Budworth Takes Five Teams to the WLYC 24 Hour Race

Published 21:39 on 29 Sep 2026

There are plenty of sailing events in the calendar, but the WLYC 24 Hour Race is something a bit different. It is 24 hours of sailing, but it is also a weekend of camping, eating, laughing, socialising and catching up with sailors from clubs all over the country. This year, Budworth SC was there in force, with a record five teams taking part.

We entered four GP14s and a Firefly, with our A, B, C, D and F teams bringing together sailors of all ages and abilities. Some had plenty of experience of the 24 Hour Race, while for others it was their first taste of what is a pretty unique event in the sailing calendar.

The weekend got off to a great start on Friday evening, with Budworth teams meeting up in town for food before heading back to the WLYC clubhouse. The music was soon turned up, the dancing started and the party carried on well into the early hours. It was a good reminder that the 24 Hour Race is as much about the people as it is about the sailing.

Then it was time to race

Saturday brought some challenging conditions. The afternoon breeze was strong, with gusts reaching around 30 knots, making for some lively sailing and plenty of capsizes around the course.

Keeping the boats moving quickly was one challenge. Keeping everyone fresh and ready for their next changeover was another.

As the evening went on, the wind gradually eased. By overnight the water was almost completely flat and lap times slowed right down. After the excitement of the afternoon, crews were suddenly having to concentrate on finding every little bit of breeze and keeping the boat moving.

That is the great thing about this race. You never quite know what you are going to get, and conditions can completely change the way you sail.

Five Budworth teams

With 75 entries in total, Budworth's five teams produced some excellent results.

The 'A Team' finished 2nd overall, an outstanding result in a very competitive fleet, just narrowly beaten by an outstanding effort by A team from South Staffs SC.

Our other results were:

B Team, Masters: 18th
D Team, Juniors: 20th
C Team: 55th
F Team, Firefly: 60th

The results were great, but perhaps the most impressive thing was simply having five Budworth boats on the start line. For the full set of results - click here

There was a real feeling of everyone being part of one big Budworth team. Crews were helping each other out, sharing information, keeping an eye on how the other boats were doing and making sure there was always someone around to offer encouragement.

For those who had done the race before, there was plenty of experience to share. For those taking part for the first time, there were plenty of people ready to help them through the experience.

Around 100 Budworth sailors, families and supporters made the trip, creating a fantastic atmosphere around the shore. There was always someone watching the racing, waiting for a changeover or cheering the boats as they came past.

It is about much more than the racing

One of the best things about the WLYC 24 Hour Race is the number of clubs that come together for it.

For one weekend, sailors from across the country are all sharing the same piece of water and the same clubhouse. There is plenty of friendly competition, but there is also a great deal of catching up, meeting new people and swapping stories about what has happened on the water.

You can spend the afternoon battling through strong winds, then find yourself chatting to sailors from another club over breakfast a few hours later. It is that combination of serious sailing and a brilliant social atmosphere that makes the event so special.

It also takes a huge effort from the people who are not actually sailing.

A massive thank you goes to everyone who helped keep the Budworth teams going throughout the weekend. The cooks who kept everyone fed, the scorers, the safety RIB crews, the parents and families cheering from the shore and all the volunteers who stepped in whenever something needed doing.

Without that support, none of the teams could have done what they did.

Fancy giving it a go?

If you have never taken part in the WLYC 24 Hour Race, it is well worth putting it on your list for next year.

You do not have to be an experienced endurance racer and you certainly do not have to be aiming for a podium place. The beauty of the event is that there is room for everyone.

You get to sail with friends, try something different, meet sailors from other clubs and spend a memorable weekend as part of a much bigger sailing community.

This year Budworth took a record five teams. Hopefully next year we will have even more people wanting to get involved.

A huge well done to everyone who sailed, supported and helped make Team Budworth such a success. And thank you to WLYC for putting on another fantastic event.

We will definitely be back next year.