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Solo Thames Travellers at Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club

by Nick Marley 26 Sep 2021 16:05 AEST 25 September 2021
Solos at Island Barn Reservoir © Nick Marley

Well, it was one of those days that if you were on the duty team and positioned on the safety boat at windward mark you knew you would be busy. Not because you would be rescuing overturned boats. Instead as the light wind kept shifting from anywhere between the south and the west you had a busy day moving the windward marks to get as near perfect first beat at the Island Barn Reservoir SC Solo Open.

With a forecast of next to no wind 11 Solo sailors turned up to the club ready to rig and sail. The course was set and after toying with a postponement of the start, suddenly a bit of breeze arrived and the race team and sailors rushed onto the water to get going.

In what only the race officer could think was eagerness to get going, about 9 of the 11 boats decided to be on the course before the starting gun had gone. So, the general recall flag was raised along with two extra hoots from the committee boat's gun. Everyone returned back to the start but the scene had been set, despite the light winds it was going to be a day of very competitive sailing.

For the first race the race officer set just two laps due to the light winds. Clearly a few boats had not looked at committee boat as on the last lap they rounded the final mark and started to head back upwind instead of going to the finish line. Having travelled all the way from Brightlingsea SC, Jarvis Simpson was fully aware that he should bear off to the finish line and was rewarded with winning the first race just ahead of Papercourt's Frazer Hayden. It looked like Godfrey Clerk was going to be third but suddenly he turned around to take a penalty giving Paul Playle the third place.

The wind managed to hold up for the morning and the afternoon just enough for the races to get 2 or 3 laps per race. Paul Playle, Godfrey Clerk, Jarvis Simpson, Frazer Hyden and Steve Jones battled for the podium places with each of them sharing the top 3 places of the remaining races. However, with two firsts and a second place Godfrey replicated his 2003 IBRSC Solo Open by taking the overall first place. Second and third places were so close with both Fazer and Jarvis finishing on 7 points, but with his second place in the first race Frazer just pipped Jarvis in the overall standings.

As the sailors packed up whilst the wind duly dropped to nothing allowing everyone to enjoy some cream teas and scones looking out over the reservoir as the prizes were awarded by Peter Halliday, IBRSC Solo Fleet Captain.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4Pts
14801Godfrey Clerk ‑51214
25693Frazer HaydenPapercourt SC241‑57
35406Jarvis SimpsonBrightlingsea SC1‑3337
45180Paul Playle 3‑5429
55730Steve Jones ‑625613
64669Alan FullerPapercourt SC46‑8414
75215CJIsland Barn Reservoir SC‑776720
84670Ben RussellIsland Barn Reservoir SC‑887823
94636James CollettIsland Barn Reservoir SC999‑1027
104193Tim GabrielIsland Barn Reservoir SC‑111010929
114071Peter HallidayIsland Barn Reservoir SC10(DNC)11DNC33

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