Solo Thames Valley Series at Burghfield Sailing Club

Solo Thames Valley Series at Burghfield © Alex & David Irwin / www.sportography.tv

The BSC Solo Open on 21st April saw 13 visitors join six locals for the third event in this year's Thames Valley Solo Series.

Watching the weather forecasts throughout the week leading up to the event the predictions were for the arrival of summer with soaring temperatures and light winds. Arriving at the club early to clear blue skies, temperature already more than we have witnessed so far this year all that was missing was the constant force three! The lake had patchy areas of breeze at the top end towards the M4 but only a force one in the "gusts" at best. The race officer Deryck Lovegrove took the briefing and got us on the water setting a course that used the top of the lake in an attempt to give the sailors a fighting chance to keep their boats moving.

Race one got underway with a light and fickle wind and, at the end of a rather cagey first lap, Fraser Haydon was leading followed by local helm Richard Willetts and James Boyce. This trio along with Tim Lewis stayed in contention, with Richard Willets getting a great wind shift which took him into the lead with two legs to go, a lead which he maintained to the finish followed by Fraser and James. Richard only received a new designed laminate sail from Edge that morning so that first win was made all the more impressive.

Solo Thames Valley Series at Burghfield - photo © Paul Bristow

The intention was to complete 4 races, two before and two after lunch, but as the first race had taken longer than anticipated the second morning race was cancelled and the fleet headed back to the club house for spot of lunch.

Heading out for race two we had breeze across the lake but once underway it returned to a light, fickle, shifty breeze and again more prominent at the top of the lake. A few helms had been stranded on the start and didn't get the start they would have liked but James Boyce got away along with Tim Lewis Godfrey Clarke, Nick Jackson and Mike Wilkie, it was nip and tuck to the finish with Tim taking the win from James and Godfrey.

With race three now being the final race of the day, it was all to play for with James, Tim, Fraser, Godfrey and Richard all in contention and at the end of the first lap James was leading from Tim, Fraser and Godfrey, racing continued to be cagey with James and Fraser in a battle with Fraser getting ahead, the leaders split on the downwind leg with James now taking the lead at the start of the third and final lap from Godfrey, Tim, Richard and Fraser, the excitement built over the final lap with it still in the balance and James crossed the line in first place followed by Godfrey, Fraser and Tim. Congratulations to James who mastered the tricky light conditions to take the Open win from Tim Lewis in second and Godfrey Clark in third.

Solo Thames Valley Series at Burghfield - photo © Alex & David Irwin / www.sportography.tv

Back in the clubhouse for the presentation where tea and cakes were consumed and the prize giving took place with the BSC commodore and the BSC Solo fleet captain presenting the glassware and Trophy, nice to see the event has become a family affair with both James and his father Andrew now having their names engraved on the BSC Solo Open Shield.

James thanked the club, the BSC volunteers, the caterers for putting on a great day and offered special thanks to the race officer Deryck Lovegrove who despite really difficult conditions managed to get three races in and set courses that gave really close tight racing with the winner being decided on the last lap of the last race.

Overall Results: