HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Dalgety Bay © Patrick Burns

Once again the Scottish Solo fleet travelled to Dalgety Bay Sailing Club for the last event of the 2025 series. The event would be part of the Club's Regatta and part of the Sailjuice northern series but the Solos would have their own class start.

Only Six boats made the event with others missing due to injury or European travel adventures.

With over 80 boats all jostling for launch space on the slipway the noise from the wind flapping the sails was enough to make Patrick Burns decide it was possibly a little too windy for him so jumped into a rescue boat to watch the racing instead, only to find once in the race area the wind was not as bad as he thought and he spent the rest of the day moving marks and watching from the lumpy ride of the RIB.

The first race start sequence began and we would be fourth class to start with a slow handicap supernova and ilca 6s ahead. Fortunately, both the slow and ilca 6s had general recalls meaning only the supernova's would be ahead of us up the first beat.

It was a fairly even start with the five boats spread down the line Alistair Stevenson and Kev Gibb both tacked early on to go to the right had side whilst Ross Watson went left Bruce Birrel and Charlie Brecknell worked up the middle.

As the boats came back together near the windward mark the lead changed often as the wind shifts came through but at the top mark Alistair led Kevan round closely followed by Charlie with Ross and Bruce close behind.

The course was trapezoid and the slower boats would be on the outside sausage leaving the fast skiffs on the inside.

The top three rounded closely and the made decisions which way to go up the beat. Lots of holes could be found. Kevan made the best of it and rounded the next windward mark in the lead closely followed by Alistair and Charlie. It stayed like this till the last mark and a short beat to the finish. Kevan winning with Charlie just getting his nose ahead to take second from Alistair.

We had a long wait for the next race as the recalled starts who had to start behind the fast fleets made their way round the course. The wind then decided to shift round so the course buoys had to be moved along with the start line.

The second race started with Ross being the only one on time and he took a commanding lead rounding the windward mark well clear with Alistair then Charlie next. Kevan and Bruce went high on the reach passing Charlie.

The last beat saw Ross cover the fleet but everyone found themselves manoeuvring to avoid being on the outside of a raft of boats from the slow and catching fast fleets, Charlie tried for a quick manoeuvre from the outside to the inside behind a bunch of boats, the only to find all the boats stopping in front of him on the mark and and he fouled another boat, he then had find room to squeeze in his penalty turns before the finish this allowed Kev to sail back into third.

It was now getting late in the day and the wind shifted again so the AP went up again whilst the course was quickly adjusted.

At the start Charlie and Ross started nearer the pin whilst Kev and Alistair went for committee boat start taking of to the right hand side almost immediately By the windward Mark Kev had a small lead over Ross with Alistair and Bruce rounding next.

The wind had gone lighter and the sky's grey with the rain setting in over the whole area. Kev worked hard to keep Ross covered to secure another bullet and take the overall win.

Racing by Forth Bridge - Annual Regatta at Dalgety Bay SC - photo © Norman Burns

Thanks to Dalgety Bay Sailing Club for hosting us and organising a great event.

In very damp conditions ashore, Charlie awarded Kev the overall series trophy and a very smart new HD Sails buoyancy aid. Huge thanks once again to Andy Davis at HD Sails for his continued support of the Scottish Solo fleet.

Event Results: