Solo Open at Maidenhead Sailing Club

Solos at Maidenhead © Jennifer Heward-Craig & Sarah Stone

Solos at Maidenhead © Jennifer Heward-Craig & Sarah Stone

Weather conditions were ideal for Maidenhead Sailing Club's second Open in as many weeks. A brisk noreasterly wind of 6 to 7 knots and brilliant sunshine greeted the seventeen – eight visitors and nine local - Solo sailors, who were eager to get on the water and race.

With the start line restricted because of shallows (where was all winter's promised rain?), starting was tight, with most of the competitors forced to cross the line on a starboard tack. Godfrey Clark (Fishers Green SC) rounded the first mark ahead of the fleet, with most of the boats tightly packed in behind him, except for Brian Jones (Maidenhead SC), who chose to sail below the island and up to the mark, making the most of the clean air. By the second lap, Clark had a commanding lead, with Mike Dray (Littleton SC) and Jones spaced out behind. Jon Hirsh (Maidenhead SC) was a lone fourth, with the rest of the fleet well behind. Fourth lap, the wind died at the windward marks, and the distance between the Solos lessened. The distances between the front of the fleet and the back, however, were too great to make a difference to the placings at the front of the fleet. Clark was first, followed by Dray and Jones.

One delicious two-course lunch later, everyone was back on the water for the two afternoon back-to-back races. Despite the wind moving around more to the west, and lessening to around four knots, the marks of the course remained unchanged, with only their position on the lake altered to increase the length of the beats.

With the wind change, sailors had more options on tack at the start. One sailor, however, made a more interesting start than the rest, getting away a full minute before the rest of the fleet, and only realising his error when he turned to look behind him and saw that the rest of the fleet was still loitering with intent behind the start line!

Solos at Maidenhead - photo © Jennifer Heward-Craig & Sarah Stone

Hirsh got away well, and by the second course mark, was ahead of Clark and Mike Hamilton (Maidenhead SC), with the rest of the fleet very close behind. He maintained his lead through the second lap, though Hamilton dropped back to the fleet, his place taken by Clark, with Tim Lewis (Island Barn SC), Jones and Dray making a tight-knit group at the front, well ahead of the rest of the fleet. The wind again went off on the second part of the race, and Clark's skill in mark rounding in light winds again paid off. He took his second first of the open, with Lewis and Jones second and third respectively.

Clark's first placing confirmed, he took a more leisurely stroll around the lake for the third race. Minor placings, however, were still up for grabs, with Lewis, Dray, Jones, and Hirsh all in contention. Wind and time combined to shorten the race, which saw Hirsh take line honours ahead of Lewis and Clark.

With his two firsts from the first two races, Clark was undisputed winner. A second second in the last race saw Lewis take second overall, and Hirsh's first in the last race of the day pushed him into third place overall.

Solos at Maidenhead (l-r) Jon Hirsh (3rd), Godfrey Clark (1st); Tim Lewis (2nd) - photo © Jennifer Heward-Craig & Sarah Stone

Overall Results: