National Solo Open at Dell Quay Sailing Club

Nick Bonner wins race 1 in the Dell Quay Solo Open © Becki Dicker

Mark Harper wins race 2 in the Dell Quay Solo Open © Becki Dicker

Andy Wyland wins race 3 in the Dell Quay Solo Open © Becki Dicker

Dell Quay Sailing Club was host to the next round of the National Solo Open Sea and Southern series. Eleven Solos from the host club joined 19 visitors from clubs as far away as Salcombe and Weymouth.

With a later than normal start (13:30 the first race) competitors started arriving from 10:30 onwards, and were greeted with the smell of bacon butties from the Dell Quay SC galley. (This seems be to the staple diet of Solo open meeting competitors...)

The forecast was encouraging, with a building SW breeze combined with hot and sunny conditions, blue skies, set against the background of Dell Quays scenic location. The race officer for the event, Steve Sampson set a typical windward / leeward course with bottom gate. This course allowed a windward & downward legs of approx. 1km in length.

Race 1

Wind SSE 10 knots. A couple of individual recalls and the fleet set off. First to the windward mark was local hero Roger Puttock with fellow club sailor Mark Harper right behind his transom. Up the second beat Harper went ahead at the windward mark, but then proceeded to have a major navigation failure and missed the small windward spreader mark and had to beat back to the mark and re-round dropping him down the fleet. Meanwhile Nick Bonner had now found another gear (or cigarette) and took race 1, with Nigel Thomas (Hill Head) and Simon Derham (Littleton SC) third.

Race 2

The wind had now increased to 12 knots and swung to the SW, the Race officer moved the windward mark and made the windward leg slightly longer. With a slight starboard end line bias, Harper (now in the over 60's Grand Master class) started right by the committee boat end, tacked right, and was gone - and was last seen at the finish - 3 laps later.... 1st Mark Harper – Dell Quay SC 2nd Fraser Hayden - Papercourt SC and 3rd Nick Bonner Hayling Island SC

Race 3

Wind was still 10-12 knots, SW. A port end bias, with now an ebb tide under the fleet. With time and tide in short supply, the Race Office shorted the course to 2 laps. Bonner was over the line and failed to return, leaving the rest of the pack to fight it out. Andy Wyland (Lymington Town SC), took the bullet, with silver position to Andrew Boyce (Papercourt SC) and bronze went to Fraser Hayden (Papercourt SC)

Thanks to Dell Quay SC for the splendid race organization, beach team, top bacon butties, afternoon tea/cake, and thanks to Rooster Sailing for supporting the event with additional prizes presented by Gordon Barclay, the National Solo Class Chief measurer.

Overall Results:

Fraser Hayden - First Master
Mark Harper - First Grand Master