Selden 53rd Solo National Championship & Nation's Cup - Day 5

Great conditions on day 5 of the Selden Solo Nationals at North Berwick © Will Loy

John Webster powering to windward on day 5 of the Selden Solo Nationals at North Berwick © Will Loy

Race 9

The fleet had just about recovered from the three back-to-back races the day before and with a forecast of around 12-16mph and another three races planned, the athletes donned lycra and neoprene and made their way onto the course. Conditions were a perfect 16mph from 270 degrees or west in old money. The fleet were away after a few general recalls and it was Kevan Gibb who stole the limelight with Cumbley, Tunnicliffe, Sims and Wilson in pursuit. The fleet revelled in the perfect planing conditions, the old fashioned triangle sausage course is hard to beat on a day like today. Cumbley had a healthy lead by mark 3 and worked the middle while Davis hit the left. Cumbley and Gibb were neck and neck at mark 4 but Davis had moved through to third. Sims and Tunnicliffe were the right hand losers. Up the third beat and Davis again went hard left but this time Cumbley kept an eye on him and at the top he had extended his lead. Gibb finally relinquished second at the gybe mark so the top five were, Cumbley, Davis, Gibb, Wilson and Sims.

Race 10

The fleet were a little bit over zealous and it took several attempts and two black flags to get the race away. Tunnicliffe and Steve Ede two of the casualties. The fleet divided up the beat and I strained my short vision eyesight to try and find a biblical figure walking down the middle but alas there was no bugger. Cumbley was on fire and rounded ahead of Wilson and Davis. I swear I heard Cumbley humming "anything you can do'' as he roared down the reach. Davis passed Wilson at the gybe mark and set off after the reigning champion. There were a number of capsizes but no hospitalizations as the Solo sailors piled down, around but not through the building wave patterns. Cumbley secured the bullet, Davis second, Wilson third, Sims fourth and Andrew Wilde fifth.

Re-scheduled Race 3

This was proper man-testing stuff, therefore, incredible respect for the one lady competitor, Katie Masterson who completed all three races. The wind increased to a healthy 18-24 and with a tweak to 255 degrees and a course adjustment by Ted and the team, the re-scheduled race 3 was started. Clean away and with a few OCS casualties with something to prove it was big Jim Turner who gained the bragging rights with Cumbley second and Nick Bonner who had calmed down after a difference of opinion with Chris Brown at the start of race 9, third. As the newly installed President of the N.S.C.A I plan to introduce the naughty chair for transgressors of the racing rules of sailing. The reaches were epic. I was called away to shore so could not cover the race but at the death of an awesome race it was Cumbley who secured his third bullet of the day from Davis, Sims, Tunnicliffe and Turner.

An epic day 5 at the Selden Solo Nationals at North Berwick - photo © Will Loy

So, as the fleet dragged their boats and themselves up the soft Scottish sand it would be Cumbley with a healthy five point lead over Davis with Sims a further nine points back. Tomorrow is forecast lighter and with a possible further three races and a start time of 12pm, the SELDEN Solo Nationals and Nation's Cup is not over.

Results after Day 5: