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Solo Open 2024

Published 09:55 on 13 Oct 2024

Our Solo Open meeting was held on the 5^th October this year in bright sunny conditions with a respectable force 3 south easterly breeze with strong gusts in excess of 20 knots forecast.

We were pleased to host four travellers from across the North plus a keen home team of ten club Solos (14 in total) This was the penultimate Northern Series Solo Open in the 2024 season. The club was looking its best thanks to the hard work of the Covid19 team.

The format was to be 3 races with 2 to count and it was to turn out to be a very enjoyable day with three race winners from different clubs, unexpected people capsizing and some super consistent sailing.

Our expert race team led by Jon Chapman PRO with Wendy Martin as AOD and Nicola, served up a great course, with two decent beats, runs and (in the gusts) planning reaches to make the best of the up and down gusty and shifting breeze. Bill Kenyon manned the lead boat to show visitors around the course with Steve Hayward and Alex Taylor on rescue and line duties to identify anyone over eager to jump the start.

On the water it was a day to keep your head out of the boat and try to make the best of gusts and shifts. Innes Armstrong from Burwain did just that in the first race, identifying a slight port bias and hitting the pin end of the line at speed, enabling a short starboard tack sprint to get out in front and then a port tack to cross the fleet so he could tack back into clear air with a clear lead and the freedom to choose his own course. Chris Gillard from Sheffield Vikings started further up the line but used his fast-sailing skills to pop out of the fleet and join Innes at the front. The pair disappeared into the distance for their own personal duel while the following chase group of Graham Ellis, Tony Sampson, Phil Proctor followed by Steve McGiven and Stephen Restall had their own battles.

It was a snakes and ladder day with plenty of opportunities to gain ground if you could find the localised gust cells and avoid the inevitable dead spots. At the finish Innes had maintained his lead closely followed by Chris with the super consistent Graham in third. Throughout the fleet there were countless individual races with everyone enjoying the conditions.

Race two followed straight away with a slightly fresher breeze that dropped slightly as the race continued. It was the same course and Innes following a similar strategy to race one and it seemed that a similar result was almost a certainty. However, after crossing the fleet the vital tack back to seal the gain went wrong, with an inexplicable capsize. Graham had again made a solid start and was first to the windward mark with Chris yet again mastering the conditions to be in hot pursuit. Innes charged back up the fleet making up lost ground picking off competitors one by one until eventually catching the lead pair. Chris had managed to just get past Graham, who, as the last lap commenced was in Innes's sights, there was a covering dual downwind with a luffing match to try to keep clear air and then get an overlap at the leeward mark.Innes managed to overtake so the top three were the same as the first race, just a different order, Chris taking the win, Innes second and ever consistent, no mistakes, Graham third.

Back on shore, the fleet was refreshed with a delicious soup and sandwich lunch,prepared by the wonderful Dianne. There was plenty of discussion about the days racing and the upcoming Americas Cup in Barcelona.

Heading out for the 3^rd race, the sun shone, and the water sparkled as the breeze freshened. It looked like it was going to be a contest between Innes and Chris for the win with Graham looking certain to have the pleasure of third place.

Two minutes before the start gun a gust came through which combined with the Solos well known requirement for limbo dancing under the low boom got the better of a competitor who capsized in the middle of the start line. The rescue team were there straight away to right the boat and clear the line as the fleet bore down to try to make a clean start. Unexpectedly Ted Garner found some space to leeward enabling him to accelerate away and get a fraction boat length ahead of the charging boats, which gradually increased as the fleet blasted toward the windward mark on a lifting starboard tack. Graham was just behind, and it was these two boats that made it to the first mark in first and second. It wasn't long before Innes and Chris were on the charge behind trying to catch the two Budworth boats.Clear air and knowing the vagaries of Budworth Mere helped the two Budworth sailors to keep going, but both Chris and Innes were catching, until Innes had another capsize, this time a specular affair at the gybe mark. But Chris kept on just managing to pass Graham on the last lap to get second, with Graham holding third and Innes recovering to be fourth.

This describes only the tussle for the first few places, there was plenty of good racing throughout the fleet with mini competitions and place changing to make it an enjoyable day for all.

Richard Wynne who had organised the event thanked the race, galley and safety teams who had given up their time so everyone could enjoy the racing. Jon Chapman (also Budworth Commodore as well as PRO) awarded the prizes.

The scoring was close between Innes and Chris with both having firsts and seconds, so the third race had to count. With Innes behind Chris overall he got second place overall, and Chris getting a further second place became the worthy overall winner of the event. Ted Garner gained third after his third race win and the consistent, three third places Graham took the prize for first Budworth Boat outside of the top three having finished in fourth.

Chris thanked the race team and organisers, and kindly said, as someone who has been visiting Budworth for decades, how pleased he was to see the club in such good shape.

Overall, a most enjoyable days racing.