Saturday May 31st was a nice sunny day with a gentle breeze from the South which enticed 21 Solos to the start line. The first mark was a black inflatable out by Treloar which, unfortunately, by the second time around had sunk to just 6” above the water! Nick was well away from the start  with Tim  unable to catch him. Jerry Hack did very well and came 3rd with Tony working his way up through the fleet to end 4th
Overall Results for the Saturday Spring Series are Nick, Barry, Trevor and Ted
Sunday and the programmed Mini Olympics had to be cancelled for lack of wind and the ebbing tide. This was very disappointing for Roy and Mutoli and his race team but it is hoped to stage this event again later on. Eventually, a race was started from the box, on a run against the ebb to SW Pilsey. There was a lot of bumping and bunching by the 11 starters, but Ted, who ploughed his way up the middle against the tide, arrived at the first mark 1st. Tony finished the race in the lead, but having failed, with others, to round Sandy correctly,  had to return, finishing 2nd to Chris Powles with Nick 3rd and Keith 4th
Overall Results for the Sunday Spring Series are Chris Powles, Nick, Tony and Barry.

Saturday May 24th was cancelled - too much wind again
Sunday and the forecast gales did not materialise so there was a reasonably gentle, but rather shifty,  wind from the S for the 15 starters. It was a rather complicated race and Chris Powles was away first and into the lead but soon to be overtaken by Tim. On the next beat to Treloar, David McGregor went up the opposing side and overtook Tim but but couldn’t him hold off so Tim  finished in first place.
Monday was  very blowy again and only a few of the most venturesome boats entered the Pursuit Race

Weekend  May 17 -18th Pennant Series 2 and Gerald Bell Trophy
Saturday. The racing was out in the Bay and with the wind in the NE it was a bit cold! David McGregor lead from start to finish but was challenged by George who finished 2nd with David Sayce in 3rd position. Chris Powles worked his way up the fleet to finish 4th.
Sunday and Tim, as RO, ran the racing inside. The wind was stronger and very variable. In the first race Nathan started at the pin and crossed the fleet on port. He arrived at the first mark 1st just in front of Barry and shot off down the reaches to lead all the way home. Barry was overtaken on the reaches but with lots of place changing all through the race eventually ended up 3rd to George with David Sayce in 4th position. In the last race Barry was 1st at the first mark but again there was lots of place changing and the series was still all open up to the last run, where due to the hairy conditions, both George and David Moseley managed spectacular capsizes! David Sayce just crossed the line 1st in front of Nathan with Barry 3rd again.
Overall  Nathan won the 2nd Pennant Series and also the Gerald Bell Trophy. ( He does much better in the Solo than the 700!) followed by David Sayce, George, Barry and Chris Powles.
Nice to have some variation up at the front!
Garden Party well attended. Food very good as usual and the flowers much admired, though only for a short period as it was a bit cold.

Saturday, May 10th did not happen. Jane and Barry sat on Missy on the end of the pontoon for a couple of hours - scorching - but at 3.00 pm gave up all hope of wind and cancelled the racing. Sunday, however was lovely; hot with a nice breeze from the East which, unfortunately,  as soon as a line was laid near Dunes, went SE. This necessitated a removal of Missy to near Fishery and a resetting of the course, although with an excellent team aboard there was only a delay of 15 minutes. During the race, the wind veered further to the S which necessitated shifting of pins and marks for the 2nd races of the other fleets. The eighteen Solos had 2 OCS s - Sarah came back but unhappily Keith did not realise. The veering sea breeze was very shifty and fluky around the Ellanore area but better nearer the harbour entrance. The final beat was against the tide and the fleet split. Tim had his work cut out on the Thorney shore covering two boats but was unable to do anything about Tony, who beat up the Mengham side overtaking 3 boats to come home first. Tim held off Jerry Hack and David Sayce was 4th.

Saturday, May 3rd. Hot sun and up to 20 knots from the SE. Club Line start going East on a fast ebb and the first mark was Copyhold. Getting around here posed a few problems with the tide and a fleet of keel boats a bit too close. Nick got away and maintained his lead for the rest of the race. Tony unshipped his rudder on the second passing of the Stocker sands leaving Trevor to finish second.
Sunday. A rather colder start to the day and about 15 knots of wind which gradually, after a few planing puffs, deteriorated to boredom status. 18 boats signed out but it was not all plain sailing. Roy set out on starboard along the Club Line, tacked onto port to return, whereupon his port shroud fell into the boat; Jane managed to throw her tiller extension overboard halfway up the first beat to East Head;  a puff at the turning mark of Astra flattened Mike Brown, already on the run, and Peter Best as he gybed. Mike’s mast dug in the mud, and to add further misery the rather enthusiastic rescue rib managed to put a hole in his tank! David Biddle got lost after Dunes and capsized traversing the Winner Bank. And then did it again. Meanwhile, Chris Powles, Barry and Tony were having a good battle and swopping places depending on who had more wind in less tide. Chris managed the final pass to come home first.
We were all glad to welcome the return of our chief Trolley Dolly and to rejoice in the news that Peter Best will soon be joining the ranks of the OAPs so that Francis may be around more regularly!
Other good news is that Robert Hack is out of hospital - again - although he is still looking and feeling a bit yellow.

Saturday, April 26th - Glyn Charles Pursuit Race A massive fleet of 215 boats, 17 of which were Solos,  started the race down at Channel in a light southerly. Long legs over the Thorney bank paid but it was getting round the first mark near Fishery in the tide that sorted out the positions.  Nick managed to get away early while Tim was fouled by a small cruiser. Sarah and Jane approached, having overstood on port, and rounded next while the remainder had several goes at not laying the mark on starboard. Some took the opportunity of resting on the mark and then doing a 360 afterwards as the best way round! Then it was all the way down to Park with the wind  filling in on the return leg and the faster boats starting to overtake. Sarah managed to fend off the pumping champion, Charle Crumbley up till John’s Folly when he managed to twizzle inside Jane and continued to pump his way to Calvert. Round here the wind died again and progress was a bit dreary, especially for some of the big asymmetrics who were crossing behind straight line running boats with regular monotony. As the fleet was very spread out on the beat back, the finishing line could not be moved up the fleet and, in fact, at one stage the pin end was seen to go backwards which considerably convenienced those finishing at the CB end! So, Nick did very well  and finished 5th overall and won the 1st Solo prize, Tim was 10th overall and Jane won the prize for the 1st single- handed lady .
Sunday was a nightmare for the RO with the wind from the SW going N just before the race, veering S then to SE and finally ending up SW at about 1.00 pm! 12 Solos went out for a twirl in the rain, with David Sayce (winner of the 800 prize the day before) coming 1st to Nicks 2nd. James Gaskell, out for the first time after his knee op., was 3rd

Saturday April 19th   PENNANT SERIES 1 Not a very nice day - wet and windy from the NE and only 6 starters. Nathan did well coming 2nd to Nick and was followed by Tony.
Sunday was much better - warmer and less wind and 15 Solos went out including Steph for the first time today. Tim launched his new blue boat and won the first race. Nick discarded his 2nd and Tony was 3rd again. In the next race, Chris Powles only just lost to Nick when he had to duck him near the end of the last beat and Tim was 3rd. This left Nick as overall winner, Tim 2nd and Chris 3rd

Saturday April 12th and blowing 25 knots from the North again. Only 3 went out and Barry won this race although it won’t do him much good in the rankings as the others retired. Nick submerged stern first on the first run  and eventually retired feeling very cold and not in control and David C ended walking along the Thorney shallows until he had enough space to fetch home.
Sunday was a nice calmish day which invited 17(!) Solos to the start, including a few upgraded boats for the first time. A major  wind shift on the first beat upset a few people and there was a bit of an incident when all of a sudden there were 4 boats rounding the mark instead of 3 and George ended up with an extra boom (Trevor’s) in his boat. Nick was 1st with Anthony Penfold- new Rear Commodore House and forsaking the Elite - 2nd in his new boat and Chris Powles discarding his 3rd position. Chris Powell was 4th.
Overall we have Nick, Chris Powles and Ted.
In the Sat Series, in reverse order, Ted is also 3rd  to Barry and Nick.

Meanwhile up in Oxford, David McGregor came 2nd in the Spring Championships. He has sent a mini report but there is more on the Solo Assoc Site.

It's not often that you win a race after capsizing down the last run! I was leading the first race when I caught the tiller extension under the thwart in a tack (memo to self - must try to get out sailing more and practice). I got back to second but capsized to windward (!!! need more practice) on the last beat and dropped to 8th. I was leading the last race as well but missed one shift and then took the safe option (chicken tack rather than gybe) on the last run. It was a great day but could have been better.

Charlie Cumbley is very good (ex Finn Junior World Champion, once ranked 12th in the World and a professional sailor for North Sails) and he worked very hard both upwind and down much to the consternation of some of the fleet. If it's windy at the Nationals he will be hard to beat.

SAND We have a mini digger and dumper truck on hire this week shifting sand. Machines are driven by Solo experts and also one - Alan Clarke - who spent a fun day at Digger land and so is well qualified. More Interlocking matting has been laid, widening the main track. More Rod fences are being built to try and keep the exits freer and, hopefully, some different matting will be laid in the East exit

Saturday April 5th. Very cold with 25 -20 knots from the North.  This was somewhat of a novelty race!  There was a CLS and 6 Solos eventually arrived at Marker having dredged the mud on the Thorney Bank. It was then to Dunes via FB and then supposedly Gardener the which boy seemed to be a bit elusive. George, in front didn’t like the first boy that he came to as it had a ‘Y’ in it , so sailed on to Pivot. The next two went around Runway  but Trevor and Ted recognised the correct boy in time. Trevor decided it was not actually much fun so came home which allowed Ted to get to Sandy first.  This didn’t help much as the ebb was too strong along the beach at that stage and the gap too narrow to tack through so all the boats piled up on the beach and sat there for about 30 minutes! David Colebrook  arrived later looking somewhat damp, despite flying his Plan ‘B’. Eventually Nick, Barry and Ted got going and did another trip to Marker, finishing at FB with orders from a rib. George had gone home  bit disgruntled.  One of the rib drivers came and apologised for the chaos and there were murmurings about abandonments etc.
Sunday was rather unusual as well! Three Solos went out after the BLIZZARD (see main site for pics)  which was 50% of the total fleets. Chris Powles came 2nd to Nick and Ted collected another useful 4 points.

Saturday March 29th and the skiff bravely put to sea - all by himself
Sunday was a lovely day and not at all what was forecast! Just a gentle breeze on a neap tide and 6 Solos started down by Dunes. Chris Powles was first by a good way at Sandy followed by Cliff Wiles and Jerry Hack. Barry failed to get past Jerry but Cliff went down two places. Ted and Bill went around side by side but it was Bill who was eventually triumphant.
We were pleased to see Robert Hack up and around and making up for lost ground food wise. Tony is threatening to sail next weekend!

Easter W/E.   Friday  - off. Saturday - off , but Sunday saw some keen types taking their covers off. A sudden chilling blast though, and they were hastily replaced; even Trevor, who was already dressed for the event, opting for a nice warm shower. This left Nick by himself with quite a lot of faster boats to play with, or circumnavigate, but even he stayed in the bar as long as possible and was later observed frantically jumping up and down before launching his boat. We left him to it
Monday and the weather was a little less horrid - but not much. However, lots of boats went out and about £250 was raised for the RNLI. 5 Solos started, David Colebrook thinking better of it and Nick also coming in as he had fashionable, but chilling, rent in the leg of his wet-suit. Barry was first home Solo to struggle with the sand, which has of course all returned on our matting, followed by the battling Ted and Bill. The Moths came 1, 2 and 3 and had a very short race - launching 1 1/2 hours after the slower boats!  One wonders if they should really be counted as displacement dinghies?

Saturday March 15th saw 10 Solos on the line in horrid, cold and wet conditions which put off sailors in most of the other fleets
Sunday was just as wet but much windier which produced a few casualties. Ted wore round Sandy, just before the finish, quite successfully and then got blasted flat. Chris Powell having studied the score before the start, still failed to finish properly as he did  not pass Sandy and then continue to cross the line.
Robert Hack was RO this day and was able to run the racing from  the box on Sunday as the wind was due North. Events kept him busy and his mind off his impending Op on Monday, which we hear from Kate went successfully.
Tony C, meanwhile, is spending time sleeping and recovering from his Op but thinks he will not be in his boat for another month yet.
We do not have any results, as yet, on the main site as Gerald is in the process of moving house and is having problems with his provider and broadband etc etc. He had, however, had time to pop down to Cornwall to pick up another, slightly older Solo - 3553.
Ruth Williams, although she had been getting the hang of her Solo, has had to give it up for this year due to her Husband moving to work in Africa and leaving her in charge of the family.
However, there are still 54 Solos on the books which you will see if you go to Solos at Hisc. There are quite a lot of gaps in the information, about the which we would be delighted to receive emails.

Sunday March 9th - Opening Handicap.
This race was well supported by 5 Solos in a fleet of about 25, and Bill Ingram did very well to come in 3rd behind two Moths! - winning we think a prize of £10. George was 5th, Trevor 6th and Cliff 9th.