Allen Solo Midlands Series event at Draycote Water Sailing Club
by Nigel Davies 9 Jun 2025 07:46 BST
7 June 2025
Allen Solo Midlands Series event 4 at Draycote Water © Nigel Davies
Draycote Water Sailing Club, Act 4 of the Midland Big Lakes series hosted its Solo Open Meeting on Saturday 7th June, supported by CB Trailer and Covers, welcoming a strong and competitive fleet of 14 boats from clubs across the Midlands and beyond.
The day served up classic inland sailing conditions, with a brisk north-westerly breeze ranging from 12 to 18 knots and some sizeable shifts that kept competitors on their toes.
Before the first warning signal had even sounded, local sailor Chris Brown added a bit of early drama by capsizing on the way to the start line. Whether it was a last-minute check on water temperature or just over-eagerness, he quickly recovered and went on to deliver a solid performance on home waters.
Racing was tight throughout the day, with four races. Jonathan Swain from Carsington SC showed impressive pace and control in the testing conditions, posting three race wins and discarding a fifth to take the overall win on just 3 points.
Behind him, it was a closely fought battle for the remaining podium spots. Harry Lucas (Grafham Water), Andrew Wilde (Ogston SC), and Chris Brown (Draycote) all ended up tied on 8 points. Lucas secured second overall on countback with a race win, while Wilde and Brown finished third and fourth respectively.
Nigel Davies (Draycote) sailed consistently to finish fifth, followed by Richard Instone (Chase SC) in sixth.
Post-race banter focused heavily on how tricky the beats had been—comments that raised a few grins as they came from Jon and Andy, whose home clubs (Carsington and Ogston) are both legendary for their unpredictable wind.
Thanks to the race team for slick organisation and to the galley for keeping everyone fuelled. A classic day of inland Solo racing!
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 6055 | Jonathan Swain | carsington | 1 | ‑5 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2nd | 5746 | Harry Lucas | Grafham | ‑5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 3rd | 6125 | Andrew Wilde | Ogston | 2 | ‑4 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 4th | 6135 | Chris Brown | Draycote Water | ‑3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 5th | 6108 | Nigel Davies | Draycote Water SC | 4 | 3 | ‑6 | 6 | 13 |
| 6th | 6076 | Richard Instone | Chase SC | ‑6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| 7th | 5897 | Andy Bownes | Barnt green | 8 | ‑9 | 7 | 7 | 22 |
| 8th | 5210 | Neil Wilkinson | Shustoke SC | ‑9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
| 9th | 4784 | Harry Marlow | Shustoke | 10 | 10 | 9 | (DNC) | 29 |
| 10th | 6111 | Robin Warren | Draycote water | 7 | 8 | (DNC) | DNC | 30 |
| 11th | 4434 | Cameron Norris | Shropshire SC | ‑12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 32 |
| 12th | 5740 | Mike Cossey | Shustoke SC | 11 | 11 | 10 | (DNC) | 32 |
| 13th | 5342 | Richard Bayliss | Shustoke | ‑13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 35 |
| 14th | 5266 | Paul Roe | Draycote Water | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 45 |