2018 Results | Solution Class Association

Grafham

Photos: Tim Olin

Chase Inlands

10 Solutions travelled from across the country to gather at Chase Sailing Club on a cold and very wet Saturday morning, joined by the Supernova fleet.

The race officer made good use of the light north easterly breeze to set a figure of 8 course. There were lots of shifts and holes in the wind, but it held on and never died completely, leading to some close and exciting racing.

True to form the fleet got a clean start, and true to form Christian Smart quickly established a lead which he held to the finish. Newcomer Peter Blackman and Martin Tubb had a close battle from the first windward mark all the way to the finish line for second place, with Peter taking the honours. Jack Turnbull led the remainder of the fleet home to take fourth.

The cold and wet committee boat team just managed to stave off hyperthermia and everyone was happy to return to the club house to warm up with a hot soup before venturing out again for 2 back to back races.

Paul Nix led at one stage but was overhauled and Christian took 2 more bullets in back to back races, and despite a lot of place changes in position Paul improved on his earlier result to take 2 seconds, with Rob Main and Jack each earning a third and fourth place.

Everyone enjoyed the home cooked two course dinner and the good range of ales in the club house on Saturday evening. Newcomers Peter and Marcus were both welcomed into the Solution and VW camper club.

Sunday dawned dry and bright for what was a lovely autumn day. Saturday’s Supernovas were replaced by the Lightnings, who eagerly rigged their boats despite the lake looking like a millpond. The somewhat dubious Solution fleet launched at the last minute for the 11am start, however as if by magic the wind filled in from the west. No prizes for guessing that Christian took the win, while club mate Rob Main sailed well to take second with Martin taking third.

The wind increased during the afternoon, but there were large shifts and holes making the conditions difficult. With 2 discards the overall Solution Inlands winner was not in doubt and Christian took an early bath and left it to the rest of the fleet to battle it out in the final two races in what was probably the best conditions of the weekend.

In race 5 Paul built a safe lead ahead of Martin and Peter who were neck and neck, but a huge wind shift on the beat all but eradicated this and they caught him up on the next downwind leg. An error at the leeward mark let Martin and Peter through, but Paul managed to re-pass Martin to take second with Peter taking a well-earned win.

In the final race Kathryn found her form and decided that it was time to show the boys how it’s done and led from start to finish. Paul and Martin took their by now familiar second and third places, which mirrored their overall positions. Rob Main looked to be in contention at one stage but dropped back slightly to take fourth just ahead of local sailor Andy Jukes.

After 5 events, Paul, Kevin and Martin are all tied on 18 points for the Solution Traveller’s series, with another 4 sailors close behind and still in with a shout of winning the wooden fish, which is much nicer than it sounds! So it’s still wide open with just the Ovington inlands at Grafham in November remaining.

A big thanks to everyone at Chase Sailing Club for their great hospitality as ever and well managed racing. Thanks also to Marine 13 for sponsoring the prizes.

Report: Martin Tubb  Photos: Isabel Tate (Chase SC)

Pembrokeshire Yacht Club Nationals

Seven travellers and six local boats made for a very good nationals with a mix of local knowledge and travelling enthusiasm. With a 4 nautical mile sail to the racing area everybody made it, even if Paul Nix only had 4 minutes to spare.

With everyone vying for position to get a good first race, it was Christian Smart who led around the windward mark followed very closely by Martin Tubb as the left hand side of the course was seeming to pay. Sam Davy & Jack Turnbull followed, with the latter being the first of those who had gone further right. There was a very tight group coming into the mark with a mix of ports and starboards which caused a bit of havoc. As the race went on Christian started to pull away as Martin and Sam fought it out for second place with that honour going to Sam and Martin taking third.

The second race started with a couple of the fleet over the line and having to go back... or not if you didn't realise. The majority of the fleet stuck to the left hand side of the course this time with Christian and Jack going round the mark simultaneously, a few perfectly timed pumps and the extra speed from Christian was all the gap needed to drop Jack on the following downwind leg, with Sam following past him as well. By the last lap the front three positions were sorted as Kevin Clark had emerged from the congested fleet behind.

The third race again saw a couple of the fleet over and having to return. This time Ross "the Shadow" Prytherch got a storming start and joined Christian up front around the windward mark. The following windward leg Sam Davy overtook Ross as did Jack, who then lost it again on the downwind leg, until the following upwind leg.

The evening entertainment was a quiz and BBQ and, with the weather being as dry as it can be for Wales, was a very good evening, proving that the Solutions have better brain power than the Cherubs!

The second day dawned to a glorious Welsh summer's day... and all 13 boats re-launched and sailed a much shorter distance to the new race area of the day. With Christian making a rare mistake and ending up being the boat over the line (3 recalls in a row is unheard of in the Solution fleet!), Jack took advantage and lead around the windward mark after a small tacking duel to get clean air. Ross "the Shadow" was right behind though, and downwind took advantage with superior downwind speed. Ross then held the lead for a couple of laps as Sam and Christian worked their way up the fleet, both managing to get past and all but mathematically securing their final positions with 2 races to spare.

The fifth race got underway as the wind increased slightly to give the best reaching of the weekend. Kevin Clark re-discovered his mojo and pushed Christian all way with Sam watching from a safe distance in between them and the pack. An interesting situation at the leeward mark unfolded, as 3 boats tried to round at the same time as kindly as they could. Unfortunately, reinforcing the nickname, Paul "Basher" Nix ended up swimming after colliding with boats and the buoy but still recovered well, passing several boats.

There was a short delay for the 6th and final race as the wind shifted around and the course was re-laid to suit. After the start, the wind decided to carry on round and those few that got caught on the right hand side had to sit and watch the rest of the fleet fly to the first mark. Once the positions were sorted there was limited overtaking in the mid-fleet this time, as everyone formed an orderly queue upwind and only minimal gains possible downwind. Up front sealing a full house of victories was Christian Smart, who sailed a near-flawless regatta.

Paul Nix was 1st Master and also winner of the Ted Funnell Memorial mid-fleet trophy. Rhys Rackley was 1st Youth.

Huge thanks to everyone involved at Pembrokeshire Yacht Club for a great event and thanks to Bainbridge International for splendid prizes and sponsorship too.

Report: Jack Turnbull  Photos: PYC  Sponsor: Bainbridge International

Glossop

Four visitors joined the local Solution fleet at Glossop for a singlehanded open meeting with the Supernova and Laser classes. It was a hot and sunny day with a westerly force 3, and according to the PRO the best conditions they’ve had in a long time.

Race 1 made the best of the day’s breeze with a course using pretty much the full length of Torside reservoir, with a long beat towards the dam and a series of off wind legs down to the leeward mark near the club house. I’m not sure if it made any difference, but Martin Tubb started at the committee boat end and led for the first lap. Thankfully the Supernovas weren’t far ahead, making the course easy to follow. It was quickly clear that there were huge gains and losses to be made on the upwind leg and local duo Kathryn Smith and Paul Nix pulled through on the second of three laps to take the top spots, with Martin hanging onto third ahead of Kathryn Clark.

The galley put on an excellent spread for lunch, which Kevin Clark claimed was one of the best he’d had at a sailing club, and that was before he’d even got to the cakes.

Race 2 got underway with slightly less breeze but some significant gusts. Paul and Kathryn Smith once again took the lead, with Kathryn Clark and Peter Fisk initially leading the chase. Kevin and Martin got past Kathryn Clark on lap 2. On the third lap Peter was unlucky to sail into a hole a few boat lengths shy of the windward mark allowing Martin and Kevin through, before Kevin had an uncharacteristic capsize at the gybe mark letting Peter slip back into 4th place. Paul took the win ahead of club mate Kathryn Smith.

The third and final race was back to back and it was a contest between Kathryn Smith and Paul who both had a 1st and 2nd place. In the dying breeze, Paul led with Kathryn in hot pursuit. Martin wasn’t far behind, and thought he might have a chance of getting past when they had a downwind luffing contest, however it wasn’t to be, and Kathryn pulled ahead of Paul to take victory and with it won the event. Martin came home in a consistent third place while Peter tacked up to the committee boat end of the line to take 4th, just ahead of Kevin.

This was the first inland open for the Solutions this year, having previously raced at Llandudno and Felpham, and for the next open we’re back on the salty stuff for the Nationals at Pembrokeshire YC.