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

Solo Inland Championships 2014 at Rutland © Will Loy

Solo Inland Championships 2014 at Rutland © Will Loy

Sponsored by Harken and Noble Marine

Rutland S.C. once again hosted the Inland Championship over the weekend of 20-21 September. The N.S.C.A. organized a training day on the Friday and 34 sailors were given on and off the water coaching by the team of trainers, headed by current National Champion Charlie Cumbley. The wind strength and mist meant more off the water than on it but all felt they benefitted from the experience. Thanks to Charlie and all the association trainers whose continued support and enthusiasm make this class so special.

To the main event then... and 83 sailors rigged and made their way out to the course area, the grey overcast skies looked set for the day but the breeze was holding at 6 knots from the east.

Principle race officer John Fothergill set a windward/leeward course and after one general recall the fleet were started under a black flag.

Race 1

Tom Gillard made a perfect start two thirds of the way down the line, the lag and his shrewd transit setting giving him clear air to pick a lane to the top mark. Dave Winder was also on the money and he led at the top mark with Gillard second and Phil Sturmer and Paul Rayson close behind. Mike Sims, the defending champion was in fifth. Gillard took the lead by the bottom mark and consolidated on the second lap to take the win from Winder, Rayson, Sturmer and Sims.

Race 2

The breeze increased to 8 knots and anyone under 85kgs was in hike mode with fully powered up rigs. There was some rafting and friendly banter as the fleet congested at the committee end and this left a nice pocket for Steve Graham to jump into. Gillard picked the shifts to round with a healthy lead from Graham and Winder, who was having a blinder. Andy Davis who has finished 1-2-2-3 in the last four years was once again racing to form and Sims and Harvey were also on the scene. The race was pretty uneventful, the 6kts of pressure and grey sky adding nothing to the drama and it was Gillard with his second bullet of the day with Davis, Winder, Harvey and Sims completing the top five.

Race 3

The pin end was favoured and the leading players were all down there, judging their timing to perfection. Gillard had a nice lead after the first lap, the change of course to the triangle sausage and the odd gust provided a platform for some downwind action for all. Steve Denison, Ian Pinnell, Harvey, Davis, Jon Clarke, Vanda Jowett and Andy Wilde were all in the mix and the beat and last run saw Gillard hold for the bullet to complete a day 1 clean sweep. Jowett broke through to take second from Pinnell, Denison and a fast finishing Davis.

So Tom Gillard would be the event leader after day 1 with an emphatic display of tactics and boat speed. Davis, Harvey and Sims would all be in the queue to take him down and Winder would be looking to discard the ugly 24 from his scorecard.

The fleet split with some opting for the favoured canteen where the catering was steady while the remainder took the longer route to the local pub, hoping the culinary gamble would pay off. I can report that the food was good at both locations but the beer produced the odd gust.

Day 2

Overnight the breeze picked up, and by morning the fleet were greeted to sunny skies and a healthy 12 knots.

There was a buzz around the dinghy park, Bart's Bash has gripped the nation of sailors and the club sailors were out in force to celebrate Andrew Simpson's love of sailing. The youth especially were relishing the club race and out on the National Solo course there was also a 'special' feeling about our first race of the day.

Race 4

With the black flag once again casting it's shadow over the start sequence and the race start being videoed you would think it would have been a good one. Unfortunately, 20 or so likely lads thought differently, the testosterone rushing through their veins as they pushed towards the line....and over it, too early. The PRO, took the decision not to take numbers, mainly because only one was visible. A good shout and unsurprisingly, no one complained.

The second attempt was successful and the fleet set off, revelling in the 12 to 21 knots of northerly with bright sunshine and fluffy cloud. I was especially pleased as I was filming and the grey skies of day 1 had bought nothing to my photogenic party. My Fujifinepix S1 shutter was flicking as quickly as the fleets wind indicators and at the top mark it was Ian Pinnell from Ross Harvey and Jon Clarke. These three had a decent gap to the chasing pack and significantly, Tom Gillard was well down the pack. The fleet were using the triangle sausage triangle course and there was plenty of opportunity to work the chop on the reaches. Harvey took the lead and maintained despite some big right hand windshifts up towards the top mark. Pinnell, Davis, Sims and Shane MacCarthy were all in the hunt and Gillard was up to 20th. At the gun it was Harvey from Sims, Pinnell, MacCarthy and Davis. Tom Gillard finished 16th.

Race 5

The wind was dropping slightly as the fleet set off with no casualties. Dave Mitchell nailed the start and first beat to lead from Pinnell, Chris Goldhawk, Harvey, Sims and Simon Jones. The wind was coming in gusts from the right and those that hooked into it made big gains. Gillard was in the teens and his grip on the title seemed to be weakening. Gillard though had other plans and made places down the two reaches. By the start of lap 3 it was Pinnell, Mitchell, Goldhawk with Gillard in sixth. Not to be outdone the wind gods played their games as the leaders closed in on the top mark. A wicked shift to the right undid all Gillard's hard work and he dropped to tenth as Sims and Davis to name two reached into the mark from the right. There was furious forearm activity as the leaders completed the two reaches to the finish line, the gun going to Pinnell with Goldhawk, Mitchell, Sims and Davis completing the top five. Event leader Tom Gillard was 8th and these first two race results were reflected in the gleeful faces of his nearest rivals. Gillard found some quiet piece of Rutland to re-group – reflect –analyse while the rest of the fleet re-hydrated and stretched out.

Race 6

I fully expected Gillard to seek out his nearest threats and stay close, no doubt they would be at the favoured end of the line and all he had to do was finish in the top seven. The breeze was at 12 -16 knots and as the fleet lined up I spotted Davis, Sims and Harvey all at the pin end. I rotated my Fuji S1 along the line, the laminate sails glistening like shards of glass on the top of a well guarded terraced Earlsdon abode. The yellow event leader vest stood out in the sunlight like the first daffodil of spring...at the committee end. Gillard was rolling the dice and made a clean start in clear air while the majority headed up the left of the course. Half way up it did not look good as the port tackers came in on a lifting port tack but like the erratic behaviour of a hormonal woman it switched back and Gillard was ahead. Davis rounded second, a classic rule of Rutland, play the corners, with Sims, Andrew Wilde and Nigel Davies all close by. Davis broke through Gillard on the second beat and these two held a comfortable lead over the pack. Gillard was happy to let Davis go so the finishing order was Davis, Gillard, Wilde, Davies and Sims.

So Tom Gillard is National Solo Inland Champion 2014 with a 1-1-16-8-2 and a well-deserved win. The bullet in race 6 gave Andy Davis 2nd, Michael Sims 3rd, Ross Harvey 4th, and Ian Pinnell 5th (and first veteran). Andrew Wilde, Dave Mitchell, Steve Denison, Paul Rayson and Nigel Davies complete the top ten. First lady is Vanda Jowett in 17th. First Grandmaster is Brian Holland in 20th.

A massive thank you to the teams at Rutland Sailing Club. John Fothergill and his on the water team were brilliant and the catering was well received. Thanks also to Harken and Noble Marine for their generous sponsorship.

Overall Results: