The Belgian Flying Fifteen Championship 2025 took place on October 11th and 12th. This year was marked by the return of participants from England, including Nick and Catherine Heath (GBR3692 Cambridge SC), regulars at our Championship, as well as two new crews: Duncan MATTHEW and John CHALKER (GBR3844 Aldeburgh YC), and Richard HOPE and Jeremy ARNOLD (GBR4044 Draycote Water SC).
RYCM was also very well represented with five boats making the trip from Liège, showing that the local fleet is particularly active and dynamic.
After Storm Amy had passed the previous week, the weather forecast predicted light conditions for the whole weekend—especially on Saturday.
During the briefing, the Race Officer warned that the decision to run races on Saturday would be made on-site depending on the wind conditions.
With a relatively stable wind of 5 knots, three races were able to be held: two on the short course (one lap) and one on the longer course (two laps).
Given the light winds, the key strategy was finding the right balance between the right-hand side of the course, which offered a better upwind angle, and the left-hand side, which had slightly more breeze.
In these conditions, the results were quite open, but by the end of the first day, the provisional podium was made up of GBR3844, BEL3530, and GBR4044, in that order.
Back ashore, crews enjoyed plenty of Belgian beers followed by a crew dinner organized by the SNEH.
Stronger wind was forecast for Sunday. The first race started at 10:00 AM in light but building wind.
In these more stable conditions, a group of five boats (GBR4044, GBR3844, GBR3692, BEL3530, and BEL3915) pulled away from the rest of the fleet and consistently fought for podium positions.
After a brief settling in, the wind for the day, coming from the northeast, settled between 5 and 10 knots.
Throughout the five races held on Sunday, the reigning Belgian Champion (BEL3915) looked much more comfortable than the day before, claiming four wins, which gave him a strong lead in the 2025 title race.
Among the leading group, the order of finish changed frequently, with many races being decided in the final meters before the finish line.
Further back, the fleet was also closer together than on Saturday, but the rankings saw fewer changes, with final positions becoming clear more quickly.
In the end, BEL3915 (Desantoine – Joly) retained their title, having secured five wins over the weekend.
They were followed on the podium by GBR3844 (Matthew – Chalker) and GBR4044 (Hope – Arnold).
The prize-giving ceremony followed shortly after the return to shore, with competitors being rewarded with beers offered by the event sponsors and polos donated by the Belgian Class Association.
The Equinox Trophy, which annually rewards a deserving competitor, was awarded this year to Nick Heath (GBR3692) in recognition of his many years of participation in our Championship.
Next year, the Championship will take place slightly earlier to avoid overlapping with the European Championship. It will be held at Lac de la Plate Taille (SNEH) on September 26th & 27th, 2026.
The venue is easily accessible after the ferry crossing and can serve as a convenient stop on the way to the European Championship.
Photo - Didier Leroy
Results are here