Harken National Solo Inland Championship at Grafham Water

Harken Solo Inlands at Grafham Water © Nick Champion / www.championmarinephotography.co.uk

Andy Davis wins the Harken Solo Inlands at Grafham Water © Will Loy

Inland Championships sponsored by Harken
Act 9 of the North Sails Super Series
The NSCA is sponsored by Noble Marine

A superb entry of 99 Solos attended the Inland Championship at Graham Water over the weekend of 12-13 September with visitors from Scotland and Ireland who enjoyed a whole range of conditions.

Before the Event

The fleet were bolstered by 32 NSCA members who had taken the opportunity to attend the free coaching day on the Friday. It was headed by Coaching Co-ordinator Tony Thresher and with Steve Ede, Derek Jackman and Jon Clarke assisting. The trainees were divided into groups according to skill level and given on and off the water advice on many aspects of Solo sailing from tuning to pre-start procedure.

A massive thank you to the team of class coaches who give up their free time to other members, just one of the reasons we continue to be one of the strongest singlehanded classes in the UK.

The weather on Friday was kind with moderate winds and wall to wall sunshine and this continued into the race weekend.

Day 1 - Race 1

The fleet launched in the lee of the imposing clubhouse and lined up for R1 with a healthy 15-20mph from the south. PRO Peter Saxton set a fair line but with steady shifts of 10-15 degrees the fleet easily spotted the bias and a recall was no surprise. What followed cannot be explained by your humble reporter who was not present but, after a further 6 attempts and more casualties than a Saturday night A&E in Coventry, we were racing. I can only assume the previous day's talk on "pulling the trigger" had left some residual trigger-happy mindsets amongst the sailors.

At the top mark it was class secretary Robert Laurie with Davis and they appeared to be discussing repair costs to Laurie's mainsail that had suffered some damage at the start. Laurie dropped back through the fleet but still managed to record a mid fleet finish. On further investigation it emerged that our Class web designer Paul Dowman speared the secretary's sail in a last ditch attempt to bail out at the crowded committee boat end. I had asked Paul to announce himself to the committee members this weekend and he did so in dramatic style! Andy Davis dominated the race from start to finish and the whole fleet seemed to enjoy the windward/leeward course and with a choice of two leeward marks, there was certainly less incident. Mike Sims was in equally fine form, the RS400 National Champion relished the breeze and he posted a 2nd ahead of Chris Brown, Dave Mitchell and Mark Lee.

Race 2

The breeze was increasing and the fleet were away but again not without recalls and BFDs. Fortunately, the new class record of race 1 was in no danger of being usurped, hopefully it will last longer than Bob Beaman's. PRO Peter Saxton tested the fleets knowledge of the SI,s, changing to the regular triangle/sausage course. Davis was made to work hard but ultimately took the win ahead of Dave Mitchell, who was having a stormer of a weekend, Sims, Brown and Pete Mitchell who was on the comeback following his BFD in R1.

Race 3

Back to the windward/leeward course and Davis smashed it with another bullet and was clearly here on business. Nigel Davies found some form, recording a second with Irishman Shane Macarthy (GP14 National Champion) third. There was drama further back as Sims, who had been whistled for a rule 42 infringement capsized on the second of his two penalty turns. I would suggest the first turn was a 360 horizontal turn and the second a vertical one but the judge was unimpressed. Sims retired, a friends 40th birthday bash was now the top of his to do list. The reaches were Wild, Exhilarating and Tiring with some nerve jangling moments at the wing mark. Multiple capsizes resulted in Class Judge Steve Watson and Bill Brockenbank casting off their high vis vests and dipping their generously large flag to assist with rescue duty, such was the carnage. As the sailors returned to shore there was a mix of exhilaration and exhaustion etched on their weather beaten faces and beer and food at the forefront of their minds.

Graham Water Sailing Club laid on a splendid dinner and the staff were incredibly professional throughout the weekend and many competitors were seen looking behind them when addressed as 'sir'. Steve Watson held a talk on rule 42 which is as grey an area as my hair and there was some very healthy debate over all aspects of rule observance. The Class is adopting a softly softly approach to judging and using the same judge/s for all majors will provide some consistency of policing. The Class are also incorporating the two penalty turn for Rule 42 infringements and after race explanations for any misdemeanours spotted. If videoed then the footage will be sent to the individual for educational purposes. The end product will be fair racing for all and the education will filter back down to open meeting and club level.

Harken Solo Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Nick Champion / www.championmarinephotography.co.uk"> />Harken Solo Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Nick Champion / www.championmarinephotography.co.uk

Day 2

I awoke from my slumber with the sun peaking over the hills of Grafham and illuminating the village of Perry and my south facing Volvo 850.

Sailors emerged from camper vans and 'one pole' tents, did their best to stretch their ancient muscle fibres and headed for breakfast. Grafham really is a lovely location and with camping 'on site' offers all you need for a perfect racing event..if it does not require wind.

The 99 competitors prepared to launch with varying degrees of gusto, some already kitted out, others still in 'civvies'. There was a faint ripple on the water and the PRO set out at 9.30am to assess the situation. Necks strained and eyes squinted towards the flag staff for a postponement but none was raised. The majority of the fleet were on station at the far west of the lake by 10.30am but fortunately for the 30 or so who were not, the postponement went up. I was lucky enough to be filming on the jury rib with Steve but when the radio crackled in to life with the news that we were to pick up photographic God Nick Champion, my throat went dry. I quickly holstered my Fuji S1 and concealed it, not wanting Mr Champion to fall overboard with laughter. We made it back to the racecourse in plenty of time, 2 hours in fact!

On the committee boat Peter the PRO stood, pensive but resolute, looking east for breeze, white horses or even one would have been too good to be true. The word on the boat was that we would have breeze by 1pm but with the club fleet becalmed at the other end of the water it looked remote. Nick Champion may have wished he had stayed in Whitstable and some of the fleet must have wished they had stayed in the bar but amazingly, at 12.55pm the windward marker radio sprang into life and proudly announced that 5-6 knots would be with us shortly.

Race 4

After only one recall the fleet were away and it was Vince Horey, coming in from the left who rounded first, with Shane Macarthy and Mark Lee on his tail. Davis was in a solid position and his grip on the championship looked vice-like. The fleet split gybes on the downwind, each looking to seek some clear air away from the shadow produced by 90+ laminate sails. The wind remained light, Horey held on for a good win with Macarthy 2nd and Davis in 3rd. Ewan Birkin Walls finished in 4th just ahead of new Solo sailor Martin Honner, who had had a stormer of a race.

Race 5

Andy Davis had done enough to secure the title but the draw of big fleet singlehanded racing and the knowledge that he was champ fresh in his mind, stayed out to play some more. The breeze was now threatening to make double figures and it was Steven Graham, who was already having a great regatta who popped out of the middle of the start line and smashed the fleet to the top mark. Steve held a healthy 100 metre lead over man of the moment, Horey and Pete Mitchell who was on a one race glory mission following a BFD in R1 and a misunderstanding over a general recall decision in R3.

Graham held his nerve to record a memorable bullet (and Nick Champion was there to record it) from Horey and Mitchell. Kevin Gibb who along with Keith Milroy had made the journey down from Largo Bay was 4th which would make his trip back home that much more enjoyable and Andy Davis completed his regatta with a 5th. The 3.00pm deadline passed so there was no time for race 6. The full results are listed below but congratulations also to the following...

Keith Milroy - 1st in the Plate Series
Vince Horey - 1st Veteran (50-59)
Brian Holland - 1st Grand Master (60-69)
Brian Fisher - 1st Septimus (70+)

Many thanks to Harken for their generous sponsorship which will be presented at the EOS at Oxford (24 Oct), thanks to Noble Marine for their continued and valued sponsorship of the Class, to Graham and especially the race team with Peter Saxton as PRO. Thanks also to Steve Watson and Bill Brockenbank for their judging and to Nick Champion for his photographic brilliance.

Photos of the event will be available to view at www.championmarinephotography.co.uk (One of his shots still adorns my living room wall and to have a 'Champion' is a must have in yachting circles).

Next stop is the EOS at Oxford in October, I anticipate an equally big turnout as it is the last act of the North Sails Super Series with over £2000 worth of prizes on offer to qualifiers.

Overall Results:

www.championmarinephotography.co.uk"> />Harken Solo Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Nick Champion / www.championmarinephotography.co.uk