Autumn Series R5 - Solo Report

Published 16:55 on 6 Oct 2026

Ten Solos lined up for the start of Race 5 of the Autumn Series in balmy autumnal weather, amongst them Tim Fells and Will Henderson returning from Yawl sailing duties and no doubt wanting to get some Solo practice in before the Solo Open Meeting in a fortnights time.

The first beat to Blackstone under an ebb tide saw a big westerly wind shift that favoured the right-hand side of the course and caught out a few, but Fells and Henderson rounded first and second, followed by Robin Hodges and Simon Dobson. 

The fleet headed out of the foul tide to the Portlemouth shore where Hodges and Dobson pulled through to the front. Meanwhile, Fells had elected to take his chances on the Salcombe shore, but when the fleet reconverged off Batson, he had dropped back into the pack.

After negotiating Snapes, the fleet arrived at Ox Point where another split saw Dobson take a solitary easterly route towards Halwell Point whilst most of the fleet took the westerly side in and out of the pontoons. Hodges sailed a smart course avoiding a nasty wind shadow at Tosnos and passed the Saltstone with a healthy lead, followed by Dobson. These two now had a jump on the rest of the fleet, which was led by Fells and Henderson.

For the front four the return from Gerston was an uneventful fetch but another wind shift had the rest of the fleet beating through The Bag, so this had now become a four-horse race. 

Dobson managed to pass Hodges on the beat to Blackstone and just held him off on the run to Crossways. Fells and Henderson had closed on Hodges in second but never enough to threaten seriously so it remained Dobson, Hodges, Fells and Henderson at the finish line. Many thanks to the race team for setting up a great afternoons racing.

S.Dobson | Photos L.Burn