Solo Open 2025

Published 11:47 on 30 Jul 2025

South West Solo Travellers' series at Teign Corinthian Yacht Club, 20^th September 2025

The day started with a beautiful rainbow arching across the river, and with a forecast of consistent S SSW winds of around 14knots gusting to 30!

Having enjoyed bacon butties and a cuppa whilst waiting for the tide to flood enough to launch 7 TCYC boats and three visitors took to the water and headed towards Flow Point and the waiting committee boat. Steve Pocock, the race officer, had set a "butterfly" course to make best use of the available water and started the 1^st race in about 14 knots of wind. After the 1^st lap Gary Molton and Malcom Davies, (both TCYC) were 1^st and second with Steve Roberts of Torpoint Mosquitos 3^rd. As the 2^nd lap progressed it was clear that the wind was dropping so the RO shortened the course from 3 laps to 2 laps giving a race time of 30 minutes. The 1^st 5 boats maintained their positions, but places changed in the other half of the fleet, Owen martin making up a place after his award winning capsize in the 1^st lap!

After a brief pause the wind picked up and the second race started with a consistent breeze from the SSW. The 1^st lap saw Andrew Bowness from Barnt Green in the lead followed by Malcom and Gary. Halfway through the second lap and the clouds opened to give a few minutes of torrential rain. At the end of lap 2 Andrew and Malcom well still in 1^st and 2^nd but Steve had managed to overtake Gary to move into 3^rd place.

And then the tide started to ebb and the wind died. The RO "jumped" into a rib and shortened course at the top of the second beat. As the fleet was well spaced, he finished the boats on the water with a W flag. The top Three were now Malcom 1^st, Andrew 2^nd and Gary Third.

The wind now decided it wanted to blow from the East, so to get a third race in before we ran out of water a new course was set using an existing laid mark in the river which necessitated a Starboard hand rounding just to make things interesting! The wind decided to make things interesting as well turning the 1^st run into a beat, a trick it would play again later. The leading three however remained consistent with Malcom 1^st, Charlie Tolcher (TCYC) in an wooden Solo 2^nd and Vernon Perkins from South Cerney 3^rd.

Results were Malcom Davies (TCYC) 1^st, Gary Molton (TCYC) 2^nd and Andrew Bownes (Barnt Green Sailing Club) 3^rd.

Last updated 11:47 on 30 July 2025