Solo and Byte Open 2023
Published 11:04 on 14 May 2023
Results are available under the Sailwave results Tab, Open Meetings.
Competitors to our combined Solo and Byte Opens were greeted with sunshine and a Northerly force 3-4; twelve Solos and seven Bytes had a promising day's sailing in store. Our RO for the day was Jonathan Burns, ably supported by AROs Fiona and Jasmine, along with Safety Boat team Gareth and Keith; two beats, two runs and a couple of short reaches were laid, and we were all set for a 1030 start.
The 1st race saw the Solos cleanly off the line, with Ian Matthews getting an excellent start closely followed by Paul Gray and Robert Marshall. These three proceeded to extend their lead, and the rest of us gamely tried to keep up, with Ian taking 1st. In similar fashion, the Bytes also got off to a good start with Kirsten Glen, keeping Duncan Glen at bay, and taking the 1st,, with Rick Whitehouse (Combs SC) in 3rd.
Race 2 again had the Solos clean off the line, and (slightly to his surprise) had the author round the windward mark in first place; sadly it wasn't to last. Patrick Ward (Chichester SC) made his way to the front and was off to a first with Mark Harper (Dell Quay SC) and Paul taking 2nd and 3rd. In the Byte fleet Duncan took a 1st with Kirsten 3rd and Rick between them in 2nd.
Following lunch, and with the wind dropping slightly and sporadically swinging to a North Easterly, we were off on Race three and no recalls. Once again I was surprised to find myself first Solo at the windward mark, and once again true form in the shape of Patrick, Ian and Paul took the first three places. The rest of us had our own personal battles, and accompanying gains and losses, it was all good fun. In the Byte fleet like the first two races the front runners had settled down into a winning pattern, it was just a question of finishing order, this time with Duncan 1st, Kirsten 2nd and Rick 3rd.
For the fourth time, both fleets got away cleanly (one way to keep an RO happy) with the final race of the day, and all still to play for the Open championship in both fleets. Ian needed to beat Patrick and stormed off with a small lead that he held to the end. Yours truly came 3rd, and Paul got lost and had to sail three beats to our two. The Byte fleet pretty much managed to replicate race 3 with Duncan winning, and Kirsten and Rick taking 2nd and 3rd.
It was a fantastic days sailing for both fleets; Ian was a worthy Solo champion having just pipped Patrick on countback, with Paul (unsurprisingly!) discarding his last race and taking third place. Duncan, with three firsts, took the Byte trophy, with Kirsten in second place, Rick in third and Will from Christchurch SC being our first Junior. Competitors, duly fed and watered, departed with slightly aching bodies, and smiling faces.
Nick Robinson,
Solo Class Captain.
Photo credit G Humphrey.
Last updated 15:50 on 12 January 2025
