Solo Allen Eastern Region Open at King George Sailing Club

Vincent Horey wins the final race at the King George Solo Open © Michael Izzat

Bright skies and a fickle breeze met the Solo sailors at King George Allen Eastern Region Open Meeting. With thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon it was decided to run three back-to-back races before the storms came.

Race 1 started with a shift to the right as the gun fired and five boats were luffed to windward of the committee and had to spin round to start. Vincent Horey was the first to break away from the fleet and led half way up the beat until he sailed into a hole. Simon Maskell and David Reekie observed this and tacked away to right and managed to sail into the lead at the windward mark. Mark Maskell was one of the boats shut out at the start and played the left to pull through to third. On the second beat Simon Maskell extended his lead, Dave Reekie went left and was never seen again and Godfrey Clark appeared from the right to jump into second to finish behind Simon with Mark coming home in third.

Race 2 started with the Maskell brothers, Horey, Reekie, Tim Lewis and Jonny Wells all having brief moments in the lead, dependent on their position on the course and who was in a zephyr at the right time. The Maskells rounded together with Horey third. At the bottom of the second beat the new breeze came in and shifted to the right. The Maskells were the correct side for the new wind and Clark lifted on the inside of Horey to take third.

The boats where now planing and the Maskells sailed away from the fleet to finish Simon first, Mark second. Horey managed to overhaul Clark on the last beat to take third.

With the breeze still building and a new course set, Race 3 got away first time with the pin end boats looking good, but not able to tack and thus were sailed to the left hand side of the beat by one of the boats that hadn't realised the course had changed. Roger Wilson and Phil Sturmer rounded the windward together with Dave Reekie in third, whilst the left hand boats reached into the mark on port. On the second Beat Horey pulled through to third and chased the two leaders downwind and was on their transoms at the leeward mark. On the final beat Horey pulled through to lead the race and Reekie looked like he was about to close into second until he hit the water in a gust. Horey extended his lead in the breeze to win followed by Wilson and Sturmer in second and third respectively.

Overall Results: