Magic Marine Solo National Championship at the WPNSA - Day 1

Event Leader Andy Davis on day 1 of the Solo Nationals at the WPNSA © Will Loy

A small but select fleet of Solos have arrived at WPNSA to contest the National Championship, no surprise really with an ominous forecast for Friday and Saturday before winds hopefully abate to a toothless force 4-5 by Sunday.

The majority of the SEVENTY sailors that have made the trip are clearly at the very top of their game, some are hungry for payback, some, eager to test themselves at the highest level and a few from the Hayling Island area, who just got lost and ended up here. Like many Americans, they generally don't travel. What is refreshing is that there are two female entrants in Ellie Cumpsty, who starred so brightly at the Nationals last year before one too many BFD and Justine Davenport from Burwain S.C. (where were you when we needed you in Carnac).

Finley Dickinson on day 1 of the Solo Nationals at the WPNSA - photo © Will Loy

There are also two competitors still under the age of drinking. Ben Nicholl 17, from West Oxfordshire S.C. and Finley Dickinson 16, from HISC have rekindled my own memories of attending a Championship when I was young and brave and everything was exciting. Unlike me, these kids are obviously pretty handy and Finley especially so, 10th overall at the Youth Laser Radials and already looking very at home in this talented fleet. There are other entrants who have peeked my interest, Laser Radial National Champion Jon Emmett is here and his result in race 4 today backed up his talent, his expression though, as he put his boat away was not one you would wish to use in a commercial to promote the Solo. Clearly, the high octane performance of Jack Holt's design is not one that raises the heartbeat to arterial failure but the tight racing in a big fleet is a recipe that continues to taste good.

Our PRO, Paul Kimmens stood aboard the Committee boat and, communicating through his hand's free device, co-ordinated the marks into position. 110 degrees and 9-10 knots so the course would be triangle - sausage. The cloud dropped lower over Portland, obscuring the giant golf ball atop the Bill. Another one of Trumps golf centres I supposed as we went into the start sequence.

One recall later and we are in to Race 1. A clear start and the 70 competitors were away with murky skies above and some huge Jellyfish below, just to add a little extra to the complexities of a championship race. At the first mark it was no other than first beat specialist and class President Doug Latta who led the way from ex local hero Mark Lee with Ian Hopwood, who had only entered at the last minute when he saw the forecast was perfect for lunatics, third. Charlie Cumbley was fourth around with Finley Dickinson fifth. The reach was slightly processional, any temptation to breach rule 42, soon quelled with an icy stare by the On Water Jury. At the bottom Latta still retained the lead but the fleet had compressed, Lee second, Cumbley, in the fabled Winder 2 5705 third and Dickinson fourth. Davis sneaked inside Hopwood who just seemed happy to let him through, no doubt looking for a massive discount on a new HD sail. Richie Bailey also benefitted from the generosity of the OK Solo sailor (see what I did there)? as the fleet headed off to the leeward mark, progressively going higher as each competitor sought to keep their wind clear. This effect allowed the front of the fleet to extend and by the top of lap two Cumbley took the lead with Lee and Dickinson biting at his neoprene coated heels. Tim Law had worked his magic to get into fourth from Richard Lovering and Davis and with hardly any distance between the top ten, it would be a nail biter down the 5.5 of a nautical mile run.

Charlie Cumbley on day 1 of the Solo Nationals at the WPNSA - photo © Will Loy

The wind had dropped to 7 knots but Cumbley who had his hair cut short for the regatta clearly benefitted from the weight loss to hold off the young gun and Lee. Lovering squeezed through to finish fourth from Alex Butler, Law and Davis.

Straight into Race 2 with the breeze holding at 9-11knots, skies still grey and heavy cloud over Portland. I took a moment to ponder and imagine life for those poor souls who live in what must be the UK equivalent to a Brazilian Equatorial forest, how they get their washing dry is anyone's guess.

Clear start with the majority opting for the pin end, either it was favoured or they spotted me there with my Fuji S1 aimed at them. Inness Armstrong nailed the pin ahead of Adam Savage, with the wind direction swinging, choosing the best lay line in would be difficult. Davis, utilising the Superspars M2 with the HD sail picked a perfect path to round first with Savage, Armstrong, Davenport, and Grafham Water's Dave Lucus fifth. The reaching legs were again not much fun, the breeze, ironically, given the forecast for the next few days, a bit boring. My driver had skilfully positioned me into position with the accuracy of a lunar landing module to capture the action as the fleet descended on the wing mark. I clicked away, only to be alerted to a warning sign on the viewfinder... no memory. In a millisecond of recollection I remembered that deletion of the SD card needed to be done before this event. I held my hand steady, continued to aim at the action while my fingers surreptitiously selected delete frame. The camera bleeping with every successful removal while I pretended to capture the action. Whether he deemed 200 bleeps overkill for a wing rounding in 10 knots I will never know.

Davis, also in the Winder 2 consolidated up the second beat, loose covering his nearest rivals and holding for his first race win of the championship. Savage held on valiantly for second, holding off a late charge from Dickinson on the final reach to the finish with Guy Mayger, my podium pick for the event, fourth. Burwain's Innes Armstrong took fifth and the scalp of Cumbley, that's pretty much all that was left for him while Law posted a seven.

Andrew Voysey on day 1 of the Solo Nationals at the WPNSA - photo © Will Loy

Race 3 and we were on schedule to get four races in today. The PRO did not hang about and, once some of the fleet who had chosen to take their lunch/change of clothes/phone/keys/wallet out and dump it on the committee boat rather than pack it on board were sated, we were into the race.

There were some UFD casualties, Tony Weatherall, Steve Denison, Richie Bailey and Dickinson. I cannot say it was really the exuberance of youth for the first three, Finley, yeah I get it. The breeze had increased to 12 knots but still crap over equatorial Portland. Savage proved that his race 2 result was no fluke, I thought we would never see him again, to round ahead of Davis with Jack Hopkins in the JP Poulson third. Cumbley, Law, Shane McCarthy and Nigel Davies all rounded within few metres as the remainder of the fleet queued up into a formal starboard lay line.

I thought Davis would extend but halfway up the second beat a big left shift left Davis above the port lay line which left him exposed from below, which is never nice anywhere. Cumbley and Hopkins took advantage and by the gun it was Cumbley who took his second bullet of the day. McCarthy and Law completed the top five and with a fourth race and discard coming into play, the scene was set for a crucial finale to day 1.

Race 4 and Hopwood nailed the pin, I did say left would pay Chris Brown and at the top mark Hoppy tacked under Taxi to lead, Danny the Dolphin acting as lead boat for the lad. Unfortunately Hopwood continued to follow the mammal while those closest sunk deep and at the wing mark Davis had the lead. Lovering and Davenport took advantage as Hopwood regained some focus to round fourth with Jon Emmett improving to fifth. The second beat saw Davis control the fleet and at the gun he took his second bullet of the day with Emmett a creditable second while Cumbley, Davenport and Hopwood completed the top five.

So, overnight it is Andy Davis who leads the Magic Marine National Championship with Charlie Cumbley, Richard Lovering, Finley Dickinson and Tim Law completing a very talented top five.

It has been a long afternoon on the water and I will not get the chance to provide a video tonight but with some serious wind forecast for tomorrow I feel there will be time!

Results after Day 1: