Report on Solo Open Meeting
Sun 6th July 2008
The enthusiastic home Solo fleet turned out 18 boats to compete against 14 visitors to this event. The wind tried to spoil matters by coming from an awkward southerly direction and then shifting about. The race team then had a hard task moving marks to the changing to maintain the best possible course.
Stephen Graham quickly found the right way from the first race start, in an older boat with a nice new sail. David Smith had a good start but dropped back, while Nick Brook pulled through to second, chased by Steve Denison in third.
After lunch, two races were sailed back-to-back. After a windshift, race two started with a port biased line and Brook seized a chance to get away on port, but Julian Goddard had better advantage of the shift and led at the first mark, followed by Graham. Graham gained the lead downwind while Goddard tried to hold others back. Graham then sailed clear away, while Chris Gillard and Denison managed to get through Goddard. These two set off quickly to finish within a few boat lengths of Graham, who had now won the event.
An incident at the start of the third race saw Graham and Goddard doing turns. Roger Hopper now found the lead at the first mark and sailed away with Denison in pursuit. They soon had a massive lead until the wind started to die and Denison passed Hopper. In due course others caught up but places did not change. The outcome was very close on points within the first 6 boats and ties were broken on the last race results.
Results:
1st. 3271 Stephen Graham (Burwain SC) 2 points
2nd 4884 Steve Denison (Hollingworth Lake) 3 points
3rd 4608 Roger Hopper (Shustoke SC) 7 points (Veteran prize)
4th 4935 David Mitchell (Winsford Flash SC) 7 points
5th 4662 Chris Gillard (Sheffield Viking SC ) 7points
6th 4934 Nick Brook (Hollingworth Lake) 8 points
Start of the second race. The first mark leader came of the right hand end!
For further details, please contact
George Blatch on 0161 665 2255
or Martin Watts on info@hlsc.org.uk