ullswater yacht club birkett

190 sailors compete for the 60th Birkett Trophy on Ullswater

• Monday 4 July 2022 at 9:12am

Fiona Marley Paterson

Reporter, ITV News Border

Over a hundred sailing boats have been out on Ullswater this weekend hoping to win one of the most coveted trophies in the UK, the Birkett Trophy. 

This year the race is celebrating 60 years since Ullswater was stopped from becoming a reservoir, remaining free to be enjoyed by water sports lovers. One of the 190 boats that raced this year, was captained by David Clarke, who won the race in 1984.

He told ITV Border: "We all want to win the Birkett. Some people have spent a lifetime sailing and they're so determined to win it and I'm one of the fortunate ones that have.

"Your whole race can be over almost before it's started because there are so many boats on that line.

"There's just so many things to winning this event but only one is going to" and he adds with a cheeky grin "and it might be me."

The race is in memory of Lord Birkett, a lawyer from Ulverston, who on 8th February 1962 made the most famous speech of his career, in the House of Lords, in defence of Ullswater, stopping it from becoming a reservoir so it could be enjoyed by all the water sports lovers who've got out on this lake for the last 60 years. However, just two days after that famous speech Lord Birkett died suddenly.

Sue Giles, from Ullswater Yacht Club, which organises the race, says the club wanted to hold the race in memory of him.

Sue said: "We call him 'The Saviour of Ullswater' because it meant that the lake was free for everyone to use at any time.

"And that meant a great deal to the sailors and anyone else around the lake that wanted to make use of the beautiful lake that we have here.

"We think a great deal of what he did even now."

It's the biggest sailing event in the North, one of the top 10 in the country.

The sailors go as fast as they can from the Ullswater Yacht Club base, down to Glenridding, back up to Pooley Bridge, round two buoys and back to the base.

"We do that on Saturday and for want of anything better to do on Sunday we do it all again," club President John Robinson said.

"It's very difficult to do it, particularly when you get to the southern end of the lake because there are several valleys, which bring different winds into the lake.

"So you can be sailing along in one direction and then the wind changes and you've got to have another think about where you go next."

You've got to have a good wind and avoid missing all the other boats. But for some, it's just not their race and they end up capsizing, losing time. But thanks to Lord Birkett 60 years ago, it's possible.

Get up close to the 60th annual Birkett Trophy Yacht Race onboard an exclusive spectator cruise

Posted: 17th June 2022

Category: PR

From national champions to novices – sailors from across the country will descend on Ullswater next month for the 60th annual Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy Yacht Race, one of the most spectacular sailing events in the North. 

Held to commemorate the ‘Lakes’ Great Advocate’, Lord William Norman Birkett, the Ullswater Yacht Club is planning exciting diamond celebrations for this prestigious action-packed event, which is rated number eight in the top 50 ‘must do’ sailing regattas.

Taking place over the weekend of 2 and 3 July, more than 200 different types of sailing boats will kick off each day with a dramatic mass start at 1pm before racing the full length of Ullswater and back, as they battle it out to take home the prestigious Birkett silver trophy.

You can get a piece of the action onboard a special ‘Birkett Trophy Cruise’ chartered by Ullswater ‘Steamers’.

The three-hour exclusive charter leaves Pooley Bridge Pier at 12pm on Saturday 2 July, and includes an up-close viewing of the mass start where guests can experience all of the on-water excitement, plus on-board commentary from members of the UYC as the cruise follows the dramatic race down the lake.

Rachel Bell, Head of Marketing says, “The Birkett Trophy Cup is the biggest event of its kind in the North of England, and this cruise offers unparalleled viewing of the race.  A great day out for families and friends, there is no better spot to get a slice of the action than from on the water, as you watch boats of all sizes and skill battle it out.”

Secure your tickets online: www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk/events/birkett-trophy-cruise

Visitors to Ullswater owe a huge debt of gratitude to Lord Birkett, who was the 1 st Baron Birkett of Ulverston, born in the town in 1883.

A devoted Cumbrian, it was his role in the House of Lords which helped saved the stunning Ullswater for future generations, after the Manchester Corporation Waterworks Department promoted a parliamentary bill to turn it into a reservoir.

This year marks the 60 th anniversary of his heartfelt speech in the House of Lords, which condemned the bill and secured public access to the stunning waters of Ullswater to this day.

Sadly Lord Birkett died two days after his speech, and to commemorate him and his success the first Cup Trophy Race was sailed in 1963, soon becoming one of the biggest sailing events in the UK.

Notes to Editors:

About Ullswater ‘Steamers’ Ullswater ‘Steamers’ is a family-owned business that has been operating in the tranquil Ullswater Valley since 1859. Today, the company provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of linking some of the most iconic walking routes and views in the Lake District National Park.  Ullswater ‘Steamers’ has one of the largest heritage passenger vessel fleets in England, including the oldest working passenger vessel in the world, Lady of the Lake.

More information from the Ullswater Yacht Club : www.ullswaterycbirkett.org/

Event listing details:

Birkett Trophy Cruise

Saturday 2 July 2022

Departs Pooley Bridge Pier at 12.00pm and returns at 3pm

£25 for adults, £15 for Children and under 3s free. Dog’s not permitted.

Watch the award winning Birkett Trophy Yacht Race on-board an exclusive charter, with Ullswater ‘Steamers’. Ticket includes three hour cruise with race commentary. Bar will be open, and you are welcome to bring your own picnic.

www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk/events/birkett-trophy-cruise

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We are delighted to announce the return of 'Kids Go Free Fridays' for the 2024 summer holidays! Every Friday from July 12th to September 6th inclusive, one child can travel for free with a full-fare paying adult on return journeys at Ullswater 'Steamers'

Why not join us for one of our upcoming Fish and Chip Cruises , running on Tuesday evenings throughout the summer?!

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Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy

by Sue Giles

A magical event

N orman Birkett has given his name to Ullswater Yacht Club’s most well-known and sought-after trophy. The Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy race has become the Holy Grail for competitive sailors from all over the country.

It is so highly rated that the magazine Yachts and Yachting put it at number eight in the top 50 ‘must do’ sailing events and it regularly attracts the limit of 230 entries. The Birkett was honoured with the Cumbria Tourism Event of the Year Award in 2016.

It has a magic like no other sailing event and anyone who has ever been on that shore-to-shore start line with the magnificent view down the lake will never forget it.

Lord Birkett to the rescue

But the natural beauty that makes the race down the full length of the lake, round an island and back, such an attraction came under threat in the early 1960s.

Manchester Corporation planned to use the lake as a reservoir which would restrict its recreational use and a Bill went to the House of Lords.

Lord Birkett, a brilliant advocate and humane judge, made the greatest speech of his career in a packed House of Lords on February 8, 1962, when he spoke against the Bill and of the importance of retaining Ullswater’s natural beauty for all.

The Bill was rejected but the following day, while reading congratulatory letters and newspaper reports, he was taken ill and died shortly afterwards.

His vision lives on

There are several memorials to Lord Birkett. A fell was named after him above Glencoyne and a plaque on the face of Kailpot Crag near Howtown in the eastern shore of the lake was dedicated by the Bishop of Penrith to the man “by whose vision and labours the values of this beautiful spot were discerned, defined and defended to the common welfare of all who seek here refreshment of body, mind and spirit.” And a carved stone memorial to Lord Birkett was erected in Pooley Bridge in 2017.

A festival of sailing

Then there is the Memorial Trophy Race for a silver salver. It took the Yacht Club members a year to decide on the format of the two-day long distance event which first took place on July 27 and 28, 1963, but is now held every year on the first weekend in July.

The unique weekend race, open to all classes of monohull sailing boat, soon captured the imagination of sailors from all over the country and its popularity grew and grew. It has now become more than just a race but is a real festival of sailing, attracting hundreds of people on and off the water, all celebrating Lord Birkett, the ‘Saviour of Ullswater’.

A weekend to remember

As the popularity of the Birkett has grown over the years so have the demands on the organisers. The weekend has to be planned with military precision by club officials as the site has to cope with an influx of hundreds of extra visitors. The event just could not be possible without the dozens of club members who volunteer to help make it a success. The challenge of the event is that it is never predictable and what brings sailors from all over the country to the Birkett year after year is the thought that ‘this time it could be me’.

www.ullswateryachtclub.org

Ullswater Yacht Club original minutes

Photographs donated to UYC archives

Memories of club members

Photographs by Tim Olin and Sue Giles

Cumberland & Westmorland Herald archives

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Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy , July 3 & 4

Published 10:27 on 6 Jul 2021

RS400 sailors Alistair Coates and Ben Tylecote won the Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy at Ullswater Yacht Club, on July 3 & 4 by the narrowest of margins. The uncle and nephew team took the Birkett Silver Salver on 21 points with second placed Louise Mckeand and Nigel Hall in a Wayfarer just half a point behind on 21.5. The RS400 team put Budworth (Alistair)/ Rutland (Ben) Sailing Clubs on their entry but members of Ullswater Yacht Club were thrilled at their victory, claiming it as a proud home win. Alistair and his sister Fiona, Ben's mum, grew up at the club, learned to sail on Ullswater and their parents, Parry and Margaret, who live in Penrith, are still active members. The weekend was dominated by very light, unstable winds and frustrating sailing conditions for the 155 boats taking part. On Saturday, race officer John Robson set an optimistic course to Norfolk Island seven miles away and the fleet set off on the first start in a promising light breeze from the south and torrential rain. But it was not to last and even before the leading boats had got to Howtown they were becalmed. This was the pattern for the whole of the race up and down, from flat calm to a breeze just strong enough for the asymmetrics to plane. First back to the club in almost three hours were Jono Shelley and Graham Priestley of UYC in a VXOne. And the race officer's confidence in sending the boats to the island, despite the weather conditions, was rewarded when the last boat, a Vago, crossed the finishing line in 5 hours 40 minutes - the time limit is 6 hours. On corrected time, the VXOne was not far enough ahead of a bunch of RS400s that took the first four places with Alistair and Ben in top spot overnight. Covid restrictions led to a change in the usual programme of hospitality for the 'Festival of Sailing'. The traditional big beer tent marquee was replaced by an evening outdoor hospitality area by the lake and it proved to be a huge success. Sunday brought the same challenging conditions and the start was delayed by an hour and a half while the predicted light southerly wind kicked in. It was a shorter course than on Saturday, a 'beat' south to two marks off Howtown and then north to two marks just past the clubhouse. The sailors were a bit naughty this time and after one general recall the race got going under the black flag. Following Saturday's pattern, the wind did not stay and the boats mainly drifted around the course. The leading boats took around one and a half hours to reach the finishing line but the battle for the Birkett Trophy was taking place further down the fleet. It all hinged on the times of the Wayfarer, which had come 20th on Saturday, and a Lightning 368 sailed by Caroline Hollier of West Oxfordshire Sailing Club. They were both well ahead and on corrected time they finished in joint first place both with 1.5 points. The RS400 Saturday winners came 20 th on handicap on Sunday, pushing Louise Mckeand and Nigel Hall in the Wayfarer from Leigh and Lowton SC into an amazingly close second place. The iconic event was first raced in 1963 in honour of Lord Norman Birkett who died two days after making a successful speech in the House of Lords which prevented Ullswater from becoming a reservoir. Since then the club has held the prestigious annual two-day long-distance race in memory of the 'Saviour of Ullswater.' The 58 th Birkett in 2020 was cancelled and the club was delighted to have Penrith civil engineering company Waitings - involved in a range of wind, water and waste projects - as main sponsors for Birkett 2021. UYC is already planning a bumper celebration for 2022 when it is the 60 th Birkett and the 60 th anniversary of the death of Lord Norman Birkett. Appropriately, Sunday July 4, was National Thank You Day. Ullswater Yacht Club would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who helped by volunteering to make the 59th Birkett possible. The full results are on the Birkett website:

Birkett 2021 results

Overall winners: 1.Alistair Coates & Ben Tylecote, RS400 Budworth/Rutland SC, 21 2.Louise Mckeand & Nigel Hall, Wayfarer, Leigh & Lowton SC, 21.5, 8 3.Lucy Boreham & Richard Anderton, 505, Chichester YC, 23.5 4.Caroline Hollier, Lightning 368, West Oxfordshire SC, 24.5~ 5.Richard Catchpole & Gary Coop, RS400, Leigh & Lowton SC, 25 6.Barrie Thornton & Nick Hunt, RS400, Scaling Dam SC, 28~ 7.Chris Pickles & Matt Sharman, RS400 Bassenthwaite SC, 34 8.Hugh & Roger Devereux, GP14, Budworth SC, 37 9.Steve Ward & Mike Acaster, Bartley SC, 39 10.Charlie Chandler, Phantom, Bowmoor SC, 41

Class prizes & Trophies: Cruiser: 1. David Thomson & Neil Sayer, Hunter Europa, UYC. 2. Sam Harding & Richard Sealby, Hunter Europa, UYC.~ Flying Fifteen: 1. Dave & Sue Giles, UYC. 2. Alex Leonard & Ben Marrell, Bassenthwaite SC. 3. John & Megan Thornley, UYC. GP 14: Hugh & Roger Devereux, Budworth SC. RS200: 1. Jamie Tylecote & Tom Coates, Rutland/Budworth SC. 2. Martin & Barbara Smith, Yorkshire Dales SC. RS 400: 1. Alistair Coates & Ben Tylecote, Budworth/Rutland SC. 2. Richard Catchpole & Gary Coop, Leigh & Lowton SC. 3. Barrie Thornton & Nick Hunt, Scaling Dam SC. VXOne: 1. Jono Shelley & Graham Priestley, UYC. 2. Lester Noble & Mark Simpson, UYC. 3. Tony Lewis & Andy Cutting, UYC. Musto Skiff: 1. Ian Turnbull, UYC. 2. Jamie Hilton, Dalgety Bay/ Wormit SC. 3. Josh Moran, UYC. Tempest: John Turley & Robin Higgens, UYC. Hunter Bowl (1 st visiting cruiser): Charles Adams & family, Charisma 22, West Lancs YC. Dalemain Trophy (Club with most entrants): Roa Island Boat Club. Tortoise Trophy (Last placed boat finishing both races): Archie Dobson & Dan Podmore, Vago. Ullswater Steamers Trophy (59 th boat past Birkett Crag on Saturday): Neil Robinson, Musto Skiff, UYC Barclays Bank Trophy (Best placed UYC boat): David Thomson & Neil Sayer, Hunter Europa. Mike Barnard Trophy (Best placed under 21 UYC helm) & Development Challenge Trophy (Best placed under 18 UYC helm) : Spirit Alderson, RS200. - Sue Giles 6.7.21

Captions. Pix by Tim Olin:

1. Birkett 2021 winners Alistair Coates and Ben Tylecote 2. Birkett 2021 winners Alistair Coates and Ben Tylecote with the trophy 3. Birkett 2021, the Sunday start 4. Birkett 2021, some of the top ten prizewinners 5. Birkett 2021, class and trophy prizewinners

Last updated 19:16 on 15 April 2024

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Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy at Ullswater Yacht Club

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