Solo Open Meeting 7^th June

Driving Rain and a cold fresh North Easterly wind greeted the 11 visitors and 16 home boats who arrived early in the morning for the 2009 Shustoke Solo Open meeting on 7^th June.

Before everybody got onto the water the rain had abated to a drizzle, but unfortunately the wind had also dropped away to almost nothing and became very variable in direction. This gave Race Officer, Jim Hopton a difficult task and he had no choice but to postpone and change both the course and starting line for the first race.

With a clean start, first at the windward mark was Chris Brown (RYA) with last year's winner Stuart Hydon from the home club a close second. Another home club boat, Nigel Wilkins was lying third with Gareth Wilkinson from Chelmarsh fourth.

By the end of the next leg it was Hydon who had taken the lead from Brown and with a strengthening wind he pulled ahead to win the race by a comfortable margin. Brown had slipped back and it was Wilkinson who crossed the line in second place just ahead of Steve Venables from the home club who had pulled through the fleet to come in third with Brown fourth.

The rain had abated during the first race and the wind appeared more settled as Jim Hopton took the fleet out for the second race.

With a change of course the fleet got away again at the first attempt and this time it was Kevin Rose from the home club who was first at the windward mark, followed in second by fellow club member Peter Maidment and Tony Hannan from Colemere in third place. Stuart Hydon sailed a magnificent second beat to go from fifth to first place and the finishing order was Hydon with Hannan second, Rose third and Robert Smith from the home club fourth.

The sun came out over lunch, the temperature rose and the wind steadied to a force 2 for the third and final race. Once again the disciplined fleet got away at the first attempt and the race was lead in the early stages by Steve Venables, followed by Hannah Showell, also from Shustoke. In third place was Chris Brown with Stuart Hydon in fourth. As the race progressed Hydon proved once again his superior boat speed and tactics to pull past the other boats whilst Venables dropped back some places. At the finish it was Hydon with a comfortable lead followed by Brown in second, Showell in third and Venables in fourth.

With three wins it was a comfortable win for Stuart Hydon.

Final Finishing Positions

Full Results HERE