P&B Solo class Welsh Championship 2026 at Llandegfedd Sailing Club - Preview
by Will Loy 19 May 19:39 BST
Comparing Llandegfedd SC with other lakes © Google
The Solo fleet will be visiting Llandegfedd Reservoir this weekend and someone will come away as the P&B Welsh champion and with the current entry list suggesting there could be a new name engraved onto the trophy (is there a trophy?) the likes of Perkins and Roberts are rubbing their sweaty little palms together with some relish.
That said, these guys attended the recent Dittisham open where ferocious gusts tried to rip the very skin of the competitors' faces so any victory has been earned.
This venue is nestled just north of Newport near Pontypool and is set in some stunning Welsh countryside, the reservoir covering 430 acres which I always find hard to imagine but it is about a third of the size of Chew Valley or half the size of Bewl Valley so not inconsiderable. It is cylindrical in length, north to south in orientation which is lucky as the forecast for Saturday is from the south (Ora) while on Sunday it is from the north (Pela).
Whether there are similar Garda wind bends is still to be determined but there will be corner hitters in the fleet, some pinching for max height while others foot off and blast towards the next header.
Among the other competitors are two home club members, Joe Rycroft and Mark Williams and while following Mark may prove fruitful, tagging onto the back of Rycroft's transom would be as risky as flying a Union Jack in your garden though I do hope Joe proves me wrong.
Spod Olive is making the journey up from Starcross which generally has some serious tidal flow so he should enjoy the calmer conditions while Miles Thomas is making the journey down from Bala which is similar to Llandegfedd so he must be one of the favourites. Nigel Bird is a regular on tour and is my current favourite for the title but with the clock ticking, there is still time to enter and become a fly in his ointment.
The current forecast is a very pleasant 20+ degrees and 5-8 knots for day 1 while Sunday promises 7-12 knots, factor in a dinner at the local Carpenters Arms subsidised by the NSCA and reasonable accommodation options and you have a pretty fun weekend in store.
The club have provided additional info on facilities and parking so do check it out before you travel. For directions to the club follow www.llandegfedd.org.uk/welcome/find
Parking: Participants are reminded that the club site is owned and run by DCWW and parking fees apply, payable at the machines at the entry to the café and also near the entrance to the changing rooms / watersports centre (the price for all-day parking is £3.00). The first hour is free for dropping boats on Friday.
The club shares the Welsh Water facilities with a nice water sports facility and a separate visitor centre that has a lovely cafe and there are stunning walks around the lake.
Unfortunately the water authority have a drone ban so my DJI Mini 3 will stay in its box for another week or so until it is unleashed in Quiberon but I will be providing WhatsApp coverage, so hook up your Solo, tell your partner to pack a few things and get your Solo down to Pontypool, you might come back from the green, green valleys as the P&B Welsh Solo Champion.
This event forms part of the North Sails Super Series and is also sponsored by P&B, all we ask is that you join the NSCA, non compliance will have a committee member bending your ear and you would not want to miss out on the prizes.
I look forward to filming you in your natural element, competitor and Solo in perfect harmony.