Solo class launch Salcombe Gin Classic series
by Will Loy 5 May 2019 03:41 PDT
Wooden Solos ready for action in the 1990s © Will Loy
With around 2000 Vintage National Solos still being raced up and down the country there is no better time to purchase a competitive secondhand example. You may see this as a stepping stone to entry into the class or, like the members at Leigh on Sea, implement a club rule which embraces pre 4000 Solos, keeping chequebook racing out of the equation while still allowing wiggle room to pimp up your pride and joy.
I, myself have always had a soft spot for the older Solo, racing my father's red and yellow Jack Holt boat 186 at many open meetings and even the National Championship in 1994. The highlight was finishing inside the top thirty at the 2010 Inlands in a fleet of 97.
There is a wealth of competitive hulls out there just waiting to be cherished and pimped: a new sail, mast and cleats go a long way in bringing you up to speed.
While the modern FRP example is uber easy to maintain the older versions require TLC and I see this lost element of owning a dinghy as a pleasure akin to having a shed. I spent many happy times bimbling my wooden Solos, moving cleat positions and applying paint and varnish, a dying art.
Another advantage of owning a vintage Solo is the huge range of hull shapes available. Builders of timber were not constrained by the modern construction method of FRP hence, rocker, bow entry, centreboard case position etc were built to the owners specification, a heavy sailor maybe looked for more rocker to take the ballast while a lighter sailor would maybe look for a flatter shape to maximise waterline length. While the builders of FRP provide a few proven shapes, the cost of producing a variety of plugs or tweaking existing ones is high.
With good quality second hand examples on the market for as little as £1200, new sail, mast and cleats can get you competitive against any of the newer hulls... albeit in a blue moon.
The NSCA, with generous sponsorship from Salcombe Gin are proud to announce the inaugural Salcombe Gin Classics which embraces some of the stellar events on the 2019 calendar.
The first 'Salcombe Gin Classic' is the Vintage Championship, sponsored by P&B and with additional support from Rooster sailing and will be held at the home of vintage Solos, Leigh on Sea. There are a number of Solos available so please contact Colin Walker at if you would like to take part
The second Classic is a real humdinger, the Nation's Cup in Carnac. There are some stunning examples of vintage Solos still racing in Holland. The Dutch really know how to renovate and many are still at minimum weight. Geoff Carveth's winning Lovett from 1983, Bungler is based there and I hope to see one of the classics have a blue moon moment during the championship...every dog has it's day! We are also hoping to see some of the growing Portuguese fleet in Carnac, they also have some classic Solos. Jose Francisco Veloso has done a huge amount to build the class there and I look forward to celebrating the Solo over a beer with Marc and Jose
A future Nation's Cup in Lagos is being discussed!
What I do know is that Salcombe Gin will be a worthy prize for the effort that has been put into these older Solos.
Our own National Championship at WPNSA will form the third classic and I hope owners of vintage solos (over 20 years old) will not be put off by the hundred or so FRP Solos that should be there. it will certainly make my job easier as cameraman to pick out the coloured hulls of the older craft from the white hulls that are the chosen colour since 2000. The class are trialling split fleet starts at the Pusinelli Trophy, if successful then this may be used at the nationals making starts less intimidating. Alternatively, gate starts are great footage for me
The final Classic qualifier will be our Inland Championship and I anticipate a strong turnout at Rutland which is a great stretch of flat water
The Classics are not a series so just turn up at any of the events and show off your pride and joy. There are many sailors who now sail the modern FRP counterparts who commend the efforts of the few
I will be at all of the events and will be focusing my camera on some of the beautifully built wooden Solos that once upon a time were the cutting edge of the Solo class
Events:
P+B Vintage Championship Leigh on Sea 18 May
Nation's Cup Carnac 13-16 July
National Championship WPNSA 8-11 August
Inland Championship Rutland Water 7-8 September
Salcombe Gin will be providing some of their finest Gin to the top two at each event while a third competitor will also be awarded a bottle of Salcombe Gin based on his/her performance or authenticity of their Solo
Please do make the effort to get your pride and joy to at least one of these events. Let's show our FRP counterparts the beauty of the older Solo is not just in it's looks but in the camaraderie of the sailors