Harken & Noble Marine Solo Inlands at Rutland Sailing Club - Preview

Harvey Hillary set for the Solo Inlands at Rutland © Will Loy

Geoff Carveth set for the Solo Inlands at Rutland © Will Loy

The National Solo fleet return to Rutland Water next weekend (September 20-21) to compete for the title of Inland National Champion. This will be the 32nd year the event has been held and the eighteenth time Rutland Sailing Club have hosted us.

World renowned dinghy hardware company HARKEN are once again sponsoring us and we are also generously sponsored throughout the year by NOBLE MARINE. Having sponsorship like this really adds gravitas to this prestigious championship and we are extremely grateful.

There have been many memorable championships and I was going to run through a few but, looking down the list of champions, it would be remiss to not mention them all.

1984 – The venue was Queen Mary Sailing Club, home of the Bloody Mary and it was here that the great Geoff Carveth defended the title he had won at Grafham Water the year before. Geoff was pretty much invincible in his Solo 'Bungler' and the light winds were no match for his skills and the speed of the red and white Lovett built, Batt powered Solo. Richard Goodenough, Nick Yeoman, Craig Moffett and a very young Barry Green all gave chase but Carveth won the event and was a clear five minutes ahead in one race.

1985 - Richard Goodenough in a Lovett won at Grafham Water with Nick Yeoman in second. Nick was using a Richard Willetts hull and the man himself was fifth behind Moffett and Jon Clarke.

1986 - Martin Lambert took the title at Oxford Sailing Club in light winds. This was remarkable as Martin was one of the heaviest sailors in the fleet, the win, testament to his skills and the ability of the National Solo hull to provide a fair platform for a wide range of helm weights.

1987 - The fleet assembled in Bala, North Wales, and the 72 sailors were treated to strong breezes straight down the lake. Andy Bond showed that light super–fit sailors could be competitive and took the title in his Severn Sailboat. 'Performance' sailmaker Jon Clarke (now runs Edge Sails) took second ahead of Finn legend and fine gentleman Robin Webb. Unfortunately this venue was deemed too small for the anticipated attendances and we have not returned since to the relief of the local Welsh pubs.

1988 - Chew Valley hosted the event and not to be outdone by his brother, Graham Bond took the win in testing conditions in the Severn Sailboat 'works' composite Solo. This marked a rich vein of success for the brothers and along with Keith Bond and father Pete Bond, put foam core composite built Solos' alongside their fellow wooden counterparts in the performance stakes.

1989 - Grafham Water was memorable for a number of reasons. 107 entries cracked the 100 barrier for the first time at an inland event and Ken Falcon and his National Solo 'Pogs', stamped his authority in the class, albeit with a little luck. The first race, sailed in light winds saw Ken in the 20s and with only a few marks to go it was Ian Brown, Craig Moffett and Jon Clarke who looked good with Peter Brook, Barry Green and Ian Mitchell (later to crew for Ian Pinnell in the 505) close by. Luckily for Ken he had studied the rules and noted the shortened course, sailing through to the win. Making no mistakes he won the next three races to secure the title. Off the water there were mutterings of a bar break-in during the night which resulted in a lengthy ban. You know who you are guys and it is never too late to apologise.

1990 - Another one for Carveth to tell the children as he took the win in an old Lovett 3252 loaned by Roy Barnes who had never seen it go so quickly. The venue was Oxford and I remember leading in race three until a Hopwood style capsize saw me drop to sixth... it still hurts.

1991 - A record 116 made the trip to Rutland and were treated to blue skies and breeze. Another Carveth master class in the last race saw him hit the left hard and make up a mile (I kid you not) on the leaders. I was well placed and at the start of the last beat I could not read his sail numbers as he was so far behind. By the gun I could not read his sail numbers as he was so far ahead. Genius.

1992 - 103 entries made the start line at Draycote Water. No wind on the Saturday meant 3 back-to-back on the second day and Falcon won the title in his Bob Beckett built Solo. This was after Carveth had won the event in 1991 in the Gerry Ledger built Solo, and he was placed fourth here in the legendary Kevin Gosling built hull 'Monolog'. Ian Houston also in a Beckett finished ahead of Andy Bond in second, winning the last race and needing Falcon 8th but 5th was enough to secure Falcon's second Inland Championship.

1994 - Saw the emergence of a new force in the shape of Graham Scott (Wavelength Designs). Graham had developed the bendy rig with his experiences in the Finn and OK scene and used this highly effective set-up to win the event at Rutland. He beat Falcon on count-back and went on to win the National Championship at Abersoch in the same year. Tony Cook took a very commendable third ahead of a young Jim Hunt. Tony Thresher hulls were all the rage in this period of Solo development and are still highly sort after. Special mention also to Tony Freer, finishing 5th in the Alec Stone built 'Winsom' 1370

1995 - And Jim Hunt made no mistakes, three bullets and a retired was as emphatic as one of his hand shakes. Andy Bond, big Dave Mitchell and Steve Ede filled the top four places with Allen Burrell (now top Finn veteran) in fifth.

1996 - Saw a new plethora of Solo sailor in the form of Harvey Hillary and Jamie Lea. These guys were cutting edge with gym fitness, tactical awareness and boat handling to die for. It is true to say that everyone had to step up their game or go and buy into another class. 93 sailors attended and these two finished at the top of the pile. No surprise then that they have both gone on to coaching at National and Olympic level. The Gosling hull was king and North were developing the laminate sail. Special mention to oil tycoon Mike Barnes, taking the bullet in race 1 and will never forget it. He could have gone into coaching instead of the less lucrative oil business.

1997 - 75 entries and the same faces at the front with Hunt winning from Houston and Hillary. Steve Boon (Boonboats) was fifth in one of his wooden Solos' and would later develop the FRP version that would re-define the construction process of the National Solo.

1998 - Saw 82 sailors arrive at Carsington for a tough championship. Hunt won from Hillary in light winds but in the last race a massive storm system came through, turning zeros into heros and vice-versa. There was a new builder on the scene in the form of Andy Miles and his Solos were pretty and fast.

1999 - Draycote welcomed 69 sailors and Carveth took his fifth win in a Andy Miles Solo. This would be his last Inland Championship win to date as he stretched his considerable talent into other classes.

2000 - The millennium event and a fourth win for Hunt at Grafham Water which had now forgiven the N.S.C.A for the '89 debacle. 62 entries was disappointing but marked the emergence of a young Pete Cumming who finished fourth and would go on to multi hull fame and Sky Sports punditry... 'for sure'.

2001 - Draycote Water. Hunt won in the newly developed Winder FRP hull. This form of construction which had been so successful in rejuvenating other UK classes was about to do the same in the National Solo arena. In fact, since then new boat sales have been at approximately 100 per year. 1300 new builds since then is an enviable statistic.

2002 - Class stalwart Richard Pye was victorious from Houston and Ede (in a Winder). Andy 'Taxi' Davis was tenth and just cutting his teeth for Speed Sails. He would become a major winner and the Speed hull would also challenge Winder in the build stakes.

2003 - 73 entries, Rutland Water and finally a victory for Ian Houston. No wind Saturday meant 3 races on Sunday and Houston soaked up the pressure to gain a 2nd in race 3 to win from Ede and Tony Thresher in his new FRP composite Solo. Tjebbe Swart (NED) was fourth and Chris Goldhawk took fifth. The Cumulus mast was in ascendance matched with the North SM8 was the weapon of choice for many.

2004 - Back into the 100 club with 101 entries and a win for Andy Davis with Ede and Houston also on the podium. Andy Couch was making a mark on the fleet and would eventually become Nation's Cup Champion (2014) but for now he was 6th behind the consistant flying dutchman Swart and Gerry Garner.

2005 - Stuart Hydon took a deserved victory at Rutland and his Winder/Edge rig was perfect for the variable winds.

2006 - Salcombe sailor Alistair Morley won on a rare trip away from the estuary and his smooth sailing style matched with the Winder/North proved the best combination.

2007 - 97 entries and tricky conditions. Ewan Birkin Walls emerged the champion but only after a nervious twenty minute wait while the results were processed. Mike Hobin was second by only a single point and there were only five point separating the top six. Ewan is the consummate gentleman on the water and there was never a more worthy winner. This was the first outing for the new FRP Boon solo in the hands of Jim Hunt and he was fourth, recording two bullets on day one. My old Reading Sailing Club friend Hector Ciscneros was a commendable eighth, talent comes through no matter the class of boat.

2008 - 107 entries and another tense event with Neil Wilkinson triumphant from the talented Chris Brown and Pye. Charlie Cumbley and Dave Mcgregor were using the Boon/North/D+ and were on the pace. Sales of Winder/Speed/Boon were growing.

2009 - 90 Solos at Rutland, good breezes and Andy Davis in the splendidly grey Speed hull took his second win after a final race showdown with Chris Brown. Chris tried his level best to hinder Andy but could not get enough boats between them.

Dave Winder, Paul Rayson, Andrew Bonsey and the effervescent Dave Mitchell completed the top five.

2010 - 96 helms and Charlie Cumbley, ex Finn junior champion took the title in the Boon with Davis second, Rayson third and Ian Pinnell (P&B) fourth. I competed in my father's 50 year old Solo 'Free', rounded the first mark 2nd and 3rd in two races and was 25th overall... This made up for the capsize in 1990.

2011 - Matt Howard graced us with a near faultless performance in a stern examination of boat handling and fitness as the back end of a hurricane hit. The current UK Finn coach recorded five race wins in emphatic style from Andy Davis and new force Michael Sims. The Boon FRP hull matched with the Selden D+ and North ST1 was proving very effective with Winder hulls second and third.

2012 - 85 entries were greeted to wall to wall sunshine and fair winds (depending on if you were on the right side of the huge wind bends). Michael Sims had been winning all year and took the title in the Winder/P&B powered Solo with Tom Gillard (Fireball World champion second and Davis third (1st-2nd-2nd in the previous three inlands). Simon Maskell and Andy Tunnicliffe took fourth and fifth.

2013 - Michael Sims defended his title with ex Laser Radial sailor Ross Harvey second and Tunnicliffe (Goacher sails) third. Special mention to Chris Mayhew (ex world Optimist champion) who finished sixth in the Poulson wooden Solo, proving that in the right hands, wood is still competitive. The 96 entries reflected the continued health of the class and the quality of the field has improved so much over the last 30 years, a result of better quality gear throughout the fleet and the need for everyone to up their game.

2014 - The HARKEN National Inland Championship takes place next weekend and Mike Sims will be trying to do something Carveth, Falcon and Hunt could not achieve, win three in a row. Mike will be using a new radial cut P&B laminate sail on the Winder mk 1 hull with Selden D+ still the dominant mast choice.

Charlie Cumbley is running the training day on Friday and this regularly attracts 40+ Solos who stay on to use their new found skills for the major event. Charlie has a few thoughts on the venue, "As for tactics, there is usually a massive fleet and it can be shifty so the mid line start bang on a transit often pays as you can take the first shift, if you get that one right you are then only racing 1/4 of the fleet, and so on. Plus downwind its all about clear air, do not sail in big groups of boats, it's just slow so break out and you can sail around larger groups by sticking in the pressure."

And for the trainees, the training day a lot will be based on slow (pre start) boat handling and positioning, as it seems people struggle to just stop and sit still(!), getting used to manoeuvring in tight spots and plenty of starting practice.

The National Solo continues to thrive with new boat numbers the envy of many single handed classes and a secondhand portfolio which is more vibrant than a Manchester estate agent. This Jack Holt design remains an enigma to many a dinghy designer with dreams of breaking into the UK single hander market. In their eyes it is heavy and slow (light heartedly nicknamed 'So slow' by some) does not plane upwind and hurts when you hike out. It does not use carbon spars and seems to attract male sailors between the age of 40 to 90!

As former N.S.C.A President Ken Falcon once said, "Perhaps, the greatest piece of disinformation is the pretence that speed is all that counts. The argument goes; A faster design, being faster than a National Solo must prevail. The fallacy is to assume that 12 knots is automatically more exciting than 8 knots whilst overlooking the fact that catamarans travel at 20 knots above which, why not buy a speed boat. The argument also ignores the fact that, when racing Solo against Solo, the actual speed of the competitor in front is irrelevant in relation to the determination to overtake him. By analogy, the 100 metre sprint is just as exciting as the Tour de France and just as exciting as the F1 Grand Prix."

The development of the FRP hull has provided a very even playing field and the allowance of different rig set-ups / sail choice etc give sailors options to choose. The rich history of the class, the inspirational people who have shaped it and the continued support from a committee who love the National Solo are the foundations for a flourishing class. National Solo sailors do seem to fall into the genre of middle age male with spare income and with 1000 members, is in good health.

• Training day - September 19
• Main Event - September 20-21