Solo Eastern Area Series at Fishers Green Sailing Club
by Godfrey Clark 22 Oct 2025 13:06 BST
19 October 2025
Solo Eastern Area Series at Fishers Green © Kevin O'Brian
South-southeast is a very unusual wind direction for our part of the country. We get south-easts, blowing out of the dinghy park which offers good racing courses and sometimes due southerly, blowing over the southern weir at FGSC which is excellent. Thus, positioning of the windward mark was a bit uncertain.
With some port start line bias, it was Simon Maskell who broke away with the best start and being no stranger to FGSC, would lead the race from start to finish. He was chased home by brother Mark, with Steve Conroy the best home boat in third.
The first race was marred to some extent by an unexpected raft of weed which had arrived close to the windward mark, presumably having been dislodged from a harmless location on the western shoreline by the recent storm "Amy", the trajectory of the weed being in line with that storm. Solos trying to hop round the mark on starboard found themselves truly stuck.
A temporary windward mark was set for race two removing such issues. This time, the tables turned with Mark emerging the winner with Simon in a dead heat for second place, with local and trophy holder, Paul Rayson. The fleet then retired for a curry lunch just as the forecast light rain appeared but the forecast stronger wind would never arrive.
Race three followed a windward/leeward course with Jamie Cuxon grabbing a race win which would lift him onto the podium. He was chased home by the Maskell brothers leaving one of them the inevitable winner.
The rain persisted for the final deciding race and once more it was Maskell versus Maskell with Mark grabbing the win by virtue of a single port lift just when he needed it!
Thus Mark took home the Fishers Green Trophy, together with the Solo Association Eastern Area Series which he had also won by a convincing margin.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Boat | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Pussy Galore | 6007 | Mark Maskell | Blackwater SC | 2 | 1 | ‑3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2nd | Von Sheep | 6037 | Simon Maskell | Hunts SC | 1 | ‑2.5 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 3rd | | 5704 | Jamie Cuxon | Shustoke | 6 | ‑7 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| 4th | Insinserre | 5328 | Steve Conroy | Fishers Green | 3 | ‑5 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 5th | Bear Hunter | 5181 | Paul Rayson | Fishers Green | ‑9 | 2.5 | 8 | 3 | 13.5 |
| 6th | | 5971 | Steve Bishop | Hunts SC | 4 | 8 | ‑12 | 7 | 19 |
| 7th | | 6049 | Olly Saunders | Shustoke | 7 | 4 | ‑11 | 8 | 19 |
| 8th | | 5068 | Richard Coulter | Fishers Green | 5 | 9 | ‑13 | 9 | 23 |
| 9th | Gybe Talkin | 4801 | Godfrey Clark | Fishers Green | 10 | 6 | 7 | ‑12 | 23 |
| 10th | | 5838 | Bryan Moram | Hickling Broad | ‑14 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 25 |
| 11th | | 5819 | Phil Sturmer | Royal Burnham | 13 | 12 | 4 | ‑14 | 29 |
| 12th | | 4639 | Blake Newman | Fishers Green | 11 | ‑15 | 9 | 10 | 30 |
| 13th | | 5249 | Nick Pighills | Fishers Green | 8 | 11 | ‑14 | 13 | 32 |
| 14th | Fredna | 6020 | David Walford | Fishers Green | 12 | 10 | 10 | (DNC) | 32 |
| 15th | | 5020 | Geoff Holmes | Fishers Green | ‑20 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 44 |
| 16th | | 5329 | John White | Fishers Green | 15 | ‑20 | 19 | 11 | 45 |
| 17th | | 5372 | Richard Cooke | Fishers Green | 16 | ‑18 | 16 | 16 | 48 |
| 18th | | 4688 | Pete Hollins | Fishers Green | 17 | ‑19 | 18 | 17 | 52 |
| 19th | | 4793 | Hannah Baker | Fishers Green | 18 | 17 | 17 | (DNC) | 52 |
| 20th | | 4511 | Martin Jarvis | Fishers Green | 19 | 16 | (DNC) | DNC | 56 |
