Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 5

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 5 © Will Loy

UPDATE: 30 knots at 10am on Day 6. All racing cancelled. Oliver Davenport wins overall. Day 5 results stand.

We had made it to Day 5 and with six Championship races under our belts, all won quite comfortably by Oliver Davenport, there was a degree of lethargy amongst the sailors, understandable given that they had been gruelling tests of both stamina and bowel retention. I took a deep breath of the best the Highlands could offer, recoiling slightly as a pungent aroma filtered up my hairy nostrils, maybe some of the more elderly members of the fleet had in fact pooed their pants after all.

Class and Club flags were flicking with some enthusiasm, the mean direction indicating that the wind was still from the west, so we could not blame the Gannets. I chatted to one of the locals, a man of some years who could have been in the Whisky Galore movie, his explanation, though far fetched seemed plausible, "It is in fact Haggis season and they are commercially farmed just to the east of the town, but only after first being hung in a field for a week to die a miserable death."

I took a moment to re-visit my first Haggis meal experience just two days earlier at a club function before making my excuses to the nutter and quickly shuffling off.

The sailors began arriving into the cordoned off area of the beach as groupies gathered to take selfies and acquire signatures on various CB Trailerstore caps which littered the ground.

The scene was reminiscent of a Triathlon event where the athletes swap their bikes for running shoes but instead, these competitors squeezed bodies into neoprene and lycra as their wives applied deep heat to their bruised and swollen limbs. Only Paul Davis was saved from this ignominy, he has been third overall all week and after donning the red podium rash vest on Sunday, has not been able to get it off since.

With the fleet released to launch and transom cameras fitted to two of the hotshots I headed off to the harbour pier for transfer to the racing arena, puffing like a fully laden steam train.

My exit off the rib on day 4 had been something of a challenge and akin to any of the SAS 'Who Dares Wins' episodes, jumping from a stationary blow-up boat to a narrow metal ladder on the side of the harbour wall. Clearly, as I am writing this I survived though I doubt my father's 2nd Para DNA is strong in my blood.

The trip out to the course was fast and wet, my survival instincts kicking in and forcing adrenaline and its benefit of increased muscle strength through my cholesterol narrowed arteries and into my large masculine hands. Only when Donald had powered off did my grip loosen from the red faux leather two seated rear bench, sliding my bum across to conceal the fingernail indents.

Race 7

The breeze was a healthy 16-18 knots, sunshine bouncing of the pixellated water and warming faces, etched with a myriad of emotions. Davenport sat quietly in his Winder 1a, the Technora laminate oscillating with every yaw and pitch, the Sun's harmful rays reflecting off his wrap-arounds, and off towards his enemies.

The tide would be coming in and this would have to be factored into tactics as it would be pushing the fleet forward.

Two recalls and a UFD flag later and the sailors got the message, Jon Gay and Jon Bailey the two victims but like Grand National horses who have bucked their riders they would carry on and enjoy the three laps anyway.

Loz Young nails the pin end in his vintage wooden Solo, any other day and he could have been proud but today the fleet seems more invested in the Committee end. Martin Connor, Guy Mayger, Harry Lucas and Chris Bunn are closest to this left side with Oliver Davenport mid line and already punching forward as the sizeable chunks of water unrelentingly collide with the distinctive bow profiles.

Oliver Davenport leads in from the left from Paul Davis, Andy Davis and Roo Purves, who has to give the HD Sails maestro room with the UFD casualty Jon Bailey next, what a shame. Twenty year old Harry Lucas and Andrew Wilde (fitted with a transom cam) are next to navigate the top mark, the footage should be golden.

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 5 - photo © Will Loy

The run was tricky, many opting to sail by the lee which is fine if you are an exponent, some were not, turning turtle and losing valuable ground on their rivals that they would only get back if they too capsized. Fortunately, with a gybe mark to tame, that scenario was very possible.

My driver Scott moved us into position at the gybe mark and I took the opportunity to wipe down my equipment, the rib crew everting their eyes and muttering in a hushed tone.

Davenport lead is fifty seconds as he gybes across, manoeuvring over the well loved centreboard capping with the certainty of a pommel horse specialist and headed off to the gate marks and his last lap. Purves was a healthy second, nearly half a minute ahead of Andy Davis who was holding Andre Wilde and Paul Davis in a soft cover and the rest of the field well behind.

The last lap was again a test of stamina, still slightly one sided but with the leaders spread out evenly like pegs on a line, place changes were zero, Davenport recording his seventh win, Purves collecting his third second place and Andy Davis consolidating his second overall position with another podium finish.

The camera factor gave Wilde his best result of the week, I anticipate a clammer for it tomorrow with Paul Davis fifth.

My team aboard Sea Fury handed out packed lunches, one would have been enough but I was not going to argue and I took a moment to savour the egg filled roll, inspecting the soft texture before shoving it down my gob in a manner which would have been unacceptable in any decent food establishment.

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 5 - photo © Will Loy

Race 8

The breeze, which in my estimation had dropped to around 16-18 knots was now building and with sailors reserves already down to hospitalisation levels, I booted up my Samsung A14 to try and capture their contorted expressions as they fought against Mother Nature and physical exhaustion.

Davenport likes the pin, with seven bullets in the chamber this gunslinger can afford to take a chance but with Kevan Gibb blocking his slot he has to bail, expertly gybing behind the fleet before hardening up on to the port tack.

Gibb also gybes but the UFD flag is flying and he was well over the line, we let him carry on anyway, the practice will be beneficial and he has an angry face, even when he is cheerful.

Chris Brown, Andy Davis and Mike Sims blast out of the traps like under-fed Greyhounds and head over towards the left lay line, a well conceived tactic that has worked for the first seven races.

It mattered not, Davenport ploughed through the chop and the fleet to round first, his choice to work the right-middle of the course possibly initiated by the mistake at the start but with a speed advantage almost visible to the naked eye, he would not be denied. Andy Davis was second with Purves within ten seconds and Paul Davis and Harry Lucas keeping him honest. The wind speed and sea state were both noticeably more pronounced in their speed and height and so the run downhill would be challenging.

Little did I know, Sea Fury had drifted into a danger zone and, without warning, the rib was powered into reverse, throwing me forward past the driver before spread-eagling me onto the firm rubber outer surface. Some people would pay good money for that but it was not my vibe. I took a moment to compose myself on the plush red bench, could have been worse, at least I was still in the bloody thing.

I instructed Scott to take us to the leeward gate as this provided a nice angle to take some still photography while overhead, Steve Fraser's Mavic 3 hovered, the rotors whirring and fluctuating in their revolutions in an effort to keep it at an exact height and GPS position while it's pilot, who was two miles away could have been on the loo or in the bath.

We moved up to the gybe mark, the increase to 20+ knots made it a no-brainer and the heroes in the fleet would relish the chance to show off on camera while others would feel obliged to try.

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 5 - photo © Will Loy

Davenport is first to the guillotine, I was full of confidence for the lad having witnessed his pommel horse athleticism in race 7 but with nearly a leg between him and his closest challenger there is really no need to risk it? The wind builds to 28 knots, waves materialising in front and behind, the water under his bow parting into plumes of snow white spray and, seeing a camera and drone trained on this superstar, he gybes, crossing the cockpit as the boom sears across, missing his head by a hair. Textbook but wait, in his haste to get across to the weather side he has overshot, loses his footing and nearly dives out the other side, only a swift counter movement and face-plant halting his exit from the boat, nice save.

Andy Davis is the next gladiator to enter the coliseum, catches a wave, accelerates, unloading the mainsail and flicking it across before it even knows it's at the gybe mark. Only when he is settled does it try and buck like a newly broken stallion but Davis has it's measure and sets off for the gate like a one man posse.

Roo Purves is our next potential victim but with a background in the Wasp class, this is slow by comparison and he completes the manoeuvre with some aplomb, the top three spaced out sufficiently for me to concentrate on the fight for fourth. Paul Davis, Mike Sims and Harry Lucas gybe successfully within five seconds of each other with Andrew Wilde and Steve Denison in pursuit. The wind continues to build, a capsize as inevitable as is the winner of this Championship but it will not be Ian Baillie, his outward sigh of breath audible even from my position 100 yrds upwind.

Chris Bunn, enigmatic and always accommodating doesn't disappoint me, successfully gybing before plunging in to windward, the top of his sail as open as a Brothel on National Brothel day. Chris Brown sneaks inside having already gybed out of picture, shunning the spotlight and it's associated pressures.

Class President Guy Mayger steps up, literally, standing astride his Boatyard built Solo and nonchalantly flicking the boom across, the end burying into a wave but failing to trip him up.

Martin Honnor though win tonights academy award for drama, looking into the very depths of my camera lens as he screams to his demise, a faint smile escaping his lips, I swear I could hear him uttering the Lords Prayer as he soaked down to the bright orange marker buoy. The boom crosses, he survives but now the top of his sail too is as open as our border and it twists the rig around in a counter punch which he saw but was powerless to defend. The mast hits the water, it's owner jettisoned out of the back, humiliation following like a puppy wanting some affection.

That said, well done for trying mate.

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 5 - photo © Will Loy

Jon Bailey must get a mention, the canny Scotsman looked in control as he made his final approach into the mark, arcing the hull before pulling with all his might on the mainsheet via the jammer block...the mother failing to co-operate before dumping him next to Martin and Chris who were still floating around like seals in between a meal. Thank You.

I continued to film as all these heroes screamed by, each one entertaining dark thoughts that they may have thought would not surface in this low risk sport but this was not a low risk day, in fact, it was about to get really scary.

We re-positioned ourselves at the finish line, Scott doing his best to manipulate Sea Fury into my designated sweet spot, photographing the fleet as they hardened up around the gate mark for a short reach to the finish would be the money shot.

I managed to get a photo of Oliver as he blasted through but was quickly alerted to a problem with the outer finish mark which was dragging. Donald and Scott were in a heated conversation and with the sky darkening and the wind picking up to 30 knots+, the mood in the camp was one of imminent danger.

We took on the role of the outer marker, Donald guiding the Solos towards us with his arm while barking instructions to Scott who was struggling to maintain the rib as the gust buffeted the huge grey rubber boat.

The fleet screamed through in small groups, each in there own little sphere of concentration, all looking concerned that they could even bare-off through the line. Andy Davis took second from Roo Purves who held off Paul Davis by a whisker, I could see the whites of his eyes and nothing else, it was that gnarly. We nearly collected Paul as he fought to tack and bare off behind us, Scott slightly oblivious of the incoming Lymington based sailor but a quick hail of "hello" seemed to alert him and we powered forward again like a teenager using a manual gearbox for the first time.

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 5 - photo © Will Loy

The rest is literally a blur, everyone made it in somehow, Harry Lucas surviving a submarine which saw water pouring over his bow and side decks, Steve Ede nose-diving, his transom to centreboard slot clearly visible.

I will let the pictures tell the story.

So, Davenport has an almost unsurmountable lead with eight wins, hugely impressive and he is setting new records. Andy Davis is second with Roo Purves, Paul Davis and Mike Sims the top five. The results are tight and much can change if we race tomorrow. It is currently up for debate!

At this point we must thank, once again our sponsors who are making this event so memorable. Daily draws have been staged, winners of ridder bags, mast bags, buoyancy aids, caps, dry bags, Pars football shirts, scarves, gloves, and kit bags have been distributed amongst the fleet. The sailors have enjoyed Caramels and marshmallows, Gin and Tonics, lager and class meals.

Noble Marine, Zhik, KLG, Spinlock, HD Sails, Stewarts Brewery, Fidra Gin, CB Trailerstore, P&B, Impact Marine and Tunnocks, thank you so much from all the competitors.

More photos: flic.kr/s/aHBqjCpYi8

Results after day 5:

Noble Marine Solo Nationals at East Lothian - Day 5 - photo © Will Loy