Noble Marine Solo class Winter Championship 2026 at Northampton Sailing Club - Preview
by Will Loy 2 Mar 15:43 GMT
7 March 2026
Solo class looks forward to close racing in 2026 © Will Loy
Northampton Sailing Club are gearing up to welcome the Solo fleet to Pitsford Reservoir for the North Sails season curtain raiser on Saturday March 7 and with a balmy 12 degrees and winds from the South at 8 knots, we hope to see a healthy attendance.
The Athletes Assemble
This Championship has been run since 1992, Carveth winning that teeth chattering event before deciding that winter racing was not for him while in contrast, Jim Hunt and Charlie Cumbley have multiple titles to their names, maybe global warming and more efficient thermals are indeed having an effect on the British climate.
Oliver Davenport used his 2025 event win as a platform for an incredible year and cementing him into the record books alongside the greats with a clean sweep of bullets at both the Noble Marine National Championship and Ferry Marina Inlands. He has a new Solo and P&B rig tweak for 2026 and will be the one to beat in his Musto apparel.
Among the challengers for the year ahead, Tom Gillard has a new Winder which was on display at the Dinghy Show, matched with a Selden mast and the latest North P4 I guess. This prolific title collector is bound to push Davenport to a new level. Mike Sims is a strong contender after a season akin to Piastri with wins and setbacks but he has an intensity and burning desire which is only sated by success.
Andy Davis is torn between his OK obligations, being World number 1 but he is a sublime Solo sailor too and his presence at any Solo event adds gravitas. Andrew Wilde had a splendid 2026 and is coming into that lovely sweet spot of physical peak and tactical nous, a combination I myself attained for one day in the nineties. I predict his purple patch will last much longer. Jonathan Swain has a Chris Avery energy about him, gentle, quiet but as determined as a Spaniel with a stick. He is also blessed with the sort of leverage every short arse craves.
That segways me onto Chris Brown who has been developing the Super Spars M2 over the winter, sleeveless and with increased taper so it bends more which is alarming when you see how much they fall off to leeward in a blow already. CB Coverstore has also launched their Ultimate Hiker which has adjustable pads, especially useful for those with hip to knee configurations that are on the short side. There is nothing worse than a pad slipping down the back of your knee as you prepare to gybe!
I would like to see Brownie back in the Winder 2 or even a Boatyard at Beer shaped Solo, matched with the Super Spars/North combo, he could be a podium threat. That brings me onto Paul Davis who had a stand-out year in 2025, the Impact Marine radial sail he pulled up the Super Spars M2 in Lake Como sent his season into the stratosphere, shame about that BFD in Italy though. Paul is based in Lymington but the NSCA Vice President is keen to meet the fleets across the UK before his inevitable coronation so might turn up at Northampton, top three if he does.
Likewise, Class President Guy Mayger shows glimpses of his natural talent in the events he frequents, still getting to grips with his Boatyard at Beer hull matched with the HD Maxx, he should top five if he makes the short trip up from Bognor.
Ewan Birkin-Walls has been Solos as long as me and just like many of the fleet, was nurtured on Solo sailing from an early age by his father, the Solo family are indeed family.
Chris Bunn had an on-off season, still mastering his Allen spars but has some speed when he gets his tactics right and with a steely determination, could spring a surprise at any of the super series events this year.
It is Winder Boats 50th Anniversary year and works jockey Steve Denison always features near the front of the fleet and the forecast is favourable for the lightweight northern sailor so maybe no better time to win the event in celebration of the builder who has transformed the class but not the boat. Nigel Davies has put many seasons into mastering the Solo and if he can sprinkle some start line aggression into his super cool temperament, podiums will follow.
I will mention just a few more, Jasper Barnham finished the season in style at the EOS, Andy Carter featured at the front of the fleet along with Simon Law, there is a new order coming.
I always get excited for the fleet when younger groups of sailors arrive with double trailers and dreams of winning, that is how I started and the journey is always memorable, not necessarily for the sailing though.
The boys at Yorkshire Dales and Shustoke cut their teeth on the close one-on-one club racing at the hotbeds of Solo racing and now they have set their sights on the circus of the Super Series. New faces, hungry appetites for the win, trophies and bragging rites, I cannot wait to see what they bring in 2026.
The Venue
Northampton Sailing Club provides long beats but the local topography, like Uri Geller with a spoon, contorts the wind direction to its own command. Therefore be prepared to take the rough with the smooth, keep calm and keep your eyes on the prize. Bleating about your bad luck is counter-constructive. The club is warm, the food and tea are comforting and Anglia Water are a great company, I hope they give me permission to fly the NSCA drone.
Kick start your season and enter the Noble Marine Winter Championship now.
The media team will be providing WhatsApp coverage but even better if you attend the event!
WhatsApp Solo Reporting Link: chat.whatsapp.com/lqJuGftYnxtAT4GYhmH0UW
The two standout events in the year are the Noble Marine Nation's Cup in Quiberon and the P&B National Championship in Royal Torbay, my mouth is already watering.
Organised by the Saint-Pierre Quiberon Regatta Society (SRSP), the Noble Marine Nation's Cup takes place from June 4-7 and entry is now open so please visit the site for all the info you need here: stpierre.axyomes.com
I understand accommodation is going fast now entry is live.
The P&B National Championship should be a thumper August 5-9 at Royal Torbay, plenty of accommodation but get in quick as this event should hit the nineties. Anything over 100 and you will know about it.
NOR, SIs and Entry details at rtyc.org/event/solo-nationals
The NSCA have a number of Demo Solos to try and we run training days throughout the year.
It promises to be another exciting season of Solo action and drama, there are plenty of secondhand Solos available so buy (or order a new one), join the NSCA and enter.
See you on the water.