The Island Barn Reservoir Solo Open, part of the Thames Valley Series, took place under ideal autumn conditions on October 5th. The reservoir welcomed 16 competitors, with five representing the home club and others travelling from clubs as far as Salcombe Bay.
A warm 15 degreesC day, unseasonably pleasant for October, combined with clear skies and a steady south-easterly breeze of 10-12 knots, occasionally gusting up to 19 knots, provided a near-perfect setting for competitive sailing.
Race officer Gareth Griffiths, a former Solo sailor himself, set a triangle-sausage course for the day's races. The first race kicked off at 11 a.m., and Island Barn hero, Mike Jones, showed early promise by being the first to round the windward mark. The morning saw two tightly contested races before competitors broke for a delicious home-made lunch provided by club volunteers.
After lunch, two more races followed in the afternoon. Ian Matthews secured another win in the third race, with Dave Bull close behind in second, and Tim Lewis from the RYA finishing third. The final race of the day went to Simon Denham, rounding off a consistent series of results for him. Ian finished second, with Dave once again in third place.
At the end of the day's racing, Ian Matthews emerged as the overall winner, narrowly beating Simon Denham by just one point. Dave Bull secured third place overall. Among the Island Barn sailors, Mike Jones was the best finisher, representing his home club well against tough competition.
The day concluded with a traditional cream tea during the prize-giving ceremony, capping off a successful and enjoyable day of racing at Island Barn. Congratulations to all the sailors and a special thanks to the volunteers who made the event a great success.
Overall Results:
Pos Sail No Helm Club R1 R2 R3 R4 Pts
1st 6112 Ian Matthews Spinnaker 1 ‑7 1 2 4
2nd 5393 Simon Derham Littleton 2 2 ‑5.5 1 5
3rd 5473 Dave Bull Upper Thames 3 ‑4 2 3 8
4th 5693 Fraser Hayden Papercourt 4 1 ‑5.5 5 10
5th 6010 Tim Lewis RYA 5 ‑8 3 4 12
6th 5666 Andrew Boyce Papercourt 6 3 ‑7 6 15
7th 6088 Iain McGregor Salcombe ‑9 5 4 8 17
8th 5771 Tim Jackson Papercourt 8 6 8 ‑9 22
9th 5293 Timothy Barr Tamesis 7 ‑10 9 7 23
10th 5215 Mike Jones Island Barn 10 ‑13 10 10 30
11th 4670 Ben Russel Island Barn 12 11 11 (DNS) 34
12th 5089 Tim Medcalf Tamesis 11 9 (DNC) DNC 37
13th 5091 Tony Sproat Island Barn 14 ‑15 13 12 39
14th 5648 Tim Gabriel Island Barn 13 14 12 (DNS) 39
15th 3736 Nick Marley Island Barn (DNS) 12 RET 11 40
16th 4071 Peter Halliday Island Barn (DNS) DNS DNS DNS 51
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