Mark and Kieran and the Miracle Nationals

Published 20:44 on 20 Aug 2026

Shotwick Lake Sailing members are often out-and-about trailing their craft to compete in events across the UK. Most recently Mark Nield and Kieran Lewis headed to sunny Abersoch to take part in the 2026 Miracle Nationals. We invited Mark to share their experiences…

The Miracle Nationals Plan

So with only 15 days to get ready and with Kieran having no car and my my own van breaking down daily, I entered the championship and pre-booked the camp site… or so I thought! Tents and camping gear were acquired together with the all important stock of beer. Boat insurance updated, one car borrowed and a new part fitted to the van the day before we left and all we had to do was cross our fingers and set off to Abersoch.

We got down a day early to give ourselves time to get organised. Just as well! We dropped the boat off at the beach and made our way to the campsite only to find out we hadn't been pre-booked. It was nearly over before it had began, but luckily they said they had room, so tents were pitched, beer stocks reduced and we successfully registered at the event.

Day 1: Saturday 8th August

With light winds forecast we rigged the boat and headed out to the course. The excitement kicked in and we managed to get a third and an eighth but the boat did not feel quite right.

 Day 2: Sunday 9th August

Much strong winds were forecast, with a good chop developing, so we decided to alter the mast rake to see if it helped the boat point better. But once we got out racing we were done for! We realised that we had a massive problem - the boat just would not point! So we did our best and got another eighth place twice and a seventh, finally heading back to shore knowing this had to be fixed.

Day 3: Monday 10th August

It took a few beers (plenty left in our cellar!) in the evening to start to recover from the disappointing performance. I was up early searching my phone for some stored rig settings I knew were there somewhere. It took hours but found them, so we set off early to retune the boat and at the same time doing my best to reassure Kieran the boat would be better. The boat completely changed! It came alive and we managed a fifth and a very well deserved first place.

The race

With not a lot of wind we led from the start-line and gained a good lead. However holes in the wind were all over the course and the winner of the nationals did catch us up a one point, but Kieran and myself went into defiant defence attack mode  (DAM) and we advanced well into the lead. With Kieran doing his magic on the spinnaker we rocketed down the downwind leg, but as we came towards the finish line we entered another, massive, wind hole and the rest of the fleet started catching us up as the wind filled in from behind. The race continued as we spent an agonising five minutes trying to fill the sails - it seemed longer! In fact it felt like hours as the fleet made their way to within ten boat lengths of us. But suddenly the wind filled the sails and we made it over the finish line. OMG we won a race!! I will never forget that moment.

Day 4: 11 August

So after a celebratory evening (beer stocks holding up) we rigged the boat and set off to the race course with our heads held high. With moderate wind we lined up on the start line but many boats were over the line resulting in a general recall. This happened again on the second start and we were over the line again, so for the third start we pushed hard on the line and started the race but soon a support boat pulled up to us to tell us we were over the line again. We were black flagged,  disqualified from the race and had to bob around until the start of the last race approximately an hour later Gutted.

Day 4: 12 August,  Final Race

So after being black flagged we were keen to get a solid start in the last race. The wind had dropped and we got an average start but were clear and off. After a few tacks into clear air we sat as still as we could, as if our lives depended on it, to make sure we didn't knock any wind out of the sails and, unbelievably, we passed every boat in front of us and we were first boat towards the windward mark. Approximately five boat lengths from the mark a horn started sounding, we thought great they will finish the race here and we have another first place. However the cry went up, RACE ABANDONED. We were absolutely gutted for the second time our lead over the fleet meant nothing - the highs and lows of sailing.

Conclusion

So in the end we finished sixth out of 13 boats, a fair position but it could have been much better if the boat would point.

I would just like to say a big thanks to Kieran. He is an inspiration. His knowledge and skills are remarkable. And special thanks to Vicky for lending him the car with four seats and Levi for her daily beach support and to all the support from the club members and Nick the quizmaster who just turned up on the beach one morning.

Mark

Photo of Mark and Kieran receiving their race-winners trophy.

Last updated 20:49 on 20 August 2026