Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 1

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 1 © Steve Fraser

Saturday was moving day for the Solo fleet, 43 competitors arriving to a sun-drenched North Berwick from three of the four corners of the UK. ELYC had pulled some strings with the local council and an area of beach is now our dinghy park for the next six days, those that attended the 2015 event still remember with some fondness the haul up the deep soft sand after some epic heavy wind races and this week looks equally punishing.

My journey to this part of the UK had been largely uneventful, the 10 hour train ride only tainted by a group of generation Z's who got on somewhere near Oxford and spent the rest of the trip trying to say all the words they had learnt since the age of two. It was not unlike listening to a University Challenge team confer without actually coming up with an answer. Edinburgh and the Fringe Festival would be their end destination, the short trip to North Berwick therefore my highlight.

The forecast is slightly foreboding, certainly Monday and the arrival of Storm Floris may impact this 12 race Championship and Tuesday and Thursday could be as fruity as a Dundee cake but on the plus side, the footage and potential for drama should be worth it.

Though the number of competitors is lower than previous years, the calibre is high so achieving a top twenty in this field will be tough, the level of athleticism may well determine the outright winner while experience, body mass and courage will sort the rest of the field.

PRO Robbie Lawson delivered a humorous speech, reminding the competitors, following the folly of the practice race on Saturday where everyone followed the leader who went off for a pee mid-race, to read the SI's before launching.

I dragged my pathetic body to the dinghy park to fit transom cams and procure pre-race interviews, my kitbag of camera equipment and sweets impeding my journey through the soft sand and adding a good ten minutes to my 200 yard hike. I assumed someone from the council would get those hazards filled in soon or at least put some cones around them.

The conditions at sea looked a little boisterous and this was confirmed by the lack of interest in launching, the 12.15pm klaxon which released the fleet largely ignored as the sailors tried to block out the power of nature from their minds.

Some, wisely stayed ashore, acknowledging their level of skill in such conditions, this would be a long event and broken bodies, spirits and Solos on the first day would have been disappointing after the long drive up.

The fleet finally assembled at the very edge of the beach, wavelets splashing the trolley wheels like bullies goading a child, the laminate sails recoiling as the next gust gave them another slap. Nature letting humanity know who is in charge.

The clubhouse anemometer was recording gusts in the mid-twenties but selfishly kept that to myself, the action and drama would be worth their sacrifice.

My ride for the day was aboard a rib, acknowledged as the biggest in Scotland and owner/driver Donald would be powering me around the course with his co-driver, photographer Steve Fraser and future media trainees Vernon and Patrick. It was therefore not as big as it could have been.

The sailors had little time to gather their thoughts, the reach out from the rock-infested shore requiring 100% concentration, any less and the result was wet. Fortunately there was no damage and after negotiating a slippery stairwell and a transfer from a smaller rib, I was hauled onto the media platform, only my pride and honour dented.

Our delay from the launch area was quickly rectified, Donald opening up the throttle and blasting us into hyperspace, I assumed he could not hear me as I rattled off my list of skeletal issues, the whooping as we buried ourselves into the back of another wall of water did not come from me though I would admit to releasing a small wee.

We positioned ourselves just off the pin end and with the breeze at 20 knots average from the west and the tide on its way in, hitting the beach side would be a popular choice.

Race 1

Roo Purves, the young Scottish sailor had to bail out, the pin tantalisingly close but like Unobtanium, unobtainable. He went into an immediate gybe with kicker on and board down and the result was a swim but I admire such bravery. Roo was possibly regretting his decision to let me fit the NSCA transom cam but he would later redeem himself off camera with some exceptional sailing and great results.

Mike Sims, back in Solos after his successful 505 campaign squeezed around the little yellow buoy but infringed so took a penalty turn which would have been exciting, executing it with the sure-footedness I once displayed on the dance floor.

Kevan Gibb SCO came out of the fray in good shape along with Andy Davis, Paul Davis and Andy Wilde while Oliver Davenport extricated himself from the second row, tacking multiple times and this included a penalty turn after also collecting the pin marker.

P. Davis took control, powering the Boatyard at Beer/Impact Marine Solo over, around and through the steep pattern of waves, holding good height while his nearest rivals fought similar battles with the elements.

Top mark and he led in from Andy Davis in the Winder 1/HD from Davenport Winder 1a/P&B who had staged a remarkable comeback from that tardy start. Chris Bunn, Charlie Brecknell SCO and Ian Baillie SCO completed the top six, screaming to the spreader mark before the exciting bare-away towards the leeward gate.

The wave pattern kept all the competitors on their toes as their rig loads fluctuated from full-on to seriously dangerous, the rescue teams were kept busy. Davenport took control up the second arduous beat, footing off to the left lay line, keeping the boat flat while the Superspar M2 took the full force of the gusts, bending off with some alarm.

The Davis brothers were in their own private battle and though not related by blood, would share a common bond only competition creates, the desire to beat each other or die trying.

The reaches on lap two were punctuated by the gybe mark, plumes of spray, faces etched with anxiety and then glee with the odd whoop only successful completion generates.

Aboard the media rib all was not well, constant dousing and buffeting was taking it's toll on fulfilling my media requirements, it was also very difficult to extract my sweets from my dry bag without alerting the four other crew members. Fortunately the photographer had been clicking away and would later upload 354 stills to capture the action.

So, Davenport powered to the race win and with some style from Paul who was continuing the form that saw him finish just off the podium in Lake Como and Taxi third. Mike Sims and Andrew Wilde completed the top five with Harry Lucas, aged 20 impressive in sixth.

The PRO allowed the fleet a short break to re-energise before going into the sequence for race 2, an act of kindness on a brutal day of competition. Our photographer was transferred to a smaller rib and taken to shore where he would launch his drone, launching and recovery from the media platform would though have made great footage.

We took up position once again close to the pin end but a number of capsizes requiring our assistance took me away from my subject matter which had me biting my lip. I looked out towards the fleet as they lined up with seconds to go, expanding my Samsung's A14 screen to try and capture some kind of action, the DJI gimbal doing it's best to stabilise against the constant yaw and pitch of our vessel.

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 1 - photo © Steve Fraser

Race 2

Kev Gibb SCO nails the pin end but with limited forward movement, pinching in these conditions is fatal in any kind of dinghy but he would at least be able to foot off now he was around the buoy. Roo Purves SCO had spent most of race 1 off course, spending time acquainting himself with the vagaries of the Jack Holt designed dinosaur and punched out mid line, steering well clear of that pesky pin end marker which ruined his first race plans.

Davenport had done a job on the fleet, his distinctive straight-leg hiking style, matched with the bio-mechanically well recognised high elbow to maximise steering leverage driving him over his nearest competitors to the left lay line and an already unassailable lead. Chris Bunn in his new Winder 1/P&B (Allen Spars) rounded second from Purvis with Paul Davis tacking in that sweet pocket on the mark from Baillie SCO and Brecknell SCO, both over-standing by a whisker.

Davenport extended on the run, handling the tricky conditions with some impunity before once again smashing his Solo up another punishing beat while his rivals squabbled for second place.

Purves SCO and Andy Davis were in the battle for second, The HD Sails owner/driver finding the form that saw him win four national titles but Purves SCO was keeping him honest as they hurtled down the two high intensity reaches to the gate. Both nailed the gybe which was no surprise, the fleet is filled with athletes and any less would be found wanting. Some were just unlucky, timing their gybe just as the generously wide bow buried into a slab of water, loading the rig into red zone territory before the inevitable dunk.

Paul Davis screamed around with Charlie Brecknell his pursuer, Bailie a distant but not impossible sixth and the last lap would provide chances though being one-sided, improvements would be based on helm stamina rather than tactical nouse.

There were many competitors opting to tack around and in order to finish, first you must finish so it was an understandable technique.

After the three laps it was a dominant Davenport with his second bullet from Andy Davis, Paul Davis, Brecknell and a fast finishing Sims. Purves may have taken a swim as he dropped from third to sixth but still a great achievement in a boat he has never sailed.

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 1 - photo © Steve Fraser

Race 3

The fleet lined up for a third race and with the PRO conscious that there would be no racing on Monday and the sanctuary of the clubhouse in touching distance, the sailors concentrated their minds on the challenge in front of them.

The breeze was as solid as the stone walls of the ELYC clubhouse, white plumes of surf racing down the course like a herd of Wildebeest chased by a pride of hungry Lions, I took a quick bite of my vegan roll and prepared my Samsung for the action.

With seconds to go my phone notification chimed and after thanking the friend for his comments regarding my coverage I pushed record and concentrated on the start line antics.

Chris Brown nails the pin end, the tide now less problematic for such a tactic but he has Andy Davis and Jon Gay SCO on his shoulder and would need to foot -off with no option to tack.

Davenport is a third of the way up the line but already holding a great lane out and he would be in the controlling position when they tacked on the lay line. Steve Denison was just below the P&B sailor but would find it hard to live there, possibly 10 kgs lighter and a little shorter but no less determined.

Davenport led at the top mark by at least 100 yards, unfortunately I was stationed too far away to capture the action, the language barrier was possibly excusable but, conscious I will hopefully be aboard for the rest of this Championship, I would not want to criticise the owner/driver who, like all the club members this week, is a volunteer.

The gybe mark was always going to be the money shot and it proved as messy, many sailors taking a dip and with some ferocity. Davenport got his own private footage as he was so far ahead I would have run out of video storage if I had waited for the rest of the fleet to arrive.

Purves was in a healthy second from Andy Davis and they were both comfortably ahead of Mike Sims, Chris Bunn and Ian Bailie who provided a synchronisation in their gybes the Red Arrows would be proud of though Bailie's life possibly flashed before his eyes while awaiting the boom to come across. Paul Davis, Charlie Brecknell and Chris Brown all nailed their gybes but Andrew Wilde and Guy Mayger's were painful to watch. Indeed, my camera turned itself off so as to save itself from the 18+ atrocities.

Davenport took the win, the PRO wisely shortening the course at the windward mark though class President Guy wanted everyone to know it was his idea. Roo Purves was second from Andy Davis who had been racing blind, his eye contacts washing around somewhere inside his eyeballs but not over the cornea. Mike Sims and Paul Davis completed the top five and so, after 3 races it would be Davenport from Andy Davis, Paul Davis, Mike Sims with first Scotsman and fifth overall, Charlie Brecknell.

I returned home, reasonably satisfied with my WhatsApp coverage of the day, it was only as I sat and reviewed my postings that I realised I had sent all of race 3 coverage to the friend who had texted me earlier. ROOKIE ERROR.

Guy Mayger presented the leaders with their lycra rash vests at the daily Prize Giving, held at the Commodore's Reception where a delicious array of finger food wash washed down with Gin and Tonic, generously provided by the club.

Monday has already been canned, Storm Floris the winner.

More photos

Results after Day 1: