P&B Solo Western Series at Torpoint Mosquito Sailing Club

by Steve Roberts 2 Sep 12:45 BST 22 August 2026

Torpoint Mosquito SC were hosts of the latest round of the P&B Solo Western Series open on Saturday 22nd August. This was the rearranged event from the cancelled one back in April. The weather gods appeared to be kind this time with an Easterly 8-10kts veering SE for the day.

We were happy to welcome Solo visitors Charlie Nunn, Spod Olive, John Steels and Vernon Perkins to our wonderful club.

A committee boat start up the lake was set with a course utilising our channel markers and laid mark for a windward leeward course. The 1st race got away cleanly with all 9 Solo's jostling for positioning and for some reason Steve Roberts decided to come in at the pin end on port and got into a muddle. Local knowledge said to bang right so that was where most locals went but Nunn and few others went left and sure enough were clear ahead at the first mark. Nunn leading Peter Lye, Sean Biggs, Spod and Steels. The downwind leg was a long one and you could feel the wind starting to build and slowly veer as it was intended. By the time Nunn rounded the leeward mark the wind shifted about 40 degrees, so it was a close haul all the way to the windward mark again. So, a procession ensued and the race committee rightly shortened the course to 2 laps. Nunn taking line honours from Spod and Steels in 2nd & 3rd.

For race 2 the course was reset as it had gone SE and building to 12-15 now. Race committee were quick off the mark to get this changed and race 2 under way rapidly. No real preference of which way to go other than play the shifts now, Roberts finally got his boat in order and had a great start with Nunn and Spod below him, by the time the windward mark the wind was building more and a horrible chop was starting to develop. Nunn leading round the 1st mark from Roberts, Perkins and Spod. An entertaining downwind leg with Nunn playing the waves just right increasing his lead and Roberts and Spod not making any gains on each other.

Further behind a good battle between Perkins after he messed up the bear away, something he did several times, Biggs and Crowder was developing. By the 2nd lap wind had built even more and bigger chop, this was bread and butter for Nunn who powered ahead and Roberts was starting to feel it as Spod overtook him before the windward mark. Not much change from there as Nunn, Spod and Roberts top 3.

As Biggs had beaten Perkins's in race 1 and Perkins then taking race 2 there was a personal battle going between them, so it all hinged on race 3. At this point top 2 were sorted with Nunn and Spod claiming 2 x 1st and 2 x 2nd. But Nunn wanted a clean sweep.

By this time Geoff Hall had retired due to injury leaving 8 Solos to fight it out.

Race 3, wind held steady at SE and a good 20kts with gusts. The phantoms went away cleanly however the Solos all pushed too hard and a general recall. By this time, it looked like the solo start would have the phantoms come through the start of their 2nd lap at the same time.

Everyone was then very line shy for the restart!

Nunn, Perkins, Spod and Steels rounded the first mark in that order, Perkins finding form upwind in the higher wind choppy conditions and staying left paid.

Both Roberts and Crowder were having uncharacteristic off days. Indeed, Crowder capsized, as did Peter Lye (more than once). Both took a while to right, so were well back from the rest but then had close racing.

Nunn, Spod and Steels showing the rest how to sail in choppy conditions and set the tone for another 1,2,3.

On the last lap Roberts and Perkins were now having a battle, Perkins quite a way ahead on the upwind was looking very steady, however Roberts wasn't to give up yet and caught up on the lake sailor downwind. Roberts finally overtook Perkins at the leeward mark and headed to the finish, all he had to do was cover Perkins and job done, but for some unfathomable reason Roberts tacked early and as they approached the finish Roberts was just ahead but due to the committee boat end bias allowed Perkins to make huge gains, and a dead heat was called. This result could sway who was the winner between Perkins and Biggs.

Charlie Nunn was an easy Solo winner taking 3 bullets primarily due to his powerful hiking to windward while, unlike the rest, he really played the waves off wind. Spod taking 2nd with 3 second places and John Steel's taking 3rd. However, the results don't show how close the racing was further back in the fleet, with lots of place changing.

The day finished with a great BBQ from the Tamar lounge.

Champagne sailing conditions provided once again in the forgotten corner of Torpoint, and a Great event with the Race committee getting 3 races in with rapid changeover in between each race.

P&B providing some great spot prizes and onto next event at Teign Corinthian on 20th September, see you there.

Overall Results:

Pos	Boat Name	Sail No	Helm	R1	R2	R3	Pts
1st		5914	Charlie Nunn	‑1	1	1	2
2nd	Hans	5649	Spod Olive	‑2	2	2	4
3rd		5926	John Steels	3	‑4	3	6
4th	Carnage	6121	Steve Roberts	‑5	3	4.5	7.5
5th		5487	Sean Biggs	4	‑7	6	10
6th		6149	Vernon Perkins	‑8	6	4.5	10.5
7th	Baloo	5769	Stephen Crowder	‑7	5	7	12
8th		5720	Peter Lye	6	‑8	8	14
9th	Hanging on	5642	Geoff Hall	9	(RET)	DNS	19