Solo Open at Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club

Chew Valley Lake Solo Open © Ed Higham

Chew Valley Lake Solo Open © Ed Higham

Chew Valley Lake provided the perfect venue for Saturday's Solo Open Meeting. With the length of the Lake running from North to South the Race Team were spoilt for choice in terms of where to site the course.

We were delighted to welcome sailors from a total of eight different Clubs and the Open formed part of the larger Western Area Traveller Series.

The wind started the day from the South gusting up to about 12 knots and Nick Martindale our Race Officer set up on the widest point of the Lake, expecting the wind to veer to the West as forecast. He got us away first time on each of our three starts and the challenge for the competitors was which side of the beat to go for.

In the first race the line was fairly true but there were significant lifts to be found by going right and each of Ian Maclean, Chris Goldhawk and John Steels made big gains by tacking off to the Western side of the course and arriving at the windward mark on starboard. Although there wasn't quite enough breeze to get planing in the first race, Ian Maclean proved the fastest round the course, just fending off pressure from local hero Chris Goldhawk.

Chew Valley Lake Solo Open - photo © Ed Higham

By the time of the second race the wind had gone right, had increased in strength by 2 to 3 knots and there was a slight bias to the pin end of the line. Still each of Maclean Goldhawk and Steels together with Andy Hyland and Simon Jones bagged the cleanest air and despite strong competition, Ian Maclean of South Cerney made the most of the perfect conditions to win the day with an emphatic all three bullets. Chris Goldhawk was runner up in each race and third place swapped between John Steels, Simon Jones and Andy Hyland.

As testament to the quality of the competition at the top of the fleet each of the first five sailors came from a different Club – which all bodes well for the remaining races in the Traveller Series.

Aside from the winners a number of sailors enjoyed significant successes and special mention must go to each of Errol Edwards who performed particularly well in his borrowed boat, Andy Scott who scored an impressive 4th in the first race – after having fought his way through most of the fleet, Chris Hicks who was sailing in his first ever Open Meeting, Nick Fisher and Simon Jones who travelled up from Plymouth and Andy Hyland who drove up from near Southampton.

Special thanks must also go to Jonny Harris, ably assisted by father Andy and his dedicated team, for both organising and managing the event so magnificently.

Overall Results: