National Solo 2006
Solo Fleet Captain - Adrian Griffin
Salcombe Yacht Club has an active local fleet of 18 Solos, which compete regularly throughout the year. There will be two open meetings this year as well as the Regatta in August. Key dates are:
AUGUST 13-18 - Regatta Week & OCTOBER 21-22 - National 12 & Solo open meeting
Racing Rules Test - try this link to test your knowledge of the racing rules. They're almost all there, except some of our own local rules such as "Chubby's Law":
Bristol Corinthians Open 10th December - Well done to Alister Morley who did it again at Bristol Corinthians, taking overall victory with a 2nd and 1st place in the two race event. We don't have any photos from the day, so instead here's one of my Solo which is currently advertised at a knock-down price on the Solo Association website.
Farewell.....or hopefully just 'au revoir' to Justin Harriss who has sold his Solo 3871 and is currently selling his house on the Beadon estate to concentrate on his business interests elsewhere.
Solo Fleet celebrates its biggest annual event!
Yes once again, as the laying up supper and prize giving draws near, its that time of the year when the great unwashed of the Solo fleet celebrate their most important annual event - the annual shower. Pictured here are two of the 'highest' fleet members gleefully taking part in the familiar ritual of the annual wash and shampoo. Local builder and part-time uncontrolled demolition expert Andrew Borne (pictured left) said " I know some people would consider it an extravagant waste of water, bearing in mind that I had one only about a year ago and I also capsized during Regatta Week, but I like to take part more for the camaraderie than anything else"
Also pictured is a chap who brought his wife to eat at the Solo table. Whatever next!
Draycote Water End of Season Championships - 28th October
Alister Morley came within a hair's breadth of taking another title at this meeting, finishing on equal points with eventual winner Ian Clingan (there's a joke in there somewhere) but losing out on number of wins, to take second place. 82 boats took part including two from salcombe, Peter Edwards having made the trip with Alister, finishing a creditable 56th overall. Andrew Liddington again made our visitors welcome to round off the day with a magnificent dinner at his home in Easenhall.
Open Meeting 21st & 22nd October
Alister Morley again demonstrated his mastery of storm force conditions by winning all three races at this meeting - Race report follows, courtesy of Peter Edwards :-
Dark clouds and the Fleet Captain greeted three visitors on arrival at Batson car park on Saturday morning. The 3 boats came from Hooe Point club in Plymouth and were joined the following day by Simon Yates from Starcross and Stephen Thomas and friends who made the trip from Papercourt to swell the entry to 18.
On Saturday afternoon, the ten strong Solo fleet started in the heaviest of conditions and those that did manage to round the first mark were then faced with a hairy run down towards the Bag. Alister Morley mastered the conditions and sailed strongly to finish well ahead of Simon Dobson and Adrian Griffin who had a good battle for second and third. Out of the ten that started only four finished - testimony to the heavy conditions. (& a good result for Peter Edwards who came in fourth - ed.)
Sunday morning saw a slight lull in the weather but it was a 'false dawn' as the sailors were to see! Sixteen Solos set off up the bag and a great battle ensued between Chris Cleaves and Alister Morley. Morley only managed to get past Cleaves when Cleaves had the misfortune to capsize near the finish. Behind this pair Simon Yates & Andrew Borne had a close race for third and fourth. Further back, with the wind gaining in strength there were many casualties and retirements. Within minutes the winds grew to gale force and the back markers had a real fight simply to get back to the finish line or safe haven. Only ten finished this race but worse was yet to come!
Now in gale force winds the third race was signaled with only three starters. Alister Morley beat up towards the first mark at Blackstone rocks in confident style but the other two became victim of the winds and after entertaining the remainder of the fleet who were watching from the shoreline on Smalls Cove, were assisted back to shore by the rescue boats. As Morley charged down past Mill Bay and Smalls Cove it became evident that the race would be shortened as he was the only boat upright and the winds were gaining even more strength - hence Alister was declared the winner as he went over the line.
With three wins in three races Alister was undisputed winner of the meeting. Simon Yates, the only visitor to feature, finished second. Simon Dobson who sailed strongly in the first two races took third place and Adrian Griffin, who had sailed with increasing confidence all weekend, took fourth.
Nikki Buckler wife of one of the three Plymouth brethren who braved the conditions, took a series of photographs (mainly of her husband) but also some interesting ones of the underside of Trevor's boat. To see these Photos, follow the link - Trevor's Bottom
Regatta report from Claire Clark:
The Solo fleet delivered their usual good turnout with 29 entries at the Salcombe YC Regatta during the week of 12th - 18th August and some major players fighting it out at the front. The spring tides made for difficult conditions combined with the usual sea breeze conditions being offset by breezes from either northwest or unusually the southeast, neither of which offer good courses in the harbour.
Sunday's opening race began with a port fetch up the harbour with Godfrey Clark dashing off round Snapes Point only to be passed by Alistair Morley, fresh from his championship successes. Morley pulled away, only to capsize and allow Jon Clarke to catch up and finally seize the lead as they rounded Blackstone buoy. Clarke tacked quickly to defend the lead and win, while Chris Cleaves used the same move to take third from Clark as they beat to the line.
Monday's race forced the fleet to start on the lee shore by the Venus café and then fetch up into the harbour. Morley slipped away along the beach, followed by Phil Milanes, Clarke and Clark who had left the fleet wallowing by the ferry landing stage. The course gave a beat to Gerston followed by a run back to an X-mark in the harbour before beating back up to the Saltstone buoy. Mark Maskell and Jon Clarke became the new leaders but on the final run home there were up to six boats abreast with each taking turns to lead. Finally, it was Godfrey Clark who emerged around Snapes Point to be greeted with the shorten course flag, chased home by Simon Corper, but for others the race fell apart as a new breeze brought the fleet swarming all over them.
Race three brought business as usual, Salcombe-style, with a beat out to the Blackstone mark and the return to Gerston. Godfrey Clark and Mark Maskell had opened up a useful lead at Gerston but on the three mile beat back, it was the power players of Morley, Cleaves and Simon Yates who would dominate while Jon Clarke had a torrid time being partially capsized and damaged by a rental dory and then rammed by a National 12.
Wednesday's race followed the same pattern, this time the fleet turning back at Mill-bay on their first lap and at Crossways for their second sausage up The Bag. This time Maskell held a modest lead as they neared the club line but found himself becalmed as Simon Corper leapfrogged both Maskell and Clarke to snatch the win.
The unusual south-easterly wind persisted on Thursday, giving no beat away from the yacht club line for a repeat of Wednesday's course. The fleet split in two at Mill-bay with some opting for the Portlemouth shore and others braving the town side, despite the fairway remaining out of bounds. Morley picked up some breeze and opened such a lead as to sail up the estuary and return to Saltstone before meeting the fleet coming the other way. Thereafter, there were some desperately close finishes as boats were borne becalmed across the finishing line on the ebb tide.
By the final race on Friday, it remained all to play for as the morning calm gave way to a sea-breeze which continued to build during the afternoon under blue skies. The beat out to Blackstone was anybody's shout and places changed constantly on the upwind leg to Yalton at the division of South Pool creek. Corper had the inside slot, chased hard by Clarke, Milanes and Clark but by the final sausage inside the harbour, Jon Clarke had pulled clear to take the final race and win the week, chased home by a swarm of all the usual suspects, in what had become quite lumpy conditions to end the week.
Morley finishes third overall in National Championships at Felpham
With two wins to his credit, Alister Morley finished third overall behind this year's winner and reigning champion Jamie Lea & second placed Steve Cockerill. For detailed report & photos follow the link - nationals
With an entry list which reads like a 'Who's Who' of the top 50 Solo sailors*, Alister was invited to take part in the Champion of Champions event at Felpham on Saturday 5th August, finishing 13th. Full details are available on the National Solo website - Champion of Champions
Morley wins Nations Cup at Lake Garda - 21st July
Having mastered the light airs at Rutland Water, Alister Morley this week demonstrated his mastery of conditions that many feared even to go out in at the Nations Cup. See separate page for results
Morley triumphs at Inland Championships
Alister Morley finally bagged a long overdue and thoroughly well deserved national title at the Inland Championships over the week-end of 17th/18th June. After a disappointing day on Saturday when the complete absence of wind led to all racing being abandoned, 113 competitors took part in three races to decide the championship on Sunday. Two races were run back to back in the morning in a steady 10 knots of wind, followed by one further race in the afternoon. With a 4th and a 5th place before lunch, Alister's supremacy on the beats paid dividends in the afternoon and he crossed the line first to take the race and the title.
Full report on Solo website - click here
Commiserations..
....to James Hannaford who lost his transom recently, rounding a race mark when the bowsprit of an unidentified vessel ploughed into him, apparently unaware that Rule 18 superseded Droit de Seigneur. We hope that temporary repairs will be completed in time for the Regatta.
NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to Trevor Williams (4349) who has recently joined us and who had his first race on 17th June.
RACING NEWS
17th June - Shock result - Cleaves buys a round! In a nailbiting conclusion to the spring series, the old fox took full advantage of Alister Morley's absence at the Inland Championships to clinch the series this Saturday. As Morley & 120 other competitors stood on the banks of Rutland Water staring at their reflections on a perfectly still afternoon, 250 miles away Cleaves was wringing maximum use out of a light sea breeze to erode Alister's 2 point lead by winning the eighth and final race. During the celebrations afterwards in the bar, steward Brian Chegwyn was heard to say " who was that bloke that came up and bought a round just now?"
14th June - Edwards in top form - The first or the four race Wednesday evening series got under way with Peter Edwards showing fine form by leading the four-strong fleet round the windward mark. After trading places briefly with Andrew Borne in a boat 22 years younger, Peter regained the lead but was unable to fend off a determined final challenge from Borne, giving away a mere 15 seconds by the finishing line. The Solos beat the Yawls on handicap.
20th May - Shock result - Cleaves finishes last! With winds gusting in excess of 30 m.p.h., just three Solos presented themselves at the start line for the race on Saturday 20th May. Race officer Malcolm Squire wisely avoided the use of Blackstone as the windward mark, opting for Mill bay instead. With one minute to go before the start Chris Cleaves headed for the beach to make hasty repairs, giving Alister Morley & Adrian Griffin almost seven minutes head start. Morley was quickly in the lead and gave a faultless performance to win by four minutes. Griffin & Cleaves both took a swim during the first run back from Mill bay and although Cleaves fought hard to make up lost ground from his late start, Griffin held on to second place by just over a minute.
To view Stephen Thomas's photos of this race - click here
To View Malcolm Bell's photgraphs - click here
OPEN MEETING - 27th - 29th May 2006
Once again this event was generously sponsored by Barney Greenhill who kept the fleet going on free drinks at the bar throughout the week-end. Our grateful thanks to you Barney.
See Racing Results page for a full set of results - the four race format was as follows:
RACE 1 - Saturday 27th - 14:00 hrs - A strong, cold south-westerly wind and grey skies greeted the crews for this first race, which following a high rate of attrition, saw many visitors and locals making tracks for the Boatstore immediately after the event to obtain the necessary parts to make repairs in time for the next day's racing. Alister Morley mastered the conditions followed home by Chris Cleaves in front of visitors Mike Ball and Stuart Haydon.
RACE 2 - Sunday 28th - 10:30 hrs - The forecast north-westerly was subsequently proved to be 24hrs late, arriving in abundance on Monday morning. Meanwhile the predicted light airs came instead from the south-west and combined with strong spring tides, provided competitors with a totally different challenge from the previous day. Local crews were shown the way round with Stuart Haydon & Godfrey Clark taking first and second in front of Chris Cleaves and Alister Morley.
RACE 3 - Sunday 28th - 14:00 hrs - Again sailed in light airs, crews were given two beats out to Blackstone rock in quick succession which gave rise to a mass gathering of yawls and Solos fighting for space along the waterline on the Portlemouth side. This led inevitably to despair at the tail end of the Solo fleet who came off worst from the encounter. Stuart Haydon was first over the line for the second time in the day with Chris Cleaves & Alister Morley close behind followed by Judith Massey.
RACE 4 - Monday 29th - 10:30 hrs - With the wind now from the north-west, crews fought for space out of the tide by the Portlemouth ferry landing in very light, fickle winds mastered brilliantly by Alister Morley who left the rest of the fleet standing. Any fears that this race was to be another frustrating drifter were soon dispelled as crews headed out of the Bag for Gerston bouy (7) and found themselves hiking for all they were worth in gusts up to Force 5. Two beats to 7 with a high speed run & gybe round 5, soon took its toll and put the rescue boats to work as a spate of retirements ensued. On the run back to Blackstone, which became a beat as crews reached the mark, it was the local crews of Chris Cleaves and Alister Morley who showed visitors Mike Ball and Godfrey Clark the way home, giving Cleaves overall victory for the meeting. Stuart Haydon and Alister Morley were both one point adrift of Cleaves. Haydon's two wins on Sunday securing second place overall, with Mike Ball fourth and Godfrey Clark in fifth position.
* except Chubby
LINKS
Tel: Manager: 01548 842593 / Bar: 01548 842872 - info@salcombeyc.org.uk
