Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - Wave Routing 728x90 TOP

Solo Open at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club

by Andy Carter 26 Sep 2024 00:07 PDT 21 September 2024
Leigh & Lowton Solo Open © Stuart Van Den Hoek

Sponsored by Winder Boats and Impact Marine

Twenty Solos enjoyed champagne sailing on the Northern circuit at Leigh and Lowton SC on an increasingly sunny autumn day.

The wind was strong to overpowering that was a test of boat speed with the odd fresh gust and holes of greatly changed strength and direction that threw some snakes and ladders into the mix. A long beat was set by having the start line almost on the shore and a windward mark on the starboard side of the wind; whilst a variety of downwind legs kept us away from the main beat and the other fleets with a number of gybes to keep things interesting.

There were three fleets with Albacores and Lasers on staggered starts on the same course and Race Officer Dave Southwell set a hard pin end bias to help keep the fleets back which must have worked as there was only one general recall (the Lasers) in the 4-race event. Even the port tack flyer specialist Innes Armstrong couldn't get through the crowded line and the initiative for all races lay with those who squeezed in their first tacks to get fast up the beat with its longer port tack.

In the first race Nick Hornsby hit the port side hard and led the pack with good wind out of a bay. Close behind were Phil Barnes and Willie Todd (all the way from Largs). These three pulled clear during the race until the following pack of Innes, Steve Denison and Andy Carter sailed the correct course downwind after all Solos had followed all Lasers around an unnecessary extra downwind mark on the first lap. Whilst no places directly changed Willie capsized and Nick fell back into the pack leaving Phil winning his first race from Innes and Steve in very close order.

In the second race, held back-to-back, the Race Officer changed to a windward mark further right which removed the influence of the bay and being in sync with the shifts dominated until close to the mark with a small right shift dominance. Steve Denison led and gradually extended to break well clear by an impressive margin. Behind him a significant battle developed between Phil and Andy. At the last gybe, Phil was just ahead but in a strong gust looked to have been knocked flat after the gybe, Andy nearly death-rolling to keep clear and sat on the tiller with a cracking sound. Both survived and Phil held second by a boat length at the finish.

An excellent lunch from the professional caterers restored the competitors, many of whom had been enjoying the open water swimming on offer, though none signed up to the club's Open Water Swimming Group afterwards! Andy got a new tiller, and we all went again for two more back-to-back races on the same course.

Race three was again tight at the first mark, eventually Andy got clear and extended a good lead. Behind him Phil battled it out with Phil and Willie, with Nick and Chris Gillard in the mix too.

It was all to play for in the last race as Phil, Steve and Andy had all had a win. Phil and Andy had an epic tacking duel then a drag race up the next beat whereby Phil held onto the lead, and whilst Andy got ahead downwind, Phil came back on the last reach to take the lead and the race into the finish a couple of boat lengths ahead for the overall event with his second race win. Steve finished third which gave him the same points and results as Andy, who came second overall by beating Steve in the last race.

In the middle of the fleet there were three Norris family boats, the experienced Solo sailor Stuart edging out brother Ian. Both had their moments with good upwind speed, as did Dave Kelsall and Paul Owen from LLSC.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4Pts
1st5685Phillip BarnesBudworth12‑314
2nd5807Andy CarterLLSC‑53126
3rd6073Stephen DenisonRya‑31236
4th5967Willie ToddLargs‑1345413
5th5968Nick HornsbyHollingworth474(DNF)15
6th5813Innes ArmstrongBurwain269(DNC)17
7th6041Chris GillardSheffield Viking786(DNC)21
8th5600Lee NankervisShropshire11‑137523
9th5312Stuart NorrisShropshire8510(DNF)23
10th4434lan NorrisShropshire6‑1411724
11th5909Dave KelsallLLSC1010‑17828
12th5839Paul OwenLLSC9128(DNF)29
13th5907Steve FerringtonWest Kirby‑141113630
14th5350Chris HelsbyLLSC129‑14930
15th5120Andrew RobertsLLSC1515‑181141
16th3969Cameron Griffith NorrisShropshire(DNF)DNF151045
17th4985Tom WelzLLSC(DNC)1612DNF45
18th5272Ty BurrowsLLSCDNF(DNC)161248
19th4283Michael CampbellFidlers FerryDNFDNF(DNC)DNC61
19th5845Stuart Van Den HoekLLSCDNFDNF(DNC)DNC61

Related Articles

Solo and Laser open at Middle Nene
After a more than a 15 year break, these classes are together again After a more than a 15 year-long break, Middle Nene SC has re-introduced the joint Open Meeting for the Solo and Laser (ILCA) classes, and 19 competitors from MNSC and Cransley SC made the most of the near-perfect conditions on 31st May 2025. Posted on 3 Jun
Solo Western Series at Chew
A westerly has the ability to dunk the unsuspecting At last! Gone are the fickle and variable north easterly winds to be replaced by a punchy and vigorous westerly and anyone that knows a Chew westerly will be grinding their teeth with thoughts about it's ability to dunk the unsuspecting. Posted on 2 Jun
Solo Southern Area Circuit at Bough Beech
Good tactical racing in the Weald of Kent The National Solo Class Association (NSCA) Southern Area Circuit travelled to Bough Beech Sailing Club for their annual open on 24 May. Bough Beech reservoir is situated in the Weald of Kent enjoying 400-acres of water. Posted on 27 May
Singlehanded Regatta at Hayling Island
Finns, Europes and Solos don't let the forecast put them off a glorious weekend Day one Charlie Bradshaw held the fleets on shore for an hour on Saturday morning, a fair amount of hope but an early strong easterly can have a detrimental effect on a sea breeze here so there was certainly a little trepidation in the fleet. Posted on 26 May
HD Sails Scottish Solo travellers at Largs
Ben Ledi trophy rewards consistency by not allowing any discard As the Scottish Solo fleet travelled to Largs on the west coast for the third of the HD Sails travellers series we knew that the event would be bathed in sunshine, but would there be enough wind? Posted on 22 May
Solos at South Staffs
Jonathan Woodward takes the trophy, and the role of fleet captain 14 boat joined us to race in the annual South Staffs Solo Open Meeting 2025, sponsored by Allen Sailing and CB Boat Trailer and Cover Store. Posted on 19 May
Midlands Region Solos at Barnt Green
'Penny a Mile' prize awarded for the most distance covered in a single lap A total of 32 entrants comprising of 16 visitors and 16 home boats were greeted by Barnt Green Solo Class Captain and PRO at the briefing who explained that the wind direction was constantly fluctuating so be vigilant for course changes. Posted on 15 May
Solo class Southern Area Series at Frensham
Another record fleet of 28 boats On 11th May, Frensham Pond Sailing Club staged their 2025 Solo Open Meeting as part of the Superspars Solo Open Series. A total of 28 boats took part in what was another record for the Solo ?eet at Frensham. Posted on 15 May
Solo Nigel Pusinelli Trophy preview
Named after one of the founder members of the N.S.C.A One of the founder members of the N.S.C.A, Nigel sailed his National Solo at Emsworth SC and then Chichester YC for over thirty years. Nigel passed away in July 2010 and the pre-championship event at Weymouth was re-named in his honour. Posted on 14 May
Salcombe Yacht Club Solo Open
A bumper turnout of twenty-seven sailors A bumper turnout of twenty-seven sailors turned out for the Salcombe Yacht Club Solo Open meeting over the weekend of the 10th and 11th June. Posted on 13 May
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_cruise BOTTOMExposure Marine