Solo National Championships at Brightlingsea Sailing Club - Day 4

Day 4 of the Solo nationals at Brightlingsea © Fiona Brown / www.fionabrown.com

A single race puts Charlie Cumbley in control

The fourth day of the Solo National Championship supported by Allen Brothers and Noble Marine may have produced only one race, race seven of the series, but it was a great race in ideal conditions with a full length triangle, sausage, triangle course.

The competitors came away from the launching ramp in the northerly gradient breeze and slightly overcast skies. By the time they were in the start area the offshore wind was settled in at around 10-12 knots and although it was oscillating through around 20-30 degrees it was none the less fairly stable within those parameters.

With tide taking the fleet up over the line it took three attempts to get the start away with eight boats falling foul of the black flag, including Andy Davis who had gone into the day lying second overall. Once underway it was a race where concentration was all as the wind flicked back and forth and everyone fought to make the most of the little extra puffs that were rolling down across the course.

Overnight leader Charlie Cumblie made a stunning start and took control from the off, never relinquishing the lead there after despite numerous challenges from the chasing fleet. Behind him the battle for positions raged, but on the line Steve Cockerill took second with Andy Tunnicliffe third, Pete Mitchell fourth and Andrew Wilde fifth.

Day 4 of the Solo nationals at Brightlingsea - photo © Fiona Brown / www.fionabrown.com

Initially it looked as if the gradient northerly might hold up as there was little sign of cumulous building over the land and the wind was still up at around 8 knots with occasional higher gusts. The race committee rapidly reset the course and got race eight underway, but in the closing moments of the sequence the wind began to destabilise and a left hander which affected the pin end more than the committee boat end meant that the line was hard to cross on starboard and a lot of boats actually started on port. As they started up the beat it was clear the wind was dying away so the race committee wisely abandoned the race and called the boats back to the race area. They waited for some considerable time for either the gradient to reestablish itself of the sea breeze to fill in, but neither wanted to cooperate and eventually the fleet was sent home without a second race.

Day 4 of the Solo nationals at Brightlingsea - photo © Fiona Brown / www.fionabrown.com

In the overall standings Charlie Cumbley now has a comfortable, but not unassailable lead of eleven points from Pete Mitchell who moves up into second on twenty four points. Steve Cockerill and Andy Tunnicliffe currently both count twenty five points with Cockerill taking third place on count back. Ross Harvey's black flag drops him from second down into seventh and he will now be looking forward to the completion of the eighth race so that the second discard kicks in.

Day 4 of the Solo nationals at Brightlingsea - photo © Fiona Brown / www.fionabrown.com

Tomorrow's forecast is for south westerlies of six to ten knots which bodes well for the fleet as it should mean that when the sea breeze fills in it is augmenting the gradient and not fighting it. Two more races are scheduled tomorrow and the championship continues until Friday.

Results after Day 4: (seven races, 1 discard)

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