Saturday/Sunday 20/21 September – Solo Pennant No. 6 Saturday The racing was in Hayling Bay East with triangle/sausage course run beyond Treloar. The wind was light from the South West gradually veering round to the South. The weather was very warm and sunny. High water was at 9:32am so the reach/run was against the tide in the first race. There was good turnout and racing was run promptly. The first race was dominated by Alec with Richie and Neil just behind. During the second race the wind gradually died away from 4 knots to 2 knots making for a very slow finish. Richie beat Nick with Iain in third. The return sail to the club was graceful and sedate although all were in time for the subsequent AGM. Sunday The racing was in the harbour with a with triangle/sausage course run on Pilsey sands. The wind was very light from the West. The weather was again very warm and sunny. High water was at 10:23am so the beat was partially against the tide. An initial land-based postponement was cancelled after 30 minutes only to be re-instated 20 seconds before starting. After another pause the first race was run in very delicate and shifty conditions with the right side of the first beat favoured. The lead was taken by Richie however a course error after the wing mark resulted in a virtual reversal of the order as the leaders were forced to bear away for the outer leeward mark. The wind increased slightly from 2.5 knots to 5 knots for the second race which made for better sailing. The race was hard fought between Nick and Richie. Nick eventually took the lead which he kept and won the race with Richie in second and me in third. Overall results for the pennant were Nick first, Richie second and Neil third.

Saturday event went well, with the right team winning! Sunday started with a whimper. We had two hours of discussing if the streaky clouds blown in from South Wales or the fluffy ones, created by the sea breeze, would prevail – the sea breeze eventually won the battle and provided a gentle breeze, gradually increasing to 10-15 knots. Racing was just outside the harbour entrance in Hayling Bay, close to West Wittering beach. The tide had turned just before the first start at about 13:30. The course was a standard triangle, sausage, triangle, which was shortened to two laps for the first two races – I didn’t take part in the last race, so someone might need to fill in the gaps. There was a committee boat end bias for both starts, although only a marginal tidal advantage towards the left side of the beat, which increased as the races progressed. Alex Butler, Iain Palmer and Nick Rawlings had a good beat, followed closely by Graham Hughes, David Steel and Nick Fuller. After Nick had passed David on the reaches, both he and Graham appeared to favour the right side of the beat, allowing David to sneak through. Alex and Nick pulled away to finish 1st and 2nd ahead of Iain, closely followed by David. Race 2 started on a similar basis, by which time the left side of the beat was more obviously favoured. Alex led at the windward mark followed by David, with a group of planing Solo’s in hot pursuit, particularly down the close reach towards the leeward mark. Following a closely fought beat up to the windward mark, Graham Hughes and Greg Swift were rapidly closing in on David, who just managed to hang on to the line. Alex took his second bullet in a row, creating an unassailable lead. Race 3 gave Alex his clean sweep, with Andrew Voysey finishing 2nd, Nick Rawlings 3rd and as a result 2nd overall, with Graham Hughes in 4th place in the race and overall.

An hours postponement for the sea breeze to fill in and 9 Solos turned out for the second day of the Golden jubilee Trophy. The course was start near NW Pilsey Fishery Port then Channel via Gardner, Sandy port then finish. The winning strategy after the start was to get onto Port tack to get into the ebb tide down the Emsworth Channel. Greg rounded Fishery first but was overtaken by Alex Butler and David Steel on the reach to Gardner. Alex and David had enough of a ead to avoid getting swallowed up by the rest of the fleet which ended up in line abreast running over the Pilsey sands. with the effect of tye tide the fleet opened up again going down to Sandy Alex rounded first and led the fleet over to the hayling shore to get out of the tide. Robin Gadd rounding 5th decided the direct route was the quickest and headed straight for the finish line. It lookedcas though he would cross the line first but Alex crossing the tide just squezzed ahead of him. David Mos was third. Bill Ingram won on handicap by a comfortable minute. In the second race Gardner was missed out. Alex won but Bill was again first on handicap so won the Golden Jubilee Trophy. Eell done to Bill and thanks to the Race Officer and his team for running the racing in an ever decreasing amount of water.

This was the weekend of the Golden Jubilee Trophy and with perfect conditions, warm sunny and 10 knts south westerly 15 solos set out for race 1. The start was at SW Pilsey with windward mark Sandy then a black inflatable near Gardner back to yellow inflatable near SW Pilsey and then Sandy. All clear so far - but then? The course on the board said Gardner but some asked for clarification from the committee boat once on the water and were told that the leeward mark was the yellow inflatable. So on to the start. A clean start and by Sandy Andrew Vovsey was leading chased by Alex. By the end of the first round Alex was ahead and rounding Sandy a second time headed towards SW Pilsey. Andrew followed Alex. Graham Hughes was in two minds and settled on following Andy as did some others. Meanwhile a splinter group led by David Moseley headed for Gardner. Thus the race continued the two groups sailing their different courses until by some happy co incidence both groups arrived at Gardner together. By now the first group who with the advantage of sailing a shorter course had done one more lap than the second group who were therefore a lap behind - but a different lap behind if you follow. Both groups rounded together in a by now very light breeze and then the shortened course flag went up at the committee boat stationed at SW Pilsey. No problem apparently, the fleet now re united was duly finished at SW Pilsey, everyone thinking they had sailed the correct course. Once ashore the question was” What was the course?” The boats going direct to SWP from Sandy had been told the yellow inflatable was the leeward Mark. The answer seemed simple = look at the notice board. BUT the course was no longer up. removed by person or persons unknown. Further investigation failed to locate the missing piece of paper so on to extensive boat to boat enquiries. Finally the correct course was established as being “start by SW Pilsey Sandy Port Black Inf by Gardner Port Yellow Inf by SW Pilsey Port Sandy Port black Inf near Gardner Port - Repeat until finished”. So those who went from Sandy to SW P had sailed the wrong course. However then the question arose if one group were one lap behind the other group this would mean that one was on a sausage while the other group was on a triangle. On a triangle the next mark was SW Pilsey but on a sausage it was Sandy so how could both groups finish at SW Pilsey, For one group, thought to be the group who had sailed the correct course, the next mark was Sandy. So had anyone completed the race? After some deliberation it was decided that the shortened course flag means “finish at the next mark” so the finish line was between the committee boat and either SW P or Sandy depending on which was the next mark for the group who had sailed the correct course. BUT as everyone would have by default sailed between the committee boat and both marks everyone would have finished though maybe not on the line they or the Race Officer thought

they were finishing on. Still clear Good. That decided those who sailed the correct course had finished. Those who had sailed the wrong course agreed to do the honourable thing and fall on their tiller extensions. Finally Phil Mileham was judged the winner on handicap Phew! that was easy. Well done to Phil and all those sailing the right course. Those who got it wrong please write out fifty times “I must write down the correct course” to be on my desk by Friday. AND please - don’t ask the committee boat what the course is.

A bit of a breeze for a change but the day proved as much a test for navigational skills as sailing ability. The fleet of 10 boats set off from the club line to SW Pilsey in a blustery South Westerley. Robin Gadd to leeward was first round but was quickly engulfed by the chsing pack on the run to the inflatable off East head. There followed a beat against the tide to Dunes which sorted out the fleet. Judging the depth of water incorrectly approaching the East Head beach was costly as Andrew Vovsey found to his cost dumping him back to last place. Meantime Nick Peters was forging ahead chased by Alex butler who was managing to keep Paul lewis just behind him. From Dunes to Gardner and then a beat to Sandy, the favoured route being along the Winner bank. Nick Peters well judged his approach to Sandy across the tide but seemed undecided which side to leave it. Being on Port tack it seemed logical to leave it to starboard followed by Alex and Paul who also left it to Starboard.Wrong side guys but Robin coming up next had the advantage of seeing the leaders of the fast handicap round ahead of him so he correctly left it to port. However a tricky gust caught him at the last moment and he hit the mark. Robin began a 360 turn Was it the pressure of Neil Davison not far behind or the knowledge that Dad was watching from the balcony but he stuffed his boat head to wind. This manovre or rather its failure drew one or two comments from the spectators on the balcony and no doubt from Robin himself. The leaders or rather the no longer leaders rounded East Head and began the beat to Dunes followed by some of the fleet. However the next leg was straight to Sandy. Andrew Vovsey having written down the course went the correct way and so won followed by Neil davison. So well done to Andy and all those who sailed the right course. To the others please write out 50 times "I must write down the correct course" and have it on my desk by Friday

Start time shortly after 2pm, winds light F2 to F3 from south, southwest. Four Solo’s on the start line (other Solos were competing in the Tyler Trophy) Chris Powles 5412 was first off the line, followed by myself (Nick Webb 4441) with Barry Blaydes 5195 & Ted Gadd 5438 all on starboard tack moving away from the start line, slowly near the vicinity of North Pilsey. There were around four windward tacks to the first mark Sandy over the incoming tide. Chris P made it to Sandy first followed by me and then Barry B & Ted G. Chis P was holding the lead in the run to Gardner with no change in the positions. Next mark on a reach to Freddie Brooks the wind dropped to a low F2, still holding the same positions, we rounded Freddie Brooks on a run towards the inflatable mark, passing the Start line by the committee boat towards Channel. The first Solo around the inflatable was Chis P followed by Nick W, then closely followed by Barry Blaydes & Ted Gadd, all beating around at least three tacks up to the finish line. Barry B called starboard on Nick W and managed to overtake just before the finish line. The race was shortened as the wind dropped to only F1. Final result Chris Powles 5412, Barry Blaydes 5195, Nick Webb 4441 & Ted Gadd 5438.

An uninspiring grey day with rain to come and a fitful breeze. In race 1 there was confusion about the position of Johns Folley resulting in a big win for Alex Butler. In Race 2 Tim Polglase rounded the first mark in the lead but he could not keep Alex at bay on the reaching legs. Alex took his second win of the day and Tim managed to keep Nick Rawlings at bay to hold second.

The Sprint races were no held. Fog and no wind prevailed all morning. By the time conditions became sailable, there was not enough room to set our triangular course!

No sailing today. Horrible weather. No wind at all and a steady drizzle. We took the opportunity to add track at the end of the west track and flatten off the existing end.

The forecast was uncertain and the wind had dropped back to 10 knots at the start before climbing steadily to 15 gusting 29 Kts. 13 Solos set off from the club line, beating against the tide to Calvert. The fleet was spread out along the line as there was not a clear place to start. Alex Butler rounded first followed by Nick Rawlings, Chris Powell and Nick Peters. As the first lap developed, Nick Peters was through to second as the fleet past the club on the beat back to Calvert. The rest of the fleet could be seen to be working hard as places were changing up and down the fleet. The second lap was equally demanding and legs were getting tired. Alex held a steady lead over Nick throught. Hopefully Rob Gullan (finished 4th) and Tom Hewitson enjoyed their first outing with the Solo fleet

ALEX BUTLER WINS THE FIRST TROPHY OF THE YEAR. See report for Pennant series 1

First Pennant of the year and not a Beast in sight. Saturday 31 March Not a breath of wind either for most of the morning. However as race hour approached the wind limped over the start strength threshold and our race team led by Tim Polglase got us going on a little course near Runway. Tricky first beat with southerly going tide at the top and westerly going tide at the bottom. Lots of people had a go at the front before the new look and svelte commodore – now down to 90 kgs – held off Alec Powell for the first win. A bit of a readjustment for the course and then Race 2 saw Graham Hughes lead Nick Rawlings at the top mark. Sadly neither of us had quite understood the full extent of said adjustment and went haring off in search of the gybe mark. Alec Powell had though and went straight there. After that it was a bit straightforward for Alec who won with Alex Butler cashing in on his 18kg advantage to take second place on the line from Nick Peters. That meant Alec lead overnight and looked pretty solid until it was revealed he had signed up for the race team on the morrow. Sunday ! April So with Tim ignoring Alec’s enthusiasm for the abandon flag ; race 3 got underway in barely enough breeze. Alex Butler led Nick Rawlings at the top mark with Nick P following. The wind waxed and waned – mostly waned – but not enough for Alec and his abandon flag. The race was shortened at one lap with Alex leading , Nick P in second and Nick R third. Which left Alex Butler in his nice new Winder winning and Nick P with his nice new North in second. Alec dropped to third on countback with all 3 scoring a 1 and a 2.

Peter Mitchell ran his training day today for the benefit of 10 members of the fleet. In addition 5 Solos were out for the two club races in the light Northerly breeze. Alex Butler won the first and Nick Rawlings the second.

A tricky start for the first race of the season. A beat from the club line out to Treloar against a strong flood tide. Nick Peters made the best start on port tack as accelerating past Alex Butler as the gun went. It took them nearly 30 minutes to round Treloar with the next boat, Nick Rawlings, another 10 minutes behind. Although Alex headed Nick P on the run back, Nick P was the eventually winner.

The event was cancelled. Snow and freezing wind. What a start to the season.