Solution_web_page » Page 16 of 26

Helm
A Mckee
C Pickles
P Worth
K Clark
S Clarke
D Butler
T Cordal
S Hoare
J Taylor
P Manning
K Hayfield
S Keeling
D Vassallo
G Wright
G Stevens
W Pickstock
A Elliott

Club
Hunts
Delph
Delph
Seafarers
Gunflet
North Staffs
Bosham
Carsington
Bartley
Delph
Delph
North Staffs
Seafarers
Seafarers
Ripon
Rudyard
Rotherham

A fleet of 17 Solutions, almost half of those built so far turned up
to Lake Bala Sailing Club on the 25th and 26th August for their
inaugural national championships. With several of the boats having
just been delivered, the morning was spent setting rigs and giving
tips to the new owners, and those who had managed to beg, borrow and
steal boats for the event. With the sun out to play the wind began
to build straight down the lake, to a very pleasant Force 3 by the
start of the first race.

Race1 began with Mckee(Hunts) and Pickles(Delph) getting away from
the pin end into clear air. The Phantom sailors, Clark(Seafarers)
and Worth(Delph) used their extra bulk to get into the leading pack
by the windward mark as the breeze continued to build up the first
beat. Behind them the pack was tightly packed. Mckee managed to pull
away in clear air to an impressive win, leaving a tough battle for
second. Clark, the boats designer, thought he had it sewn up, only
to be caught on the line by Worth. The biggest smile in the fleet
going to Wendy Pickstock(Rudyard Lake) for avoiding last place in her
first championship race.

Race 2 began in the same fantastic conditions, but the start became
more competitive with 6 boats returning having jumped the gun. This
included race one winner Mckee who immediately headed out to the
right hand side of the course. Clark went left on a lift and
initially looked good, but as the left hand group were forced to
tack by the shore it became clear that this was not the place to be.
Mckee played the shifts almost to perfection to again lead at the
windward mark, constantly keeping an eye on the fleet ahead to
predict the fastest path upwind. Ted Cordal(Bosham) came through
into second after initially leading the fleet. Again Mckee sailed
off into clean air, leaving the battle for second, Pickles
eventually overhauling Cordal on the second beat.

The Solutions went alone for race three, the other fleets watching
from the shore as the wind rose to Force 5. Worth won the start and
led at the first mark, followed by Mckee who had been buried at the
start. Mckee used his downwind speed to get past after Worth almost
tripped up on the second gybe. Mckee found he should have gone to
specsavers, as he headed off to the wrong mark letting Clark and
Pickles through. As the wind gained strength Pickles dropped off the
pace upwind, and Clark covered well to lead. Mckee got back into
second as Worth lost it in the last gybe. Everyone came off the
water with huge smiles, with many of the spectators asking for test
sails after seeing what these boats can do.

Sunday dawned to lighter weather, and Mckee in a commanding
position. Race 4 started with a big left hand shift allowing Pickles
to get off into an early lead. Mckee saw that his main rival, Clark
had got buried in the pack set off in chase, but Pickles held on by
a boat length at the finish. Behind them the lighter helms were
begning to show, with Clarke(Gunfleet) and Hoare(Carsington) taking
up the next two placings. This left Mckee the champion with a race
to spare.

The final race saw Mckee shoot off into a big lead, having got his
starting sorted out. A close battle for second between Butler(North
Staffs) and Clark, with the rest of the fleet tightly bunched
behind. The wind then filled in from behind bunching the fleet.
Mckee managed to hold off Butler on the line to take the win.
Pickles came through to third to secure second overall, closely
followed by Katherine Hayfield in fourth to take the ladies crown.

All the competitors agreed that this was a fantastic event, with
many faces in the top positions. Sponsorship from Harken meant that
the prizes could be shared throughout the fleet, this has been
cemented by the award of the Ted Funnell Memorial Trophy for the mid
fleet placed sailor. The fleet would like to thank Ted's family who
donated the trophy, Ted had one of the first boats on order, but
unfortunately passed away before he had a chance to take delivery.
Given the number boats still out on test sails, even after the prize
giving the class can only grow, and with such a good quality product
with bullet proof hulls from Ovingtons there should be an excellent
turn out next year.