Saturday Spring Series Results
Sunday Spring Series Results

Weekend 15/16 October - HISC Harbour Challenge
The wind was very light on both days. On Saturday the challenge was to Emsworth and Langstone Bridge. On Sunday, after a nail biting trip round Sandy against the tide, the tour went up the Thorney Channel, but was shortened at Astra. With an elapsed time of more than 2 hours 30 minutes on Saturday and nearly 1 hour 30 minutes on Sunday, there was plenty of time on the water. This was a weekend for the slow boats with Nick,s Solo first on Saturday and a Graduate on Sunday. The overall results for the two days was a Solo benefit. First Nick, second Barry and third Ted.

Weekend 8/9 October - Last of the Summer series.
We had another weekend of great sailing conditions. On Saturday the course was weird. We started in a Northwesterly with a short beat to a mark in the trots. Steve C rounded first with others close behind. Next there was a long series of reaches all the way to Peacock by which time David Sayce was leading. The route back had land in the way and involved lots of bumping of centreboards round the back of Pilsey Island to finish near Gardner where we started. David held the lead and Nick was up second. Mike partridge was fourth on his first outing in his new Solo.
Sunday’s course was a classic 4 lap triangle and sausage with the added experience of the marks being towed about by the ribs as the leaders tried to approach them. Nick R lead all the way, but there was plenty of action behind him. In the end in was Steve C second, Chris Powles third and Andrew V fourth. A great race to end the main season on.

Autumn Trophy - Weekend 1/2 October
DAVID SAYCE WINS THE AUTUMN TROPHY
Nick Rawlings, David Sayce and Paul Cutbill each win a race.

AUTUMN TROPHY   3 RACES SAILED   POS BOAT HELM POINTS 1-Oct 2-Oct(1) 2-Oct(2) 1 4603 David Sayce 3 2 1 (3) 2 5178 Nick Rawlings 5 1 4 (23) 3 4969 Greg Swift 6 3 3 (11) 4 5004 George Gygnell 7 (8) 5 2 5 4577 Robert Hack 7 (23) 2 5 6 4659 Paul Cutbill 8 (23) 7 1 7 4724 Bill Ingram 10 4 (9) 6 8 5195 Barry Blaydes 11 5 6 (9) 9 4999 Peter Best 15 (23) 11 4 10 4679 Dave Sanders 17 9 (13) 8 11 4208 Ted Gadd 17 7 (10) 10 12 4441 Andrew Voysey 19 (23) 12 7 13 4433 Jeremy Hack 20 (23) 8 12 14 4919 Clifford Wiles 25 12 (16) 13 15 3934 Robin Gadd 28 (23) 14 14 16 5043 Kenneth Tomlins 29 6 (23) 23 17 3907 Donald Dunford 32 15 17 (23) 18 4279 Robert Smith 33 13 20 (23) 19 4381 Antony Catchpole 33 10 (23) 23 20 3757 Edmund Hewitt 34 14 20 (23) 21 3795 Nick Webb 34 11 (23) 23 22 4590 Gerald New 38 (23) 15 23

The hot Indian summer prevailed over the weekend, but the wind looked unpromising as the fleet prepared on Saturday. 17 solos signed on, but watched the Laser squads drift up the harbour until the RIBs rounded them up and towed them out to sea. A three buoy course was set in the southeasterly breeze on Pilsey Sands and the fleet got to the start with no problems. Shortly after the start the wind shifted to the east, so half the fleet was favoured and half lost out. Nick R and Bill I rounded the mark well clear having gone furthest left, while David S and Greg S were the next pair out of those that had gone up the middle. Barry B lead from the right but only rounded seventh. Two leisurely rounds followed, with some shifting of the marks. By the finish, David S was up to 2nd and Barry B up to 5th.
On Sunday the wind first died away resulting in a postponement. A southeasterly breeze picked up eventually and the 18 strong fleet got away from a tricky start line, short tacking against the flood up the Thorney shore. David S, soon took the lead, followed by Greg S and Robert H. Runway was eventually arrived at with Nick R trying to catch up the leading trio. A tricky reach to Sandy followed, with the leaders having to judge how far south to go, before trying to cross the tide to the mark. After a run to Channel, the short beat against the strengthening current to the finish, caught out some of the fleet.
With one win each, David was seen to take on Nick at the start of Race 3 and got the better of him. These two were in about 8th place as the fleet attempted to find slacker water. Those on the pin end were away, lead by Paul C and George G and Peter B. paul maintained his lead to the finish, while David made steady progress to finish third.

Weekend 24/25 September
A light southerly breeze that died away at times gave the 14 Solos a different challenge from recent weeks. The first leg was a beat along the trots; Chris P lead the fleet at the mark. The next two legs were reaches to John Davis and back. The pack behind Chris was tight, but Nick was into second by the turn followed Andrew V and Ken T was up to fourth at the end of the reaches. Andrew lost his spot on the next run by going to far into the tide in search of wind. However, he recovered his third slot on the next beat and was well clear of Ken after the run down to the finish.
12 Solos turned out for Sunday's race which started in a southerly breeze with a beat to Sandy. Nick was first at the mark followed by George and Barry. A broad reach to John Davis produced some interesting surfing through the waves. George closed on Nick, who then stomped away again on the close reach back to SW Pilsey and Greg came through to third. Next was a run down to near Channel; much of the fleet were close together, but there were no noted place changes. On the short beat from the leeward mark to the gate we found the shortened course flag was up. This disappointed everyone as we had excellent racing conditions but had only been racing for 50 minutes.

Weekend 17/18 September - Pennant Series 5
The race on Saturday was held under very windy conditions. There were only 2 Solos out for the two races. Chris P won both from Greg S.
Despite the lousy forecast, 16 Solos were out for the first race on Sunday. Mark Allerston was away from the start followed by Chris P and Paul Cutbill in his first race in his Solo. The course was not brilliant as the wind had shifted making the first two legs one sided beats. The race was shortened after one lap to allow for race 2. Mark stayed in the lead, followed by Chris and Greg S was up to third. The threatened rain was approaching, so many left the course before the start of race 2. Boy, did it rain!! The wind died and shifted everywhere. Chris P won the race from the few finishers to give him 3 bullets for the Pennant series.

Saturday 17 September - Mengeham Rythe Open
Congratulations to Nick Rawlings who won the open in very windy conditions.

Weekend 10/11 September
With forecast of cast off US hurricanes about, nobody new what to expect. However for those that turned up the challenge was the tide not the wind or rain. After a dash with the tide from the start to Sandy, the task was to find the best route down the harbour to John Davis. Tim lead at the mark followed by Chris P and then Nick. The rest of the race gave little chance for place changing and there weren’t any.
Nick R wants to know where we all were on Sunday! Only 4 solos made it out. Chris, Greg and Robin joined him. Everyone else missed a good one, we had 20 to 25 knots, loads of sunshine, 18 degrees air temperature, no rain, big waves, good course with reaches, runs and beats and no big wind shifts to mess it all up. Top day.

Weekend 3/4 September
19 Solos set off from the start near Pivot to beat against a strong flood to Sandy. The way to go was through the trots to the Mengeham shore. Nick was leading the fleet towards Sandy, when a spectacular parting of his toe straps deposited him in the water. This left Tim in the lead, and David S in second slot after the reaches to East Head. The next four all arrived at the leeward mark together, but so did many from other fleets coming down the run. The short beat to the gate was chaos. The two leaders maintained their positions after some altercations and Chris P emerged third. There were no more changes on the final run back to the shortened finish. However there was more interactions to come with Ted ending with a large hole in his boat.

On Sunday, a screaming reach down to the start at Thorney, gave promise of things to come. Unfortunately the first mark, Dunes, could be laid on a tight fetch from the line. Nick made it first , closely followed by Greg. The only beat was from Freddie Brooks to Sandy, on this leg George excelled coming through to second. However, on the reaches David S was quickly past him. The first three now held their positions to the finish, although the pack never left George in peace.

Weekend 27/28 August
After the rigors of Federation Week and a bit of a rest, we return to ‘normal’ events. Well we thought so on Saturday as we launched in around 15 knots for a run to the start at East Head. On the way down the black cloud caught up with us and gust of 25 knots were the norm, With the tide rushing out, it became difficult to remain behind the line for the start. We eventually got away and the first round included two glorious reaches to Channel and back. It took over an hour to complete two laps and some began to have had enough, leaving just 3 boats going. After 3 laps another dropped out, with just Nick and Greg keeping going for the final loop. After over two hours they both finished and staggered ashore.
Sunday started with better looking conditions and the course was a 3 mark inflatable one off the Thorney shore. It was a tricky sail with major wind shifts stirring up the race order. Dave Moody lead for the first lap, but took a swim on the next beat when forced to tack on a big shift. Nick came through to take and hold the lead from Robert H and George G. But where did all the rain come from! Race Officer David Moseley, sends us this picture taken 5 seconds after the start.
                                         Bigger Picture

Weekend 5/6 August
Saturday produced a 10 to 12 knot breeze, which shifted significantly giving problems for the Race Officer and challenges for the 18 Solos that made the starting line. Dave M. lead after a long port tack tod Dunes for the first time ahead of Tim R. By the time the fleet was coming back down to Thorney, Tim had a clear lead over Nick R but Tim’s navigation skills failed him as he could not spot Thorney letting Nick into the lead. As the tired fleet reached Freddie Brooks, expecting another trip to Thorney and beat back against a strong flood tide, they were relieved to find a Rib, while busy rescuing a stricken Int 14, that had time to shorten the course. Nick had held his lead over Tim, Greg S finished third and Peter H fourth.
On Sunday this wind was blowing 20 to 25 knots and only 5 sturdy souls made it to the start near Thorney. After beating up to Dunes and then on to near the club flag pole, there was reaching to Channel and back. At Thorney, Nick R was a bit ahead of Chris P and Greg S, who were having a close tussle. Back at Dunes, Nick R bore off back to Thorney where he duly arrived on his own, while Chris and Greg battled in out on the correct course to the finish at the club. David Moseley finished third and Dave Moody fifth.

Weekend 30/31 July
With zero wind at 1100 on Saturday, things did not look promising, but 9 solos hung around and a light SW breeze eventually sprang up. Dave S  and Nick R rounded the windward mark together. Dave then had navigational problems allowing Nick to get ahead on the long run to the gybe mark. Ted Gadd, despite bucking the worst of the tide, cleared the pack to get to third. These three held there places to the end although the fleet remained quite close together.
On Sunday there was a record 23 boat turnout, the sun was shining and the wind 10 knots from the SE. The first beat was against a strong flood to Freddie Brooks from a difficult start line. Nick R, Tim R and Chris P just cleared the pin and took the best track up the beat. Overstanding paid off. The next downwind legs down the harbour to Thorney and back to Mill Rythe were difficult sailing in confused water, strong tide and patchy wind. Nick held the lead from Chris, while Sarah M caught Tim, but could not get passed. The leaders did not change over the next beat and run and short beat to the line. Jerry H worked his way up to 5th getting past Tony C who finished 6th.

Weekend 23/24 July
15 boats took part on Saturday in an uncertain north westerly breeze. Starting near Dunes, the first beat went first to SW Pilsey then on to N Pilsey. Nick R lead from the pin and covered Tim R up the beat. Meanwhile Barry B sailed low over the Winner bank and out into the Emsworth channel to split the pair by the end of the beat. Tim took the lead on the downwind legs and Andrew V pushed through to leeward on the fetch back to SW Pilsey to get up to fourth. However, on the final leg back from John Davis to the finish at SW Pilsey, large holes in the wind developed. Tim was becalmed while his large lead evaporated. Nick found a way round him while Barry B sailed a great circle route to come second ahead of Peter H.
Conditions were very similar on Sunday, except the wind was stronger and a bit more to the west. The same course was sailed with the leg to SW Pilsey being a better beat. After another confusing start, Chris P was first at the mark followed by Barry B and Dave Moody. 3 laps of close racing followed with Tim moving up to challenge Chris but not getting past him. Greg S nipped through Nick R and Barry to take third on the line.

Pennant Series 4 and Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Trophy  Weekend 9/10 July
The wind was still blowing on Saturday, over 20 knots for the 3 hours we were out on the water. A beat to Dunes from a start at Thorney sent the fleet scurrying under East Head to avoid the flood. Nick R lead at the mark followed by Chris P. These two pulled away on the next beat to Sandy and shot off on a series of off wind legs back to Astra. Barry B was third at Sandy, but George G passed him downwind. Race 2 was similar, but the flood against us was stronger. This time George was second to Nick with Barry third, just. After day 1, Nick and David Moody are equal leaders when the personal handicaps were applied.
On Sunday the better weather saw a larger turnout of 24 boats, with the wind was switching between W to SW.  Steve and Tim joined the fray for the day which turned out to be a battle between these two for the day’s honours.  In the first race Steve got away at the start with the rest of the fleet fighting it out up the first beat to Dunes.  At the first mark Nick had made it through to second and Tim to third thanks to a couple of late wind shifts.  Nick closed in on Steve on the next off-wind and windward legs and the Tim managed to squeeze in between Steve and Nick at Astra for the final beat to the line.  Steve and Tim got involved a tacking dual amongst the rest of the fleet approaching Astra down the run and Nick took full advantage to pass them both.  Steve was second with Tim third.  Chris had been waiting in fourth for any opportunities to move up but took fourth with Andrew and Peter taking the next places. Nick’s first place secured the overall win for the Pennant Regatta.
The second race of the day saw another pin-end start; Tim got pole position and headed in shore to Easthead point, but Steve and David M tacked away for the tidal relief of the Stocker Bank.  The Easthead shore was lined with fishermen and several boats became entangled in the lines notably Andrew V and George G whose sail was ripped by a flailing line.  The Stocker Bank side paid as the wind did a shift to the west although by the windward mark at Dunes Tim had got between Steve and David M.  After two off-wind legs and a short beat, Steve led from Tim and David.  On the long run to Easthead Tim took the leeward route and slipped past Steve who then took the rest of the fleet to windward of the Stocker bank looking to take advantage of the stronger flood up the main channel.  However there was no gain to be had and Tim lead the fleet home followed by Steve and David M with Nick having recovered to take forth.  Mr. Consistency Greg S followed for his third 5th position of the weekend and George nursing his torn sail came home in seventh place.
The weekend was also for the QEII handicap trophy which was won in style by Dave Moody having two firsts.  Nick took second followed by Peter Best.

Dell Quay Dash 5 July
11 Solos dashed away from the HISC in 3 starts at 1 minute intervals. The fleet closed up a bit on the easy reach to Thorney, but the short beat back against the tide to East head stirred things up. Roy O’D took some offence to Thorney and was left behind oscillating around it. Chris A chose the perfect course inshore and a well judged tack to round East Head well in the lead; but he rounded the wrong way. This left Keith G in the lead in David M’s borrowed boat. Keith then sailed off serenely all the way to Dell Quay calmly looking back at Tim’s unsuccessful attempts to catch him. Robert H finished third, just ahead of Ted G. Congratulations to Keith..

Weekend 2/3 July
On both days the sun was shining and a gentle breeze blowing, so 18 Solos were out on the water each day. On Saturday, Nick R rounded Dunes first followed by David M and Peter H. Nick pulled away on the downhill legs to Astra. The leg back to the gate could be fetched in one, but there were some tricky patches that caused some place changes. Nick was still clear at Dunes, while David had dropped back and Peter was a clear second. Peter closed on Nick on the downwind legs, but did not catch him before the final fetch to the finish. Rob H came third. Ken Tomlins and Robert Smith finished their first race of the year.
The conditions on Sunday were similar and the same course was set; however, this time the tide was a strong flood. The beat to Dunes gave plenty of options with Anthony P choosing to go to the East Head moorings to round just ahead of Sarah M who had chosen to sail up the Stocker bank before crossing the channel. The pack struggled against the strong tide at Dunes to make the starboard hand rounding. After the downwind legs to Astra, Sarah had past Anthony. By the time the leaders had beat back through the gate Nick R was challenging Sarah, causing her to tack early while he and Tim, chose to try to lift up through the strongest tide. Anthony P had also tacked early. Meanwhile, Barry B and David M chose to easy off up the Stocker Bank, before tackling the tide. Sarah arrived first at Dunes, but got in a pickle and capsised on rounding. She just had time to get up and going before Barry and David arrived, having chosen the best route. On the down wind legs, Sarah sailed away, while David just caught Barry at Astra. While the pair made circles around Astra, Anthony caught them up. Sarah held her lead back the the gate while Barry got clear of Anthony and David. However the finish we expected was not to be and Sarah had to sail home to look after her kids. While some of the fleet sailed on, others either thought they had finished or chose lunch. In fact the race was shortened after rounding Dunes. At the final count, Barry was first, Nick second and Anthony third. It was good to see Bill Ingram out again after his long recovery from injury.

Weekend 25/26 June
The strong winds continued on Saturday and a limited number launched for the start at East Head. Chris P lead Barry B at the first mark by Dunes and was well clear as the fleet rounded Sandy for a reach to Channel. David M went through to second on the reaches and Peter H closed up. After a run to John Davis there was a beat back to Sandy where Barry got back past David. Chris was well clear and had time to wear round at SW Pilsey, before a final reach back to the finish.
On Sunday, a modest breeze and sunshine were forecast, but at 1000 fog shrouded the harbour. As 17 solos ran down to the start near Mill Rythe, the fog was still rolling in over the mud flats. Indeed the fog never cleared enough in the bay for the RS open meetings to hold any races. Tim R lead at the first mark and reached away to John Davis followed by Bill S. David M let go his sheet and slowly capsized in front of the pack. The wind died and headed at the end of the reach, catching out those on that had kept to leeward. On the return reach to SW Pilsey, the wind recovered and Chris P was catching the leading pair. After a run, beat and run, Tim comfortable held his lead, but Chris was up to second, Jerry H to third and Bill fourth.

Tyler Trophy Weekend 18/19 June
Saturday started with the wind howling across the dinghy park and the promise of more to come. A course was laid in the harbour and 16 boats, including two with B rigs, launched to run to the start. At the windward mark David Macgregor was closely followed by Jim Hunt. These two diced down the reach to an incident packed gybe mark. McGregor recovered first but Matt Howard had caught them and the three fought it out to the lee mark. At the end of the second beat, Howard sailed over Hunt as they both over stood the mark. McGregor bore off in a lull, then a ferocious 35 knot gust laid him over. The leading pair fought it out to the finish at the end of the next beat with Hunt just ahead of Howard. Tim Polglase had sailed a steady race to take third from McGregor and Andrew Bonsey.

On Sunday, the wind was around 20 knots for the start of Race 2 which was held in Hayling Bay with 23 starters. Jim Hunt chose to go left out to sea and rounded the windward mark in the lead. Charlie Cumbley, who had had gear problems yesterday, was next just ahead of Howard. With decent waves rolling across the bay, the down wind legs enabled the experts to demonstrate their skills. The leaders maintained their order to the finish and pulled away from the fleet. The wind shifted, delaying the start to the next race and increased to 25 knots. The same trio took the leading slots without changing as they rounded the course, although this time the order was Howard, Cumbley and then Hunt. McGregor improved to fourth. With the third race of the day cancelled, this left Hunt winning the Tyler Trophy with Howard second and McGregor third.

Full results  http://www.hisc.co.uk/openresults11/solo_om.htm

Weekend 11/12 June Pennant 3
Once again the forecast threatened an unsavory weekend. Saturday morning started with an uncertain outlook with around 4 knots at 1100. At 1300 16 Solos were signing on to race and the wind had just jumped from 8 to 12 knots. The increases continued and the two races were held in an unexpected 15 to 20 knots. The first race started with a tricky beat to Sandy in the club wind shadow followed by a great reach to Channel. Greg Swift was well clear at this point, but his tiller fell off after the gybe!. This left George G leading the fleet back to Freddie Brooks and down past the CB to Gardner. Andrew Voysey was on board with his video phone and took the fine footage shown here. As you can see Nick R was chasing after George followed by Barry B and James G. On the next lap Nick and Barry overtook George. A rather depleted fleet lined up for the second race, Nick rounded Sandy first followed by George and Greg and they held this order to the finish with Barry and Peter B also finishing.
The forecast for Sunday was clear and horrible. The wind would rise to 30 knots or more and it would pour with rain. Spot on. The only questions were when would the wind pick up to full strength and how bad would the wind against tide waves be? 5 boats turned up to the start near North Pilsey with Barry B opting to try a cut down sail. David McG lead Nick R off the line on the beat to Sandy. The standing waves were quite something and it was a challenge to keep the boats going and dry. David and Nick were around Sandy and away on the broad reach to Gardener, while Robin G, Greg S and Barry arrived together. Each chose a different strategy on the gybe at Gardner while Barry paid the price of a careless gybe with reduced sail. He found that his borrowed life jacket made getting back into the boat extremely difficult and thought maybe the hovering rescue boat might lend a hand. This idea was short lived as the rescue boat crew fell out of the RIB to join him. Meanwhile David and Nick had run back up the harbour to start the second round. Greg and Robin were having their own traumas and pulled out. David held his lead over Nick to the end.
Nick won the Pennant overall with George second and Barry third.

Weekend 4/5 June
Another weekend of unseasonable weather. On Saturday, the wind gusted from the north east, constantly shifting and changing in speed. At HISC only 7 Solos went out with another win for Nick R. Meanwhile David S was the only one of those planning to sail who made it up harbour to Dell Quay. He came third in the 32 boats that raced there. All were exhausted after the violently changing conditions during the three races. On Sunday, the wind started off a reasonable north easterly, but died away to nothing during the day. In the morning at HISC, 9 Solos were out with Chris P taking the honours from David McG. Up at Chichester 5 HISC boats were ready to try there luck in the 36 strong fleet. By the time they started after lunch, the wind was already dying and by the last race there was none left with which to beat against the tide. Ian Barnett demonstrated his local knowledge and boat speed to win the event.

Weekend 28/29 May
It blew hard all weekend and only the most valiant went afloat. On Saturday, Nick R and Ian B gave the balcony watchers a demonstration of heavy weather harbour sailing. On Sunday, 6 set out on a long harbour course. Two found the temptation to stop at Sandy too much, while the others pressed on. After 45 minutes, Nick R had completed but one lap but did not begrudge the shortened course. Chris P, Mark A and Robin G all made it to the finish.

Weymouth Pre National Sea Event 21/22 May
Tim Polglase was the only member of our fleet to venture away for the weekend event. He finished a very creditable 10th and finished all the races on Sunday in the 28 to 32 knots blow. As Wil Loy reports “ 26 hardy sailors made it to the line for race 4, waved off from the slipway by wives in scarfs holding St Christophers and small groups of muttering sailors who hid in the shadows and hoped that the hand of God was about to strike, so justifying their reason not to launch (me included).”

Sunday Spring Series 22 May
With the wind gusting over 30 knots there wee not many takers for club race. However a lone Solo in the shape of Robin Gadd set forth. His many antics, including cutting a grove through the Stocker sands were anxiously watch by the rest of the fleet from the safety of the balcony. Robin finally made it to the finish of the shortened course. Well done Robin.

Glyn Charles Memorial Pursuit Race 21 May
14 Solos took part in this event with a total of 160 boats. It was not a day for the slow boats as there was much beating against the tide. However all 14 boats sailed for the 2 hours to complete the race and had some splendid sailing. After the first beat to a windward mark on the Winner bank, Tim R was first Solo followed by Peter H and Nick R. Next there was a broad reach to Park. On the beat back to Ellanore Tim and co were short tacking inside the fleet of X boats. There then followed a long close reach to a buoy near Channel. It was very difficult to judge the course angle; Tim complained afterwards “why was there not a lead boat?” There had been, but still a long way ahead in front of the Teras. A National 12 zoomed past on this leg, a sign of things to come with 50 minutes still to go. Next there was a beat back to Sandy followed by a reach down to John Davis. On this leg, the rot really set in with boat after boat reaching past the Solos with spinnakers at full throttle. Then it was a close reach again towards Channel before a final beat to the approaching finishing boats. Tim had remained leading Solo throughout with Nick finally passing Peter on the last leg.

Sunday Spring Series 15 May
14 Solos started although it felt like more as the fleet stayed bunched all the way around the course. According to the Cambernet archive the find at the start was 15 knots but during the race it varied between 8 and 22 knots. The start was near Freddie Brooks and very close to the main channel so the start area was quite crowded. The beat to Mill Rythe meant that the fleet wanted to head right from the pin end to stay out of the building ebb tide. With 45 seconds to the start there was a large bunch drifting towards the line. George was early and got tangled up with another boat trying to re-round the pin.

David, Steve and Ian Barnett all came to the start slightly late and were able to tack off immediately with Tim Polglase slightly to weather. Chris chose to be different and headed off toward Mengeham but bailed out after a few hundred meters and joined the fleet on the long port tack. Although right was the way to go there were 30-40 degree shifts and playing these was as important as staying out of the tide. David got stuck between Steve and Ian and had to tack off. The short hitch on starboard proved to be beneficial as David led around Mill Rythe by 100m.

The broad reach / run to Sandy closed the fleet up as bands of wind came in from the NW. There was a short hitch to N Winner and then a bear away to an inflatable near Dunes. For the first lap we could sail straight over the Winner but we were not so lucky in subsequent laps!

The beat back from the inflatable to Mill Rythe included going through the gate which was positioned well to port of the rhumb line. David lead through the gate tacked on to port to follow the same plan as the first beat and promptly fell asleep. Tim, Steve and Ian followed through the gate and benefited from one of the 40 degree lifts. When David eventually woke up he tacked and crossed behind them but with the wind swinging wildly as we approached Mill Rythe there were lots of gains to be made. At Mill Rythe Tim led followed by Steve, David and Ian in very close order. David gybed immediately to get the inside line for the run back to the inflatable/Dunes while Ian gambled on his light weight flyer speed and headed off on starboard. As the four boats jockeyed for position Mark was charging up behind sailing his own course.

David lead around the inflatable closely followed by Ian, Steve, Tim and Mark. With the tide now falling considerably we had to take a detour around the Winner to get back to the Gate. Ian took this to extremes and missed the gate (or he over stood it by a long way) having to return and round the Committee Boat. The last beat coincided with the second race start of the medium handicap fleet so the final lap was crowded with the larger, faster boats coming through our fleet leading to lots of excitement at Mill Rythe. David learned from the previous beat, covered the chasing fleet and led around the final windward mark riding on the stern wave of the leading Flying Fifteens.

The reaches to Sandy and N Winner were uneventful but the short legs from N Winner to the inflatable and back to the finish made up for it. By this time the Winner was virtually exposed and we had to sail around/over the eastern side of it. David followed the Flying Fifteens all the time wishing he hadn’t chosen to sail with a fixed rudder. One of the Fifteens obligingly acted as a beacon lying on her side but Anthony thought he knew better and tried to walk across the highest point of the bank.

The wind started to die on the short beat to the finish. David won with Mark completing his charge through the fleet to grab 2nd from Steve and Tim. Ian remembering the course to finish 5th.

Saturday Spring Series 14 May
A shifty NW breeze that varied between 10 and 20 knots gave the fleet much to think about on the 3 lap course. Andrew V was fourth at the first mark, then planed through into the lead on the next three reaches, passing Greg S who lead at mark 1 and pulled clear of the rest. George G did the same thing on the next lap and looked clear in second, until the next beat when he was pulled back into the pack. With Andrew gone, the next four planned into the last mark in a pack and managed to round it without any bumping. Nick R made the best of it to finish second with George third.

Gerald Bell Memorial Trophy
Pennant Series 2 May 7/8
The two races on Saturday were sailed on the Pilsey sands in a 10-15 knots SE breeze. Tim R dominated the day leading at all the marks in both races except for the first two in race 2 when Barry B was in front. Chris P was second throughout Race 1 but was among the pack of boats following behind Greg S who had the second slot in Race 2.  Indeed, the chase for the third slot in this race was intense with 4 boats rounding the leeward mark before the  finish in line abreast . David M gained the third place, then his halliard promptly broke after crossing the line. Nick W managed a capsize in Race 1 but stayed on to complete Race 2.

Tim R kept up his winning ways on Sunday with two more wins despite a poor start in the last race. The rest of the fleet battled in out continuously round the two excellent courses, although the short tacking up to Calvert was rather tough on some centreboards. The place changing was so frequent that observers on a rib and ashore complained afterwards that they could not keep track of who was where. The tempo remained to the end of Race 2 with 2nd to 7th crossing the line within 30 seconds. When the points were totted up George G had scored a 2nd and 3rd on the day to give he a well deserved second overall with Chris P one point behind for third.

Sunday Spring Series Sunday 1 May
The wind today was solid from the East and the harbour was full of water. The course used East Head, Pivot and Freddie Brooks. The first beat was hard work as the Itchenor boats beating on Starboard, cut the Solos off on the crossing port tacks to get to East Head. At the mark, David McG was well clear of Nick R. On the reach to Pivot George G and David S past Nick, but he was back through them on the second beat. The pattern for the next two rounds was now set, while those behind battled with tiredness and a few capsises.

Saturday Spring Series 30 April
Today was a battle of the winds. A strong NE was the gradient wind but during the day a southerly element built up. Instead of the death of the former and switch to the latter we had sudden and repeated changes during the race. The beat to Peacock was generally light and shifty but with some strong gusts as we tangled with the Itchenor keel boats off the Thorney Entrance. Chris Powles rounded first followed by Andrew V and Barry B. Nick R was some 5 minutes behind. By the time SW Winner was reached Chris had a good lead but no wind, while Nick continued to close in with spray flying from the bow. Andrew chose the Hayling shore while the others , now joined by Nick, tried to find some breeze on the Thorney side. As the boats drifted towards Mill Rythe, the shortened course flag could be seen flapping vigourously from the CB. In the last minute, the wind hit again and the boats planed for the finish all crossing the line overlapped. Andrew had made it from 4th to first in the last 10 seconds, while Chris and Barry tied for second.

Pennant Series 1 April 23/24
Saturday’s two races were held on the Stocker Bank in a light and fickle southerly breeze. Chris P (yellow one) set the pace in the first race after some odd timing at the start, leading at mark 1  followed by Rob H. These two held their positions throughout while Trevor C gained third slot from Barry B.
In Race 2, Roy O’D led on the early legs followed by Trevor C and  Nick R. The tricky beats stirred things up allowing Nick to get into the lead and Tim R to find a route through to second. Trevor finished third again and his consistence left him the overnight leader.

On Sunday, we raced in the harbour entrance a bit NW of the wrecks. The wind started and just held in the North throughout, although it could have done anything. In race 3 Robert H took an early lead and was never challenged, while Chris P (the white one) followed round in second. Tim R took third from Nick R
This left Robert the overall leader on three points with Nick and Tim equal on 5. The scene was set for an interesting final race. All round the first triangle Tim and George G fought for the lead while Nick R was working his way up after a modest start. Robert’s chances looked minimal as he was last at mark 1. At the second rounding of the windward mark, George and Tim took each other the wrong side of the mark and then fought each other to get back round it. Thank you very much, said Nick (who needed to beat Tim for the weekend result) sailing into the lead, not to be caught. Barry B finished behind Tim in third.
So Nick won the Pennant, with Tim second and Robert third. 20 boats took part.

Good Friday Handicap 22 April
With little wind at the start, the RO made a late change and sent the combined fleet off down wind with the tide to SW Pilsey. Various degrees of chaos occurred including an RS700 mounting Fishery. On the way to East Head the wind died then filled in in patches. Nick R got clear away of the Solos followed by Sarah M. As the hours ticked by and we were returning to SW Pilsey for a final leg to Channel and back, the wind began to build giving a good breeze back to the finish after the faster boats had finished. When the sums were done, all five Solos were in the top 8. Nick won the event and Sarah was third.

Sunday Spring Series 17 April
With wind close to zero, club racing was postponed for 1 hour. At 12:00 wind was force 1-2 flicking SE to S at start of sequence. Solo course was set as East line going north to Channel and 16 Solos started about 30 mins after High Water with a building ebb current. Robin Gadd, Cliff Wiles and Ted Gadd elected to start at the club end with the rest of the fleet at the pin end. Robin led Cliff and Ted on the seemingly interminable run down the trots, making good progress compared to the boats on the other side of the channel. Robin and Cliff started heading up towards Channel somewhat earlier than Ted, braving the centre channel tide. In the end their courage was rewarded and Ted lost out by following a more discretionary path, hugging the west mud for too long, the tide at Channel proving to be virtually zero at this time. This gave Robin an apparently unassailable lead with Cliff second and Ted having to round in the midst of boats which had hugged the East side of the channel. The beat back to Sandy with the tide in light winds gave little opportunity for dramatic place changing, apart from Ted and Trevor Cartwright swapping places a couple of times. The race officer shortened course at Sandy, which proved disastrous for Robin as he missed seeing the shorten course flag and was unaware of the requirement to cross the East line to finish!This gave first place to Cliff Wiles with Nick Rawlings second and Rob Hack third. Ted Gadd finished back in 11th place, just managing to hold off Trevor on the last tack.

Saturday Spring Series 16 April
With very little wind and a strong ebb tide it looked unlikely there would be a race. However, we decided to start by running to North Pilsey. A number of different routes were chosen, but Nick R got there first followed by David M. These two then lead the fleet of sheep to SW Pilsey instead of Freddie Brooks. Ted G was the only sailor to go direct to the mark but then he decided the current was flowing in the opposite direction to that which it actually was, so lost out again. Barry B, followed by Sarah M chose to keep well out of the current on the way to East Head Spit and slipped past all but Nick. On the way back Sarah past her old man and just couldn’t get round Nick at the finish. 

Sunday Spring Series 10 April
A large fleet of Solos prepared to make the most of the glorious conditions, but the wind dropped to nothing at launch time. A light sea breeze eventually filled in and a reduced fleet set off on the windward leeward course from Lowles to Dunes. The fleet split on the first beat, but Sarah M, from the East Head side and Anthony P from the Stocker side arrived at the first mark together. Sarah  sailed away on the run back to Lowles leaving Anthony to fight for second with Chris P. These two came together at the second rounding of Dunes allowing Barry B to catch up while Sarah disappeared further into the lead. Barry caught Chris at the last mark to finish third.

We have now had 7 different winners in the 8 races so far. The fleet was never more competitive.

Saturday Spring Series 9 April
A fresh 15+ knots challenged the fleet, depleted by those away at the Spring Championships. A good beat to East Head resulted in Tim R rounding just ahead of Barry B then off they went  onto some exhilarating reaches. Back at the gate Barry forgot the extra rake he was using and jammed himself under the boom on the tack. Chris P challenged Tim on the next beat to East Head, finding the best route on the final tacks to pass him. David S closed up on the downwind legs and took second place near the finish.

Sunday Spring Series 3 April
A traditional triangle sausage triangle sausage from the solo race team of Tim R and Trevor C with a lucky shift of wind back to the mean at three minutes to go. 5-9kts around the course with many shifts and an interesting start with a fifteen deciding to ram the fleet at the committee boat end with five seconds to go, no manners at all and no apologies to Steve Chiverton who was rudely bumped. Mark A was first out of the stops followed by Nick R, Steve C and Greg S, Mark A held on for the first round but was overtaken by Nick on the second beat. With fifteen starters not much between the four boats on the next legs but Steve C pulled up to second and this state of play remained up to the finish with Greg S piping Mark A at the finish .

Saturday Spring Series 2 April
With two of the fleet in the committee boat and grey skies, we were down to 12 Solos at the start. The course was set in the main channel by East Head and the spring tide was rushing out. Steve C and Barry B lead the fleet round  the first mark and crossed over to East Head for the first reach. In practice there were no reaches at all and both legs required veering around the harbour to get out of the tide. Nick R followed by Gerald N went the right way. These two and the rest of the pack were well ahead of the early leaders by the leeward mark. Steve and Barry learnt from their early mistake and over the next two rounds navigated well out of the current and were back to second and third at the finish.

Sunday Spring Series March 27
Another day of light fickle wind, this time from the north-east. 15 Solos started on the beat from Dunes to Lowles with much placing changing until Barry B pulled clear as he approached the mark. Geogre G chased after him on the next two reaches and the slow run back to Dunes. The pair arrived at the mark together along with a number of fiftenns. They swopped the lead a number of times on the next beat until Barry again pulled clear with Robert H also passing George. Andrew V and Jerry H had also closed up and these three chose the East Head shore for the run back to Dunes while the leaders kept to the North. The East Head route paid off for the trio with George finally in the lead at the finish.

Saturday Spring Series March 26
A fickle wind that flicked between south and east gave the 16 strong fleet much to think about. Tim R should have rounded the first mark in the lead but he misjudged the tide and let Robert H catch him at the mark. These two swopped places a couple of time on the run to Mill Rythe, followed by Chris P and Barry B. On the beat back to Sandy two wind streams prevailed enabling some of those further back to lift up into the tide and tramp up to to the mark while the leaders were beating up inside the trots. On the next lap Nick R steadily gained places all the way to second, while Robert maintained his lead to the finish.

Sunday Spring Series 20 March
Lots of sunshine and a 8 - 10 knots breeze tempted 14 solos out today. We had a classic triangle sausage course with frequent tangles with the other classes. Mark A lead at the first mark closely followed by Nick R. These two played cat and mouse around the 4 laps with never much of a gap between them. Tim R puled up to third and challenged Nick, but could never get an overlap by the leeward mark; the 3 leaders remained the same to the finish.

Saturday Spring Series 19 March
Double figures already, with 11 Solos out today. A very strong ebb and lots of weed brought many challenges. Nick R and Tony C lead at the first mark, with David M shortly coming through to take second. With much manoeuvring round the Winner Bank, the pack behind fought it out. However, half way round the two leaders rounded SW Pilsey to Port! This left Stephen C as race winner followed by Greg S.

Opening Handicap 13 March
8 Solos were on the water for the opening race of the season, the largest class in the fleet of 29 boats. After finding a way to avoid the other classes Nick R rounded the first mark as first Solo followed by Barry B. The wind was patchy and variable throughout, dying away completely at the finish. This left the Solos no where on handicap and 4 of our boats being towed in. Nevertheless it was an interesting race with Robert H, Trevor C and Brian Campbell-Bottoms all having a period in second. At the finish Nick was first with Barry back to second. A bit of an arms race with the two new Boons taking top spots.