Solo Eastern Region Championship at Brightlingsea Sailing Club
by Jarvis Simpson 28 Sep 2018 10:41 BST
15 September 2018
Brightlingsea Sailing Club hosted the Solo Eastern Region Championship on 15th September. The format was three races, back-to-back.
Twenty-two competitors left the club in 10 knots of breeze for the 15 minute sail to the race course.
Dave Gibbons the PRO set a perfect 0.8 mile first beat, with sausage and triangle to follow. The line had a touch of port bias. The efficient course setting was repeated for all three races and was a credit to the experience of Dave and his team on the water.
Racing proved to be very tight with the top ten boats separated by mere boat lengths at the finish of all of the races. Remarkably there was only one general recall across the three races, something of a record for the Solo fleet.
- Race One was won by Matt Frary, with the eventual championship winner Ewan Birken-Walls in 11th.
- Race Two was won by Nick Marden with Ewan improving to 4th.
- Race Three was won by Steve Ede with Ewan in second place, enough to take the Championship from Steve Ede by one point.
The fleet returned back to the club for the prize giving and the highlight of the event - a prize draw for a new HD Maax Sail.
Brightlingsea Sailing Club member John Ball, along with Andy Davis of HD Sails, had organised a new sail draw for all entrants who completed the series. Brightlingsea Solo Fleet members also contributed to the prize.
The winner was Steve Corby of Brightlingsea Sailing Club. Thanks again to HD Sails, John Ball and BSC Solo members.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 5738 | Ewan Birkin‑Walls | Grafham Water | ‑11 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 2nd | 5804 | Steve Ede | Ardleigh SC | ‑6 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 3rd | 5715 | Nick Marden | Bough Beech SC | ‑9 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 4th | 5717 | Pete Kyne | BSC | ‑5 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 5th | 5797 | Matthew Frary | Norfolk Broads Yacht Club | 1 | ‑10 | 7 | 8 |
| 6th | 5703 | John Ball | BSC | ‑15 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 7th | 5134 | Robert Laurie | Harlow Blackwater SC | 2 | 7 | ‑10 | 9 |
| 8th | 5779 | Mark Maskell | Blackwater SC | 7 | 3 | ‑9 | 10 |
| 9th | 5723 | Alan Bishop | Girton SC | 3 | ‑11 | 11 | 14 |
| 10th | 5181 | Paul Rayson | Fishers Green SC / Salomise YC | ‑17 | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| 11th | 5324 | Steve Corby | BSC | ‑12 | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 12th | 5561 | Tim Lewis | RYA | 4 | 13 | ‑16 | 17 |
| 13th | 5406 | Jarvis Simpson | BSC | 8 | 9 | ‑13 | 17 |
| 14th | 5819 | Phil Stumer | Royal Burnham YC | 10 | 14 | ‑17 | 24 |
| 15th | 5768 | Simon Maskell | Hunts SC | 14 | ‑20 | 12 | 26 |
| 16th | 5582 | Andrew Wilson | Maidenhead SC | 13 | 15 | (DNF) | 28 |
| 17th | 5599 | David Colon | BSC | ‑18 | 17 | 14 | 31 |
| 18th | 6000 | Doug Latta | Haylin Island | 16 | ‑18 | 15 | 31 |
| 19th | 5665 | Paul Aldridge | BSC | ‑21 | 16 | 20 | 36 |
| 20th | 5270 | Roger Etherington | BSC | ‑20 | 19 | 18 | 37 |
| 21st | 5535 | David Youngs | BSC | 19 | ‑21 | 19 | 38 |
| 22nd | 5664 | Dave Lugas | Grafham Water | 22 | (DNF) | DNS | 45 |