UK Long distance: The Solent Slog @Weston SC

Photo: Rich Thoroughgood – Start , Viper F16 leading on real time…

Photo: Rich Thoroughgood – Start ,M20 from Thames Raiders team

Photo: Rich Thoroughgood – Tek Cat

Photo: Rich Thoroughgood – 1st Nacra F20 in UK
All Photos courtesy of Rich Thoroughgood
M20, Nacra F20, TekCat 20, Viper F16, Nacra Inf, Hobie Wildcat and Windrush Edge among others at Weston SC.

Report By Rich Thoroughgood
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The Solent Slog sponsored by Wildwind Sailing holidays, is the reinvention of Weston SC’s (UK) long distance race for multihulls. Historically a fast cat race, this year the fleet was opened up to slower cats and monohulls of PY952 and lower, and tuned to be a two day event rather than a one day race.

Saturday dawned and with many competitors already in attendance having camped in the field nestled between the club and Netley’s picturesque castle, the remainder began arriving greeted by bright sunshine and light southerly winds.

The format for the first day consisted of two events that ran concurrently, a short distance race along Southampton Water and back, and GPS speed trials. The option was open to partake in either or both, with many opting to use the distance race to ensure the boat was prepped, before attempting to register their quickest speed in the dying breeze.

Leading the multihulls out of the blocks, the highly experienced pairing of Will Sunnocks and Oli Egan in their M20 Vampire led the fleet from start to finish. With the fleet still beating there way up Southampton Water, Sunnocks and Egan hoisted there enormous blue asymmetric at the windward mark and disappeared. Chasing hard, Nick Elmore and Kyle Stoneham on the new Nacra 20’s UK racing debut finished second on the water, with the Aussie pairing of Brett Burvil and Ryan Duffield in their new F18 design, The Edge finishing third. After calculating the results Elmore and Stoneham were announced as winners of the practice race to a popular reception on the boat’s first outing.

Due to the light winds for the day, the GPS event was extended to include the following days racing, establishing the over night leaders as Elmore and Stoneham reaching an impressive 17.7 knots in the fickle breeze.

So the big day dawned, with a light northerly breeze the talk whilst rigging was already of a shortened course. A combined downwind start for both mono and multihulls saw the likes of Chris and Georgie Brown in their RS400 getting in amongst the thick of it, flanked by the larger multihulls rendering their asymmetric pointless against the colourful wall of cat kites.

The Solent Slog was now underway, and what a slog it was to be. The fleet headed out to the deep water channel, continually gybing to try and effect the quickest exit from Southampton Water. Approaching Calshot a clear lead had been established by the big boys in the M20, Nacra 20 and Tek-Kat, whilst the monohulls steadily brought up the rear. And then the inevitable happened. The gradient breeze started the switch off as the sea breeze started to build in the western Solent. The result being boats scattered around the race course, each lying in different directions and each having their moment of personal glory, only to come to a grinding holt again whilst watching the boat 10 metres away sail off in their own private zephyrs. With the multihull fleet drifting towards Gillkicker, the monohulls behind picked up the beginnings of the sea breeze, carrying them all the way around the multihull fleet with Junis Rindermann audibly wooping all the way whilst wiring with kite up on his RS700. His cheer’s were short lived however as the monos were only to dumped firmly in the middle of the cat fleet after gybing back for the mark. Unknown to the remainder of the fleet, the young Brown boat (29er) crewed by Amber and Jamie were on a flyer. Carrying their own private turbo charged wind system, the 29er arrived at the turning mark first, astonishing all around and causing serious questions of the event tracking system. Sure enough their luck ran out too, with the front runners of the multihull fleet including Grant Piggot and Andrew Sinclair on their Nacra Infusion, and Chris Sproat and Georgina Burke on their F16 Viper using the building sea breeze to sneak in between the 29er and the mark.

With all competitors around Gillkicker the building sea breeze effectively started the race again for the now tightly bunched fleet. With the form book turned on it’s head the remainder of the race saw all manner of smaller boats racing alongside or ahead of the larger more powerful 20 footers. By Prince Consort the sea breeze was firmly established and gusting up to 27 knots. Revelling in the conditions Sunnocks and Egan in their Vampire had opened up a commanding lead with the Nacra 20 closing fast, and the remaining bunch behind hanging on far too tightly to allow either of the leading boats any chance of winning overall. Prince Consort also signalled the split in course between the monos and multis, with the multis continuing to Peters of May off the entrance to the River Beaulieu, whilst the monos banged a hard left for home.

The Solent chop and strong winds were now proving to be survival conditions for some, Duncan and Cathy Haynes retiring and proving discretion was the better part of valour on their first major outing in their Nacra Infusion, and Jim Mundy parting company with his carbon flyer Tek-Kat, requiring assistance from a fellow competitor to be re-united with his stead. Another casualty although they would not quit, was the young dynamos in the 29er. Leaping from wave to wave on the dash back to Southampton Water, and now sailing in close proximity to Mum and Dad in their RS400, their fun was brought to an end in spectacular fashion as they ploughed their bow in to rouge wave, violently ejecting the pair of them.

Whilst the monos were starting to head home, the multi fleet now on a shortened course were rounding Peters & May and readying themselves for the sleigh ride that was to follow. The fleet arrived at the entrance to
Southampton Water in no time at all, not surprisingly the highest speeds of the weekend were achieved on the leg with the M20 Vampire registering 23 knots and the Aussies in F18 The Edge a close 22.1 knots to take the speed king crown after rating applied. The fleet thankfully turned in to Southampton water relatively unscathed. The Tek-Kat had to put in to Calshot beach to effect repairs, whilst the Hobie Wildcat of Matt Humphreys and Luke Yeates arrived with the main torn two thirds up from luff to leech. The remainder of the race sailed was sailed in the lee of Fawley’s shore and consequently much less breeze, ensuring a safe return for all.

As a result of the effective restart at Gillkicker this was never going to be a big boats race, and the results agreed. First overall went to the smallest boat in the mutlti fleet with Sproat & Burke in their F16 Viper, second went to the home talent of Piggot and Sinclair with third awarded to Toby Orpin and Lewis Crawford. The young Brown crew in the 29er put in a sterling effort to finish 3rd in the mono fleet, receiving a rapturous applause when collecting their glassware, second went to Junis Rindermann in his RS700, with Mum and Dad Brown taking the win overall in their RS400.

Full results and event photos are available on the club’s event page
www.weston.org.uk
Results