P&B and Dinghy Shack Solo class Western Series at Porthpean Sailing Club

Solo Western Series at Porthpean © Ken Fobbester

On Sunday 6th July Porthpean Sailing Club held its first Solo open meeting as part of a doubleheader with Torpoint Mosquito. Both events are part of the Western series sponsored by P&B and Dinghy Shack.

Competitors were greeted with an overcast but warm day and a deceptively light breeze in Porthpean bay. After leaving the beach and passing outside the headland the entrants were greeted by what Vernon Perkins described as a wall of wind. He decided discretion was in order and returned to the clubhouse for tea and cake while Kim Furniss decided a quick swim was in order 100 metres from the beach.

Solo Western Series at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

The remaining boats then planed out into St Austell bay towards the committee boat in the distance. Roger Gibb, the first to launch, recorded a maximum speed of 13.4 knots during the day which could well have been on the way out. The committee boat set a trapezoidal course with a short but challenging run in the breezy conditions.

Race 1 began with a clean start from the committee boat Geoff Holden led the fleet to the first mark and maintained the lead to the finish followed by Mike Dray and Chris Meredith.

Solo Western Series at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

After a short wait while the Blaze fleet finished their race the Solos lined up for the next start. So the committee boat end again, except for Mike Dray who sat in isolation at the pin end. His choice proved to be the right one and he crossed the fleet on port tack, tacked onto starboard above all the boats and headed for the cliffs. Rounding the windward mark in first place he proceeded to do a horizon job.

Roger Gibb continued his pattern of the previous day by capsizing on the run. Not many place changes during the race which finished Dray 1st, Meredith 2nd and Holden 3rd.

Solo Western Series at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

The wind moderated a little for the final race but became increasingly shifty. With everything to play for the whole fleet started at the committee boat with Dray and Holden close together off the line. Roger Gibb led the way to the first mark closely followed by Dray and Holden. The wind had swung giving two broad reaches and a tight reach to the bottom mark. Gibb held on to the bottom mark and the leading group of three set off on the final very shifty beat. First place alternated between these three and at the top mark Dray led by a whisker followed by Holden and Gibb in close pursuit.

Holden established an overlap at mark 2 and the following leg was a gybing battle between Dray and Holden. Mark 3 saw Holden with the inside position and a luffing battle followed with Dray trying to overtake. At the bottom mark Dray found a gust and squeezed through but in the meantime Gibb and Meredith had gone low in a drag race to the line.

Solo Western Series at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

The result was a photo finish with the race team videoing the finish to confirm the order. After the review the positions were Dray 1st, Gibb 2nd, Holden 3rd and Meredith 4th. So Mike Dray took a well deserved win and the meeting, crossing the line with a shout of "what a race". Geoff Holden was second overall followed by Chris Meredith in third.

Now just the question of a long beat back in. Approaching the shore Holden took a refreshing dip earning the wally of the day award to the relief of Furniss and Gibb. A great day's sailing with impeccable organisation on and off the water by the team of volunteers at Porthpean. Many thanks also to our sponsors for their continued support.

Solo Western Series at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester

Overall Results:

Solo Western Series at Porthpean - photo © Ken Fobbester