathan OSGOOD	55.49	80.32		49.51	12	50.12	60.83	97.32	167.12
12	505	Roger GILBERT	Ian MITCHELL		114.74		35.8		14.32	8.69		173.55
13	Challenger	Val MILLWARD		28.64	27.54		85.77			53.87	67.78	177.83
14	ILCA 6 / Laser Radial	Finlay COCHRANE			59.67	39.38	93.23	111	313	599		189.16
15	Devoti D‑Zero	Thomas SOUTHWELL		53.7	57.37		114.26		57.28	43.45	34.76	189.18
16	Musto Skiff	Robert RICHARDSON		14.32	13.77	100.24				64.3		192.63
17	Graduate	Fresh ABENDSTERN	Ross KEMP	682	68.85	42.96			33.41			213.24
18	Enterprise	Paul YOUNG	Nathan MC GRORY	96.66	84.91			45	625	664	55.61	228.7
19	Blaze	Richard BOTTING		48.33	71.14		76.17			62.56	72.99	2552
20	RS600	Will RUSSELL					389	86	119.33	52.14	1393	295.55
21	RS200	Ben DEARDEN	Alice CARTER		64.26	78.76	91.4		76.37			310.79
22	ILCA 6 / Laser Radial	John CANT		91.29	783				66.83	88.63		324.77
23	Finn	George COLES				71.6	167.57	73	47.73			359.91
24	RS Aero 7	James EBERLEIN		85.92			95.21		938		996	373.27
25	Challenger	Alex HOVDEN		100.24	105.56		96.96			996	95.58	391.84
26	Vortex	Jonathan CARTER		94.87				64	112.17		125.13	396.17
27	ILCA 7 / Laser	Carl AVERY		89.5		107.4	100.69			102.53		400.12
28	RS300	Chris HATTON		1279	137.69				114.56	92.11		471.45
29	2000	Alastair MOPPETT	Sarah SEDDON				824	139	128.88		123.39	473.31
30	2000	Mike MCEWING	Alex WILBY				149.17	145	164.68	100.8	135.55	530.52
31	Laser 3000	James DAVIES	Amy COOKE	173.63			137.98	169	140.81	128.6	154.67	5626
32	RS600	Matt BANBROOK					133.3		171.84	119.91	142.5	567.56
33	Supernova	Serena STEWARDSON		177.21			167.81	130	1677	161.62	133.82	592.5
34	Norfolk Punt Hardchine	Edward CLIFFORD	Alex STANDLEY		160.64		171.84	119	159.91		163.36	602.91
35	Contender	Stuart JONES			11.47		11.43		11.93			615.83
36	RS600	David NUNN					148.53		169.45	166.83	149.46	634.28
37	Scorpion	Dave WADE	Ben RAYNER		166			67		20.85		684.92
38	RS Aero 7	Harrison PYE					60.94			31.28	22.59	695.81
39	505	Michael SIMS	Carl GIBBON	50.12			42.96	31				7058
40	2000	Matt SARGENT	Ross SOUTHWELL					102		24.33	36.5	743.83
41	Challenger	Duncan GREENHALGH		41.17	50.49					78.2		750.86
42	Solo	Chris BUNN					63.4			69.51	38.23	752.14
43	Phantom	Mark ADDISON						14	126.49		31.28	752.77
44	Osprey	Ben MCGRANE	James ROSS		167.53				2.39	15.64		766.55
45	Osprey	Philip MEAKINS	Richard ANDERTON					5		27.81	165.1	778.9
46	RS Feva XL	Mia HATELEY	Mona NYGÅRD	78.76		938		71				823.84
47	Challenger	Graham HALL		73.39			67.13			116.44		837.95
48	2000	Mark FOLEY	Ellie PARLE		107.86				100.24	74.73		863.83
49	Merlin Rocket	Kieran SHRIMPTON	Andrew SHRIMPTON					56	1051	151.19		893.21
50	RS Aero 7	Andy SHARP		141.41						133.82	92.11	948.33
51	Scorpion	Maciej MATYJASZCZUK	Sue THOMPKINS				140.91	95		149.46		966.37
52	Topper	Sylvia JEFFERIES						161	1364		88.63	966.67
53	Blaze	Peter MCFARLANE		1364	149.17					104.27		970.48
54	ISO	Bob LADELL	Tom CAVE	153.94					138.43		152.93	126.30
55	Contender	Ed PRESLEY		7.16	6.88							1.1764
56	Merlin Rocket	Ian MARTIN	Chris MARTIN					7			24.33	1.193.33
57	OK	Nick CRAIG				17.9	14.92					1.194.82
58	Snipe	Peter WOLSTENHOLME	Lloyd ROBERTS						199		13.9	1.195
59	RS Aero 9	Peter BARTON						17			20.85	1.199.85
60	ILCA 6 / Laser Radial	Freddie SUNDERLAND		12.53			29.83					1.204.36
61	RS200	Rob HENDERSON	Alex WARREN				194				27.81	1.208.85
62	420	Joe JONES	Hennie BURLTON		41.31					12.17		1.215.47
63	ILCA 6 / Laser Radial	Hugh ANDREWS					37.29		26.25			1.225.55
64	420	Arwen FFLUR	Matthew RAYNER					62		3.48		1.227.48
65	420	Harry GEORGE	Ralph CAWTHORNE		25.24			43				1.230.24
66	Comet Trio (MK I)	Adrian PADRO	Callem PADRO	46.54				27				1.235.54
67	Comet Trio (MK I)	Adrian PADRO	Callem PADRO	46.54				27				1.235.54
68	Fireball	Georgia BOOTH	Olly DAVENPORT						16.71		57.35	1.2366
69	Topper	Clive JACKSON			34.42						41.71	1.238.13
70	GP14	Al FRY	James HOBSON						45.35		332	1.240.37
71	RS Aero 7	Joe SCURRAH		256			53.32					1.240.38
72	Fireball	Graham COOK	William COOK					30	54.89			1.246.89
73	RS800	Tom MORRIS	James CURTIS	3.58	89.5							1.2558
74	RS400	Sam JONES	John TAILBY					55		45.18		1.262.18
75	ILCA 6 / Laser Radial	Iris SINGLETON					44.75	65				1.271.75
76	Musto Skiff	Fred CUDMORE			61.96			48				1.271.96
77	RS400	Nicholas CHARLES	Simon CHARLES					46	69.21			1.277.21
78	RS300	Charlie SOUTH			48.19						83.42	1.293.61
79	Fireball	Dj EDWARDS	Vyv TOWNEND		119.33			13				1.294.33
80	Albacore	Matthew METCALFE‑SMITH	Natalie SMITH		73.44			72				1.307.44
81	Challenger	Kirsten POLLOCK					70.85			83.42		1.316.27
82	RS400	Charlie SANSOM	Esther HEATHCOTE				114.56				45.18	1.321.74
83	Comet Trio (MK I)	Jamie GRIGOR	Alex PEGG					101			599	1.3229
84	Blaze	Douglas CLOW						99	71.6			1.332.60
85	Topper	Isobel JEFFERIES						125			62.56	1.349.56
86	RS400	Chris LARR	Karen LARR	80.55							107.75	1.350.30
87	RS200	Emily DAVIS	Jo TRIBE							93.84	102.53	1.358.38
88	ILCA 7 / Laser	Kai HOCKLEY						87	109.79			1.358.79
89	Phantom	Rob COOK						18		179		1.359
90	Devoti D‑Zero	Gordon STEWART					106.64		97.85			1.366.49
91	Miracle	Graham WATTS	Helen JACKS	114.56	91.79							1.368.35
92	Merlin Rocket	Tom LOW	Ed LOW		167.53			42				1.371.53
93	2000	Jay WHITEHEAD	Alice MOORE					133	85.92			1.380.92
94	Fire	Rupert RHODES			82.62		152.34					1.396.96
95	Lark	Olly SAUNDERS	Zara FRANKTON				144.72				90.37	1.3979
96	RS Aero 7	Andy WILKINS								1393	114.7	1.415.73
97	Merlin Rocket	Julian HARMS	Tim HARMS							180.74	78.2	1.420.94
98	RS200	Tom MOSS	Poppy CHRISTIE			139.62	121.87					1.423.49
99	Solution	Jon STEWARD					130.52	138				1.430.52
100	Waszp	Daniel GOODMAN		159.31	110.15							1.431.46
101	ILCA 6 / Laser Radial	Nick RYLES		164.68							109.49	1.436.17
102	Topper	Joshua BLACKMAN NORTHWOOD						108		182.48		1.452.48
103	RS Aero 5	Luke MARKEY			167.53		1236					1.452.59
104	RS Vareo	Paul NORTH		1705				126				1.4585
105	ILCA 6 / Laser Radial	Christine STATHAM		130.67		171.84						1.464.51
106	4000	Tom COCHRANE	Rob SHEPPARD				150.36				156.41	1.468.77
107	Topper	Tabitha BLACKMAN NORTHWOOD						123		184.21		1.469.21
108	ILCA 7 / Laser	Jessye OPOKU‑WARE						142	171.84			1.475.84
109	Phantom	Simon WIGMORE		139.62			179					1.480.62
110	RS600	Tom CAVE					159.96	159				1.480.96
111	505	Tim BIRD	Mike PRIDDLE	171.84			157.52					1.491.36
112	RS Vareo	Simon MOSS				164.68	175.27					1.501.95