IOM Ranking 3 & 4 – Keighley & District MES Ltd – Report and Results

A weekend where the moors delivered pleasant moods in the meteorological playbook

Weecher Reservoir, the rugged home of Keighley Radio Sailing Club, sits high on the Yorkshire moors with a commanding view across Leeds and beyond. It is a venue that feels purpose built for radio sailing: wild, open, atmospheric, and capable of serving up wind patterns that test even the sharpest tacticians.

Saturday – A day of oscillation, opportunity and occasional chaos

Friday’s arrivals, mostly southerners escaping the tropics of the M25 corridor were greeted by a balmy 25°C, sunshine, and the sort of relaxed pre event atmosphere that makes Ranking weekends special. Tea was poured, boats were fettled, and a few laps were sailed in conditions that felt almost Mediterranean.

But the forecast had already issued its warning: the dial was about to turn down. Saturday delivered cool early morning temperatures of 13–14°C, a stiff breeze, and a wind direction that refused to behave. Shorts for the locals, multiple layers for the visitors.

The prediction of a straight down the clubhouse shore breeze would have been perfect—except the forecast carried only 60% confidence. Sure enough, the wind swung through a mischievous 30 degrees all day, transforming the race officer’s job into a tactical minefield.

Boats went from hero to zero in seconds. The wrong side of an oscillation meant pain; the right side meant glory.

The usual front runners – Darin Ballington, Craig Richards, Graham Elliott, Peter Stollery, and Tim Hand – were typically sharp, finishing in that order. But even they were caught out by the shifts, each posting the occasional blemish.

Saturday, however, belonged emphatically to Rob Dyer of Gosport. His scoreline – 1,1,2,3,4,4,6 – told the story of a sailor in complete harmony with the conditions. From Race 1 onwards he picked the favoured side, punched out with pace, and sailed with a clarity that suggested he had a private hotline to the wind gods.

Sunday – Grey skies, predictable pressure, and tight margins

Sunday tried to be miserable. It failed.

A brief early shower from 0610 to 0700, just enough to wet the tent according to a damp but cheerful Peter Stollery, was the only real precipitation of the day. He spent the rest of the event draping his tent over his car between races, creating what may be the first known example of a “mobile drying station” in IOM history.

Temperatures stayed cool, and sailors layered up for the morning session.

The wind, however, was far more cooperative. Bands of pressure became visible, shifts more readable, and the day rewarded those who could link the gusts and anticipate the lifts.

By afternoon the breeze swung again, producing extreme port bias start lines and one way beats. The race team responded with a W course, which improved the tactical balance but created a congested first windward mark. Several pile ups ensued; the smart move was simply to sail around the carnage.

Graham Elliott mastered the day, followed closely by Darin Ballington, Nigel Barrow, Craig Richards, and Tim Hand. The points spread told the story of a fiercely contested fleet: Final totals with discard of 22, 25, 26, 27, 31 for the top five.

A Venue That Tests Every Skill

Weecher Reservoir once again proved why Keighley RSC is such a valued stop on the ranking circuit. It is a place where the weather gods can throw everything at you—heat, chill, oscillations, pressure bands, and the occasional Yorkshire surprise.

It was, in every sense, a balmy weekend on the moors.

Results

IOM Ranking 3 2026

IOM Ranking 4 2026