SAILING - Wykehamist Sailing Club win the Arrow Trophy for record 7th time

The Arrow Trophy is the principal alumni sailing event, has been running for over 60 years and has been in its current format since 1992.  Racing takes place on the Solent in two fleets of matched charter boats.  All entrants compete in fleet racing on the Saturday, and the four top-placed boats progress to a match racing tournament for the trophy on the Sunday.  Participation has continued to increase and this year 22 teams competed, requiring a waiting list. 

The Old Wykehamist Sailing Club has a strong record in the event and has competed 26 times since 1992, regularly reaching the Sunday final and winning the tournament 6 times, placing us jointly with Bradfield as the most prolific winners. 

A crew of 8 OWs, supplemented by a couple of St Swithun’s alumni, represented the OWSC at the 2024 competition on 5 & 6 October.    

Four races took place on Saturday 5 in perfect conditions with sun and wind.  Miles Jones and James Markby took charge of steering and tactics, with the experienced Alastair Moye on the bow. OWSC finished 2nd, 4th, 3rd and 1st, which comfortably secured a place in the top four behind Charterhouse but ahead of Cheltenham and Wellington. 

Sunday’s weather conditions held up for the match racing, and the Royal Thames Yacht Club race officers were able to run 2 round robins between the top four teams.  Miles Jones’s match racing experience and some great teamwork from the whole crew led to a clean sweep of wins, with Winchester progressing to a best-of-3 final against Charterhouse, who had shown incredibly quick boat speed all weekend.   

A convincing win in the first race of the final was followed by a very tight second race, in which Charterhouse’s superior speed edged out OWSC in the last couple of legs setting up a tense decider. 

There was close racing round both laps and the lead changed three times. After a tight battle that had waged all weekend, it came down to the final metres of the last race of the day.  Charterhouse held a narrow lead when some inspired helming and a good gybe of the spinnaker enabled OWSC to establish the finest of overlaps and inflict a penalty on Charterhouse right at the finish.   

This secured the seventh Arrow Trophy win for Winchester and wrapped up a very enjoyable weekend.  Congratulations to the team, and thanks to David Anderson (Coll, 69-74) who led the shore crew and secured berthing in the Royal Yacht Squadron haven for the team. 

 - Miles Jones (A, 2012-17)

 - James Markby (C, 1993-98)

 - Alastair Moye (X, 1978-83)

 - Roderick Walker (G, 1969-73)

 - Alastair Morley (B, 1993-98)

 - Harley Stone (C, 2015-20)

 - Gerard Cloke Brown (B, 2014-19)

 - Richard Cubitt (G, 2008-13)

 - Perdita Light (St Swithuns)

 - Lizzie Frost (nee Anderson) (St Swithuns)

That completes WSC's waterborne events for 2024. Annual dinner and AGM is on 12 November in London welcome to all, and anyone interested in signing up for future events please do contact Alastair Morley (+447801133917) or sign up on the website Sailing | Clubs & Societies | Winchester College Society