20th Anniversary Solution National Championship at Warsash Sailing Club

20th Anniversary Solution Nationals at Warsash © David Swift

20th Anniversary Solution Nationals at Warsash © David Swift

2026 is the twentieth anniversary of the launch of the Solution dinghy and this national championship attracted 24 registered competitors - the largest turnout to date.

It also marked the completion of the four-event Class Traveller Series. The nationals was hosted superbly at Warsash Sailing Club over the weekend of 5-6th September with 6 races across the two days.

Day One opened with light winds making it a long slow transit from the river to the race area. Race One started once a course was set for the challenging wind that was yet to swing to the forecast direction. Threats of black flags with the Blaze/Fire fleet following on the second start soon evaporated as the wind speed dipped in the last 90 seconds, leaving the whole fleet embarrassingly shy of the line. Once the gun had gone and some boat speed was generated, the fleet split left and right with most opting to head inshore to dodge much of the ebbing tide. This group also had some benefit from a few gusts rolling off the land. Most maintained a favourable position to the windward mark of what proved to be an optimistically large trapezoid course.

As the fleet progressed downwind, the gaps between the lead boats and the middle of the fleet started to compress and desperation to find some pressure rose. Within the last 50 meters to the second mark, the tide had become the dominant factor, and the challenge was to avoid contact and make some progress. The Solutions were joined in the melee by the lead Fires. As boats cleared the mark and found some wind, there were large position changes depending on how wide they had rounded the mark and relative cover by other boats. Progress was very slow and as the time approached 40 minutes, the Race Officer decided to finish everyone at the fourth mark, the only other option might have been to abandon the race. Having established a good gap on the rest of the fleet Ian Morgan kept clear ahead to secure first place followed by Nick Martin then James Jarvey.

There was a long delay for Race Two as the wind finally edged to the forecast direction and strength. After a complete reset of the course, we were able to resume the series. The Solent wave pattern built with the wind to make the next two races hard-going and tipping an advantage to the regular sea sailors. This time the fleet was poised on the line and got away cleanly. Again, there was a clear split upwind with the lead group merging at the windward mark from left and right. The reach was an exciting leg picking the way through the waves and the run opportunists to surf and go by the lee if you got it right. The lead group seemed more content with multiple gybes to optimise speed and position, some got it wrong and got the opportunity to inspect the bottom of their boat! Two long hard laps saw Ian Morgan (Warsash SC) dominant with Jon Steward (Lee on Solent SC) and Kevin Clark (Royal Southern YC) finishing 2nd and 3rd.

20th Anniversary Solution Nationals at Warsash - photo © David Swift

Race Three followed a similar pattern with Ian Morgan opening a bigger gap at the front but with Kevin Clark finishing just ahead of Jon Steward. The fleet trailed back to Warsash on a long beat to arrive tired at the end of almost 6 hours on the water.

Day Two came with sunshine and lighter winds against tide providing choppy wave patterns. It was a long beat to the race area and fatigue would come into play later that day. The local competitors demonstrated how to manage the conditions and in Race Four they dominated the front of the fleet. Good upwind and downwind techniques edged them into the top ten (note to self, go sea sailing more often). Ian Morgan secured first place again with Mike Davis (Calshot SC) taking second and Richard Gibbon (Lee on Solent SC) in a close third.

The conditions prevailed for Race 5. Another clean start and a more compact fleet still at the windward mark. There followed exciting reaches and a more complex issue to optimise the boat speed on the runs. Capsizes occurred both upwind and downwind as errors crept in with tiredness. Ian Morgan capped things off with another bullet with Col Smedley (Calshot SC) taking second ahead of Jon Steward.

20th Anniversary Solution Nationals at Warsash - photo © David Swift

Race Six seemed to be in slightly lighter wind, but a few headed back the club including Ian Morgan who was in an unassailable first position (and had admin duties ashore). The final race was closely contested throughout the fleet and there were constant place changes. This continued to the final mark where the lead 3 boats engaged in a massive luffing match the resulted in Richard Gibbon falling out on a gybe. Jon Steward then led to the line with Col Smedley in a close second. Richard's quick swim saw James Jarvey (Waveney & Oulton Broad YC) came through for third place.

It was another long day afloat with a run all the way back to the river. The final result saw Ian Morgan first (for the fourth time), Jon Steward second and James Jarvey third. Ralph Morris (Toddbrook SC) was awarded the Ted Funnell Memorial Trophy for finishing mid-fleet and Paul Field (Benfleet SC) the Sheepdog Trophy prize for being the last placed competitor to have finished every race (Full results and photos at links). Jon Steward also won the Solution 2026 Traveller Trophy.

The Solution class continues to grow as a bespoke one design dinghy supported by James Jarvey (our boat builder) and Ian Morgan (our sails), both of whom are active Solution sailors. If you know off any idle Solutions in need of a new owner, drop the Class Association a line. See you at the RYA Dinghy Show!

Overall Results: