Solo sailors are not alone at Chichester

Chichester Yacht Club had a great weekend of coaching and sailing in fantastic weather.
Solo training at Chichester Yacht Club / Picture by Stephen GreenSolo training at Chichester Yacht Club / Picture by Stephen Green
Solo training at Chichester Yacht Club / Picture by Stephen Green

On the Saturday there was adult race coaching and Solo coaching. The wind defied the forecasters and produced perfect conditions for CYC’s Solo class coaching day.

Eight CYC Solo sailors were joined by six from Dell Quay SC for an informative day of instruction by RYA national coach and top-flight Solo sailor Ross Harvey of HISC.

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Adult race coaching was led by Pete Harrison was, as requested by participants, focused on roll tacking. Four boats took part in a very informal and fun day’s sailing session in near -perfect weather.

Next day, there was a good turnout for the last three races of the Autumn series at Chichester Yacht Club on Sunday.

With fine sunny weather and a light breeze as forecast, the sailors took to the water. The early start and light breeze proved deceptive. As the competitors got on the water, the steady ten-knot wind with minimal gusts turned into a 15-knot wind gusting up to 20 knots.

This became more apparent as the sailors shifted from a reach into a beat and got hit by the north-east breeze whipping down from Dell Quay. One or two sailors went in at this point – both in the water and back to the shore. Some stayed ashore in the sheltered CYC garden preferring an early lunch to further hard work, while others swapped rigs for a further attempt at the racing.

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In the fast/modern fleet, the 2000 contingent was led by John and Pauline Cox in the first two races while they chased closely by Helen and Mark Green, Chris Hodge and Louise Varley and Al and Manu Jenkin.

The Coxes kept ahead and were first 2000 in both races, second overall in the first race and first overall in the second. Meanwhile Nick and Roger Elliman had a good outing in their RS400, leading on the water through all three races, only really given any close racing in the second race by Tony Purser in the RS 600, who was close behind.

The Ellimans took two first places and one second on handicap. Meanwhile the Coxess took a well-earned rest in the last race and the Jenkins took second place.
In the medium/classic fleet there were four main players at the top of the fleet in each race holding the first four places. The Lasers of Tim Boon and Ian Payne and the Solos of Ian Lissamore and Mark Harper had very close racing in each pair in all three races.

In the Lasers Boon finished ahead of Payne in each race, with a first in each race, while Payne had two second places. Ian Lissamore also had three close races with Mark Harper, keeping ahead in all three races, taking a second and two thirds on handicap.
These were the last races in the series.

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Final series results: Fast/Modern - 1 Chris Hodge & Louise Varley (2000), 2 Al & Manu Jenkin (2000), 3 Nick & Roger Elliman (RS400). Medium/classic: 1 Mark Harper (Solo), 2 Ian Lissamore (Solo), 3 Ian Payne (Laser).

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