Allen and CB Trailer Store Solo open meeting at Barnt Green Sailing Club
by Jamie Cuxson 22 Apr 05:13 PDT
18 April 2026
On Saturday, April 18th, the Solo fleet gathered at Upper Bittell Reservoir for the 2026 Solo Class Open, sponsored by Allen and CB Trailer Store. Hosted by Barnt Green Sailing Club, the event delivered a day of close, tactical racing characterised by shifty conditions.
The first race began with a few competitors unfortunately missing the signal. A shifty first beat saw Jamie Cuxson (Shustoke SC) and Simon Morris (Barnt Green SC) break away from the pack. While Morris managed to pass Cuxson upwind, Cuxson regained the lead by getting the inside overlap at the gybe mark.
As the race progressed, Stephen Hawley closed the gap significantly, but Cuxson held his nerve to secure the first bullet. Further back, Morris found himself on the wrong side of the shifts on the final beat, losing two places to Ollie Ridgway and Cameron Norris.
In the second race, Andy Beston (Redditch SC) led the fleet around the windward mark, followed by Stephen Hawley (Bartley SC) and Harry Marlow (Shustoke SC). With the wind shifting right, the course became one sided and gains were scarce. A short beat allowed Hawley to move into the lead, while Marlow became trapped in a wind hole, allowing Cuxson to move into third. Cuxson then managed to overtake Beston at the top mark on the final lap.
Hawley maintained his advantage to take the win, setting up a final race showdown.
The race officer Merlyn Wilcox changed the course between races before having to change it again as the wind shifted back. The race team did a great job in some very tricky conditions.
The final race began with a general recall, but on the restart, the leaders split; Hawley favoured the left while Cuxson went right. They met at the windward mark in first and second. The fleet remained tight downwind, with Cuxson and Marlow rounding the leeward mark ahead. Marlow then nailed the shifts on the beat up the dam to take a commanding lead.
While Marlow and Cuxson broke away, a frantic battle for third developed behind them, with significant gains and losses throughout the pack. On the final lap, Cuxson capitalised on a lift and a downwind gust to close within a couple of boat lengths.
On the final beat, Marlow tacked early, hoping to fetch the finish line, while Cuxson held on slightly longer. A slight header forced Marlow into an additional tack, allowing Cuxson to sneak past on the line to claim both the race and the overall title.
Jamie Cuxson finished the event with 2.0 points to take first place overall, followed by Stephen Hawley in second and Harry Marlow in third.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 5704 | Jamie Cuxson | 1 | (2ND) | 1 | 2 |
| 2nd | 5429 | Stephen Hawley | 2 | 1 | (3RD) | 3 |
| 3rd | 4315 | Harry Marlow | (6TH) | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 4th | 5533 | Andy Beston | (8TH) | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 5th | 5399 | Ollie Ridgway | 3 | 5 | (6TH) | 8 |
| 6th | 4448 | Cameron Norris | 4 | 6 | (9TH) | 10 |
| 7th | 5897 | Andy Bownes | 7 | (9TH) | 4 | 11 |
| 8th | 5063 | Simon Morris | 5 | (8TH) | 7 | 12 |
| 9th | 5740 | Michael Cossey | (1TH) | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| 10th | 5688 | Mat Newton‑Sherlock | 9 | (0TH) | 8 | 17 |
| 11th | 5416 | Richard Connolly | 10 | 11 | (DNC) | 21 |