HD Sails Scottish Solo Championship at Chanonry Sailing Club

HD Sails Scottish Solo Championship at Chanonry Sailing Club © Mike Wilson

After a very successful one day event at Chanonry in 2024 the Scottish Solo fleet returned for the HD Sails Scottish Championship on June 27/28. The fleet was somewhat depleted due to some regulars running the regatta at Largo Bay.

On Saturday morning we were welcomed to the club and enjoyed tea and bacon rolls whilst overlooking the sailing area from the club balcony. A couple of hours before the scheduled start conditions looked perfect with a westerly wind at the top end of F3 plus sunshine. The wind did however start to drop and was barely F2 when we went afloat.

The race officer had decided on a windward/leeward course for the first races. At the start things did not look great. The wind was under 5 knots and it was not possible to lay the line on starboard plus the first leg was heavily biased. There was a bit of a pile up at the pin end with some boats electing to start on port whilst others on starboard had to bail out and gybe round. Stuart Gibson came off best and led around the windward mark after a surprisingly choppy first beat - despite the tide running with the wind. He was followed round the windward mark by Willie Todd and Ben Yeats from the home club. Up the second beat the wind got lighter especially after we crossed the start finish line. Ben Yeats went left and lost out. Ross Watson went further inshore and gained slightly. Jon Bailey came through to third just before the windward mark but misjudged the tack and hit it. At the finish it was Stuart Gibson first followed by Willie Todd and Ross Watson.

The wind increased between races meaning a rush to don spray tops for a few sailors. By the start the wind was 20 knots and the line was slightly starboard biased. Stuart again led up the beat and led the race throughout. Downwind conditions were now very different as the waves were surprisingly large and steep. Plenty opportunities to catch a wave for many and to be able to run by the lee when required to avoid running into a wave. The windward mark became a hazard and with the tide ebbing some boats hit it and Ross needed four tacks to get round on one occasion.

There was a least as much wind for the third race but the line was now fair. Ross started on port and met those who started at the other end bow to bow. The first run was very exciting as the waves seemed even steeper. Ross went to further left and by the lee and passed three boats to lead round the leeward mark. Ben Yeats who only purchased his boat recently was sailing noticeably lower than the others upwind. Willie, Ross and Stuart were virtually level as they approached the start/finish line at the end pf the first lap. A huge wave broke over Willie which looked pretty spectacular. By this time it needed both bailers down to keep the boat dry upwind. Down the next run the wind was now F6 and the waves really exciting - unless you ran into one. Stuart showed he was human by capsizing on the gybe but Ross managed it. As they got within thirty yards of the leeward mark Willie was inside of Ross and on starboard but didn't fancy the gybe and he sportingly shouted to Ross who just managed to luff across his stern. A rapid tack meant that Willie still had time to pass Ross just before the line. Everyone was glad to get ashore. On the way in I wondered why local Sailor Ben had raised his rudder so far from the beach - until I scraped the gravel bank we had been warned about at the briefing!

After enjoying a couple of beers or a meal overlooking the Moray Firth the fleet were ready for three more races on Sunday, but strangely no-one was in a rush to launch even, overnight leader Stuart. Today the course was triangle/sausage so no choice about when to gybe in the wind which was again F4/5 when we started. Ben Yeats powered over the top of me on the first beat so he had clearly learnt how to sail to windward. The first reach was a real blast with Stuart again in front. The gybe mark approached very quickly indeed. Stuart gybed round ok but Willie who was next tacked - only to discover he could not bear away enough to round the mark due to the boats on starboard and needed two more tacks to get round. Stuart won the race followed by Ben and Jon.

By the start of the fifth race the wind had got up even more and the fleet was depleted. The Streakers, who were sharing the event with us, had decided to go ashore. Upwind was hard and tacking was not simple - it was all too easy to get in irons. The downwind legs were amazing but no-one complained when the course was shortened after one round. Stuart won again followed by Ben Yeats and Jon Bailey. Another race would have been a real struggle upwind and down. I saw Stuart shouting at the committee boat and was relieved when the race officer pointed towards the beach. Even the reach home was not easy, Stuart capsized and broke his tiller. We were helped ashore by our friends in the Streaker class and surveyed the damage. Roddy Henry came ashore with a very impressive banana shaped mast. Willie's capsized boat had to be beached and retrieved by lifting it over the seawall.

It turned out to be a very tough weekend and well done to the few boats who managed to stay upright all weekend.

The clear winner of the HD Sails Scottish Solo Championships was Stuart Gibson who was faster all weekend. Second was Ben Yeats from the home club in his first Solo event with Ross Watson third.

Prize winners in the HD Sails Scottish Solo Championship at Chanonry Sailing Club - photo © Mike Wilson

We are very grateful to all at this small club, especially on this occasion the rescue crews who did not have it easy. The hospitality was great and the soup very welcome - all included in the entry fee.

Unusually for the Solo fleet there was some damage to the boats. Most seriously of all Stuart lost his cap on both days but luckily he now has a new one courtesy of our sponsor HD Sails. There was a KLG mug for every entrant and I can vouch for the beer provided by Cairngorm brewery - very welcome after the long drive home!

The next event in the HD Sails Scottish Solo travellers is at Prestwick. After a very wind weekend at Chanonry and the previous event at Helensburgh blown off we are hoping for a bit less wind.

Overall Results: