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Barton Marine Pipe Glands

Solo Nigel Pusinelli Trophy at the WPNSA

by Will Loy 24 May 2011 08:40 BST 21-22 May 2011

Solo Sea Championship Event

It is Saturday evening and I sit here in the sumptuous cafe in the grounds of Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy with a beer by my side and story to tell. This is a truly remarkable facility, the sausage rolls are Olympic standard, great fare for the heavy weight singlehander’s and Star crews alike. The race management is nothing like the old chaps at the local club, no air horns or bells here as sound signals, everything is world class, even the showers.

There seems to be no end to the skills of WPNSA, they also manipulate the weather, providing the 47 competitors with unbroken sunshine and 12 to 15 knots. We were sent out into the bay today to make best use of the southerly wind direction and pressure, an hour of dead running was a suitable warm up. The Olympians get towed out! The French Finn squad were out there and provided us with a good first beat strategy, go left and take advantage of the tide. Thanks guys, who said you can’t trust the French?

Matt Howard continued from where he left off at Felpham in 2010 and scored three bullets, he is not of this world. Jim Hunt kept him on his toes with 2 seconds and a third in the new Speed Solo. Chris Brown attained 2 thirds. Michael Simms scored consistently and included a second. That is the top four.

Tomorrow is another day with strong winds forecast so we are racing in the harbour, hopefully close to the American 470 Women.

Following Saturday’s three races the fleet de-camped to their various forms of accommodation, some to the local bed and breakfasts that litter the surrounding hamlet, other less fortunate to tents, campervans and in my case, a very cramped van.

The unremitting buffeting of the van during the night gave fair warning of what Sunday would hold, strong southerly winds up into the 30 knot range. The pallid appearance etched on the faces of some (me included) was not eased by the upbeat announcement over the tannoy that it was expected to drop to 27 sometime later. This is Weymouth, home of Olympians, if you’re here then you race. 26 hardy sailors made it to the line for race 4, waved off from the slipway by wives in scarf’s holding St Christopher’s and small groups of muttering sailors who hid in the shadows and hoped that the hand of God was about to strike, so justifying their reason not to launch (me included).

The few who returned told stories of going down the mine, to us they were heroes just for going out. What does that make the guys who raced? Gods I guess. Emerging from the spray, Matt Howard, last on the water, his time training Olympians at this venue meant he knew it would only take 7 minutes to reach the start area 1.5 miles downwind, for mortals it would take 10. He added two more bullets to his score, only being denied a clean sweep by another legend, Jim Hunt. Jim had a third in race 4 and after giving Howard a spanking in race 5 decided to call it a day.

Michael Simms, having avoided a protest decision on Saturday showed some supreme fitness in the penal conditions to record a 2, 3, 2 to secure third overall ahead of Dave Mitchell, Chris Goldhawk and Roger Tushingham.

I should name them all as to race in that 'breeze' was a Herculean achievement, a steady 28 knots with very regular 32 knot 'gusts'.

Special thanks to the team at WPNSA and to Fotoboat for catching the action.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1st5211Matt HowardLee on Solent SC1111-215
2nd5198Jim HuntBeaver SC22331(DNC)11
3rd5161Michael SIMSCarsington SC5-6223214
4th5219David MITCHELLRya4-16744524
5th5075Chris GOLDHAWKChew Valley Lake SC-147467327
6th5200Roger TUSHINGHAMSalcombe YC74675(DNC)29
7th5068Cliff CRAWSHAWTata SC9-232356447
8th5130Mark LEEWeymouth SC101212108-1452
9th4923Tony COOPERKing George SC17-211589655
10th5145Tim POLGLASEHayling Island SC13-2591213956
11th5028Alastair RAYNARDCarsington SC15101314(DNF)759
12th5039Tony SAMPSONSouth Caernarvonshire YC89181512(DNC)62
13th4939Iain MCGREGORSalcombe YC-2019161310866
14th5213Andrew FOXCrosby SC1915-209161069
15th5073Ray CollinsLocks SC6181020DNF(DNC)75
16th5023Brian HollandSouth Caernarvonshire YC2411-2518111175
17th5206David GREENINGSalcombe YC-221414171715 DNF77
18th5210Chris BROWNRYA335DNF(DNC)DNC86
19th5188Dave NIXSONSpinnaker SC1830-3416151392
20th4277Charlie ChandlerTewkesbury2622-2819141293
21st5150Graham CRANFORD SMITHSalcombe YC23241911DNF(DNC)98
22nd5139Nigel DAVIESDraycote Water SC1158(DNC)DNCDNC122
23rd5002Frank BROWNPapercourt SC32342421DNF(DNC)132
24th18Will LOYRYA121317(DNC)DNCDNC140
25th4133Tim Deacon 34832DNF(DNC)DNC149
26th4866Simon JONESTeign Corinthain161721(DNC)DNCDNC152
27th5021Simon MOLYNEUXCrosby SC312911(DNC)DNCDNC169
28th5168Ian HOPWOODNantwich & Border County SC2126(DNC)DNFDNCDNC171
29th4936Gordon BARCLAYDell Quay SC352022(DNC)DNCDNC175
30th4669Tim JACKSONPapercourt412835DNF(DNC)DNC179
31st4601Roger SMITHMarconi SC302727(DNC)DNCDNC182
32nd5185Stephen COTTRELLBewl Valley SC253130(DNC)DNCDNC184
33rd4957Tom LANGFORDWest Riding363726(DNC)DNCDNC197
34th4388Nick MARDENBewl Valley SC383329(DNC)DNCDNC198
35th3847Alex HAYMANSidmouth SC373231(DNC)DNCDNC198
36th4810Andrew SmithDracote Water SC283540(DNC)DNCDNC201
37th4942Roger MILLETTChichester YC293639(DNC)DNCDNC202
38th5222Joe RYCROFTLittleton273941(DNC)DNCDNC205
39th5137John POULSONCarsington SC334337(DNC)DNCDNC211
40th4551Bill HUTCHINGSTonbridge464745DNF(DNC)DNC213
41st4904Peter EDWARDSBewl Valley SC404136(DNC)DNCDNC215
42nd4867/4400Chris GOSWELLBurghfield SC434433(DNC)DNCDNC218
43rd4862Stephen WAITEHighcliffe SC394042(DNC)DNCDNC219
44th4524Paul WHYBROWTamar Lake 424238(DNC)DNCDNC220
45th4481Peter MCCREADraycote Water SCDNS3843(DNC)DNCDNC225
46th4319Ian LISSAMOREChichester YC444544(DNC)DNCDNC231
47th4769Stephen KNOWLESBewl Valley SC454646(DNC)DNCDNC235

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