Issue 2 December 2025
Membership Secretary John Steels works his Solo upwind
SOLO Magnificent
www.solosailing.org.uk
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Editorial Will Loy
Merry Christmas and a very successful New Year to all our members. It has been quite a di ffi cult 2025 for myself, various injuries keeping me out of my Thresher but fortunately not stopping me from getting afloat to cover some great Solo events. The Nation’s Cup on Lake Como my highlight though the action in North Berwick was as dramatic as the storm that hit the Italian town at the opening ceremony. The camaraderie between the UK and Dutch fleets continues to blossom though there seems to be a shift in power towards the Orange army. No surprise as their own class association has really stepped up the game in terms of promotion and coaching, the UK fleet send our regards and look forward to renewing there friendly rivalry in Quiberon in 2026. I fully recommend anyone to book this Championship in, it will be epic. Royal Torbay is an iconic British venue and the National Championship in August is over 4 days so we hope you can compete at both events and they are both family friendly! Lastly, thank you to all who support the NSCA, we hope that all the events we organise in 2026 provide you with the impetus to race your Solo, whether at club, open meeting, Super Series or Championship level. In this issue
Tim Law continues to perform at a level few could match and at an age when most would be walking around with a stick, Though his major successes have been in the Laser/ILCA class, which I might add is a very demanding design, he has finished in the top ten in all the Solo Championships he attended and these include podium places. His article on crossover skills and fitness is some pretty handy information, I suggest you consume it and copy for instant improvement. Mark and Simon Maskell have been competing with each other since birth, the two Essex based sailors now racing their respective Solos after some time sharing the Fireball. They both featured at the recent Midland Championship, Simon just a little too punchy in race 1, OCS but he does have the bragging rites over who has the brightest Solo. The Eastern Area fleet is growing in size and talent, these twins should feature heavily in 2026.
Paul Davis had an awesome season, read his article.
The B Plan sail has been around for longer than anyone can remember but it has been used in anger very rarely, possibly because it is only seen as an absolute last resort to get on the water. With the Committee’s approval I am investigating ways to make the B Plan more user friendly, my aim, to provide a rig that operates at its optimum and looks as close to the A Rig in silhouette. I would like to see those who are possibly too light for the A Rig choose this optional rig so they can enjoy the virtues of the Solo design without being overpowered in anything over 12 knots. Steve Townsend has some wonderful memories of Solo yesteryear and has probably owned more Solos than Chris Brown and Patrick Burns combined. His article gives us an insight into some of the designs that are now obsolete and some that are still worth saving. The Vintage Solos are still close to my heart and I hope to race my Thresher at some in 2026 while continuing to provide media, albeit from the back of the fleet. See you at the 2026 Dinghy Show, prelude to a great season.
President’s Report Guy Mayger With 2025 drawing to a close, I thought it would be a good time to have a little review of the year and a look ahead to the 2026 season for the National Solo class. Once again, it’s been another solid season for the class with racing taking place throughout the UK region with fleets at club, open meeting, Area and national level continuing to show what a strong and active fleet we are. Solo 2025 wrap up and look forward to 2026.
Club wise, the hotspots of Salcombe and Hayling Island lead the way for weekend racing fleets pushing, and sometimes exceeding, twenty boats. With some new Solo converts joining the mix (welcome Paul Haswell, Simon Lytton) the racing is super competitive which is providing weekend fun and a great training ground for those looking to head to the Open and Super Series events. Elsewhere, the likes of Shustoke SC (hello Jamie and Olly), South Sta ff s SC (Sam, Jonathan) and the ever-present Scottish fleet, continue to show that if you want competitive fleet racing, the Solo is really the boat to get. Of course, there are many other clubs with equally strong racing who I’ve failed to mention! At open meeting and Area level, the class with support from the host clubs, laid on over 50 events through the 2025 season. This is a huge testament to the e ff orts of all the Area reps who do all the leg work to ensure a full schedule available and, as class president, I am extremely appreciative of their work. Combined with these events, we’ve also managed to run a number of training days which are free to class members. The response from those taking part has been excellent as it gives the regular club sailors and opportunity to quiz and be coached by some of our top-class sailors. How many sports (or classes) can you receive free training from the National champion? For 2026 we plan to continue with the training days and we’ve also worked on improving the open meeting calendar to avoid event clashes as much as possible to help make it easier for sailors to attend more open events. And so to 2026! For those unaware, 2026 marks the National Solo class 70 th anniversary. Jack Holt, OBE (below right) first designed the boat we know and love in 1956, and since then it has become a staple of the UK dinghy racing scene. 6100 plus boats later, we continue to be a major force in UK sailing with many champions coming to the fleet for the excellent racing. With the anniversary in mind, we will be holding a celebration at the Spring Championships at Hayling Island (25/26 th April) where we hope to have former champions competing and members of the Holt family in attendance. Prior to this event we will have an anniversary focussed Dinghy Show 21/22 nd February) stand, which will also be in combination with Winder Boats, who celebrate their own 50 year anniversary! Amazing achievement Guy, Dave, Sarah and the team.
50th Anniversary 1976-2026
Meanwhile, let’s get training, perform to the best of our abilities and continue to enjoy our amazing class. Moving into the main season, our two big events will be the Nations Cup at Quiberon (4th – 7th June) and the Nationals hosted by Royal Torbay Yacht Club (5th – 9th August). Full details for the NOR and entry details are just being completed and will be made available early in the New Year. For the Nations Cup, please see the host clubs website information here https://www.srsp.fr/ using Google translate if your French isn’t quite up to it. Please note that this location is the Ecole de voile A.S.N rather than the town, but just across the peninsular. The venue has larger facilities which should work perfectly for the Solo fleet and the Contenders and Finns who’ll be joining us over the weekend. I haven’t sailed here before, but all reports are extremely positive. For those who’ve been to Carnac, the Ecole de voile A.S.N is across the bay to the South West and o ff ers similar conditions and close access to more open water should the weather be suitable. France in June, you can’t go far wrong. From Quiberon, we then head to the Riviera of the South West, Torbay, for a return to the ever-popular Royal Torbay Yacht Club https://rtyc.org/ I’m particularly excited for this one as I’ve raced several Fireball championships out of RTYC, back in the day. Torbay are one of the UK’s premier championship venues and host multiple regattas each year with the promise of excellent race management on the water, alongside a fine, long-established club. Summer sailing in the bay can provide a full range of conditions and will prove a testing challenge for the whole fleet. With that, I’d like to wish you all seasons greeting and I very much look forward to the year ahead.
Sail fast, sail smart, Guy Mayger (El Prez)
Solo Season Review 2025
The recent Ferry Marina Solo End of Season Championship brought to an end an action packed year of racing in an iconic single hander which continues to draw healthy attendances across the UK and the Netherlands. The UK fleet is divided into Scottish, Northern, Midland, Southern, Western, Eastern and Thames Valley areas and each have around 8 Open Meetings and an Area Championship over the sailing season (March-Nov). Long time Solo sailor Kev Gibb (below right) claimed the HD Sails Scottish series in some style, winning the final two events, Loch Lomond and Dalgety Bay to pip Charlie Brecknell for another title. Stuart Gibson and Ross Watson had shown they know how to win and will surely wipe the smile of Kev’s face in 2026.
Photo credit: Steve Fraser
The Northern title went to Steve Denison (above left) with wins at Ogston, Leigh and Lowton and a windy Budworth with Martin Honnor and Innes Armstrong keeping the Winder jockey on his toes for the season. There is plenty of talent up North with sailors pushing each other to ever higher levels of performance and Martin is always good for a capsize to add some drama to a race. Over the 7 events entry levels averaged just over 17 Solos. Jonathan Swain has taken on the role of Midland Area Rep and so winning the series seems fitting. Wins at Draycote and Chase were enough to hold o ff a fast improving Jamie Cuxson and multiple title holder Chris Brown in his works CB Coverstore Solo. Mention to Olly Saunders, Sam Bailey, and young guns, the Marlow brothers who are young, keen and hungry, while Mr and Mrs Instone continue to impress at events too. There were 9 open meetings averaging 15 per event. The Eastern Area series was won by Mark Maskell with bullets at Blackwater, Harwich and Fishers Green, three very di ff erent venues and exemplifying his mastery of estuary, Sea and pond, the
East coast o ff ers some great sailing. Chris Bunn and Bryan Morum completed the podium, Morum racing his Miles build 4443 showing that a good woody is still competitive. Steve Bishop and Chris Bolton kept the guys honest, more practice over the Winter could see further improvement in 2026. The 10 events averaged 12 per open meeting.
Jonathan Swain
Mark Maskell
The Southern Series, sponsored by Superspars and Cb Coverstore was won by Alex Butler (below left) with wins at his home club HISC and Papercourt, always a hotbed of competition. Chris Brown and Fraser Hayden completed the top three and special mention to Mike Barnes racing his wooden Beckett 3847 to 9th overall and he competed in 8 events. Over the 10 events entry averaged 22 Solos. Ian Matthews won the Thames Valley Series from Mark Maskell and Fraser Hayden, his highlights, wins at West Oxford, Littleton and Papercourt with Maskell finishing on equal points but piped on number of wins. Over the 9 events, attendance averaged just under 16.
Finally the Western Series sponsored by P+B and Dinghy Shack and Mike Dray (above right) took the title from Steve Roberts and Andrew Bownes, his win at Porthpean was good but his second at the Welsh Champs even better. I see big improvements coming for Roberts and Bownes if they can keep focused and driven over the Winter. Over the 7 events, entry averaged 14. There really is no better way to improve than to attend open meetings, you meet new people, see how the better sailors set their Solos up and observe how they manoeuvre. Di ff erent venues provide di ff erent challenges and there is no club race pecking order so you start with a clean slate. Fleets sizes are usually around 15-25 so not as daunting but a step up from the standard club line and once seasoned you can move up to the bigger events in the Super Series.
North Sails Super Series The Noble Marine Winter Championship was won by Oliver Davenport (below left) the fleet of 36 competitors enjoying mild conditions at Rutland, Mike Sims and Ian Walters filling the podium. Mike Sims (below right) was on form at the revised venue of Hill Head, taking the Spring Championship title from Andy Le Grece and Guy Mayger, the reduced fleet of 19 enjoying classic solent conditions. Tom Gillard. (Bottom) took the Xalient Nation’s Cup title home from Lake Como with Menno Huisman (NED) and Ted Bakker (NED) keeping him honest. Superb venue and conditions and 62 entries. Alex Butler, Mike Sims and Ewan Birkin-Walls filled the Nigel Pusinelli Trophy podium at HISC, light winds keeping the entry down but the 30 competitors enjoyed tight racing in Hayling Bay. Oliver Davenport put on an exemplary display to win all 8 races at the Noble Marine National Championship, finishing ahead of Andy Davis and Roo Purves in punishing conditions, the 45 entries certainly earning their stripes over the 3 days of racing.
Photo credit: Steve Fraser
Photo credit: Champion
So to the Ferry Marine Inland Championship and Davenport again won all the races sailed to take the title ahead of Andrew Wilde and Paul Davis, the fleet of 50 Solos enjoying a full-on day 1 before a trickier finale in lighter airs. With just the Ferry Marina EOS to go, NSCA Membership Sec and Race result guru John Steels was able to factor in best scores from one of the chosen Area Championships, winners of these included:
Southern- Andrew Wilde Eastern- Oliver Davenport Welsh- Chris Brown Western- Tim Law Northern- Dave Winder Midland- Cancelled Scottish- Charlie Bracknell
57 entries at the EOS reflected both the good weather and some breathing space from the previous event and with 7 major events under our belts, the average attendance was 44 per regatta. Jasper Barnham had a great day, taking the title with his final race bullet from Oliver Davenport and Mike Sims with Andy Carter pipping Charlie Cumbley for a memorable fourth. Davenport therefore is the 2025 North Sails Super Series Champion from Mike Sims, Andrew Wilde, Paul Davis and Chris Brown. A great e ff ort by all who have entered a major event or more through this season, we hope you enjoyed the racing, the camaraderie, the prize pots from our generous sponsors and most of all the Solo experience. 2026 promises lots of action and our reps have ensured clashes of the bigger events will be minimised, the highlights which you really should attend are the National Championship in Torbay, the Nation’s Cup in Quiberon and the Inland Championship at Grafham Water. It would be great to hit the 100 mark at any of these in our 70th Anniversary year. The 2026 Calendar is already set and published elsewhere on our site www.solosailing.org.uk, Please do consider attending events next year and if you do not own a Solo there is no better time than now to purchase one, new or secondhand, the memories will last a lifetime. Sail Solo, established in 1956 and still going strong.
Photo credit: Steve Fraser
Elaine Turner finished a creditable 22nd in North Berwick
Steve Denison displaying perfect poise and balance on the centreboard of his stricken Winder at the gybe mark, North Berwick. Note how he keeps the rudder neutral, reducing aerodynamic drag to zero. Photo credit;Steve Fraser
Dutch Solo Review 2025 Ted Bakker
The 2025 Solo season turned out to be one of variety, strong competition, and memorable moments. From classic Dutch lakes to the mountains of Lake Como, and ending with a world-class sailor joining our fleet. With growing participation and a healthy mix of experienced champions and enthusiastic newcomers, the class showed once again why the
Solo remains such a special boat to race. Below is my recap of an exciting season.
Ted Bakker
Event 1 – NK Sprint, Sneekermeer We opened the year in May with the National Sprint Championship on the Sneekermeer, where 38 Solos lined up for short, intense races. Saturday’s light winds suited the clever tacticians: Jelmer Kuipers and I found ourselves matching each other closely, finishing the day tied at the front with a small gap to the fleet. On Sunday, the breeze picked up and the racing became more physical. After a series of fast, tight heats, I managed to take the sprint title, finishing just two points ahead of Jelmer , with Jan Pieter Braam taking a well-earned third place. A special mention goes to Saskia Arnold , who impressed many by finishing fifth overall and as best woman.
Event 2 – Spring Cup, Medemblik Only days later the fleet met again in Medemblik for the Spring Cup, joining the OKs and Contenders for a big multi-class weekend. The Solo turnout may have been modest, but the quality certainly wasn’t. The opening day o ff ered light wind and long downwinds. Koen van Esch immediately showed excellent speed, winning race 1, while Jelmer dominated the lighter races with multiple bullets. Day two, however, was all about handling the stronger breeze and chop. Koen put in an impressive 2-1-2 scoreline; Jelmer responded with two more wins, keeping the top of the leaderboard tight. On the final day the wind eased again and I managed to take a win in the last race, but Jelmer sealed the overall victory , ahead of Koen in second and myself in third.
Jelmer Kuipers
Menno Huisman
Event 3 – Xalient Solo Nations Cup, Lake Como (Bellano) June brought the highlight of the international calendar: the Xalient Solo Nations Cup at Lake Como, hosted by Circolo Vela Bellano. Few venues match the stunning combination of mountains, thermals and turquoise water and this year’s event was as challenging as it was beautiful. Tom Gillard stamped his authority early with a commanding win on day one. Day two’s lighter, shifting winds produced bigger di ff erences; sailors like Matthew Frary and Bas de Regt showcased their tactical skills. Day three returned to classic Como thermal conditions. I managed to climb steadily up the leaderboard with a race win and several top finishes, setting up an exciting final day. The concluding races were close and clean, with Gillard ultimately taking the Nations Cup title, followed by Menno Huisman in second and myself in third. Fourth and fifth went to Paul Davis and Roger Guess , highlighting the strong Dutch-British rivalry that makes this event so enjoyable.
Event 4 – Houten Solo Cup, Giesbeek In August we celebrated the craftsmanship of the class with the dedicated Wooden Solo Cup in Giesbeek. Eight wooden Solos took part. A small but passionate fleet. The winds were shifty, heavily influenced by the nearby Posbank hills. Sijbrand Jongejans handled these conditions superbly and took the overall win, with Peter Jansen finishing second and Ed van Dalen (sailing Jan Arends’ wooden Solo) closing the podium. A relaxed and friendly event, showing that the Solo’s heritage is alive and well.
Sijbrand Jongejans
Event 5 – Randmeer Race, Biddinghuizen The Randmeer Race once again delivered its trademark unpredictability. Early Saturday, Jelmer took the first win with characteristic calmness. Race two, however, completely reshu ffl ed the deck: a massive shift allowed Roel de Herder to round the first mark in front. A position he impressively defended all the way. Sunday’s three races were lively and close. In the end Jan Pieter Braam claimed the overall victory thanks to a consistent Sunday performance, with Jelmer second and myself completing the top three.
Pieter Braam
Event 6 – Open Dutch Championship (NK), Amstelmeer The main championship of the year was sailed on the Amstelmeer, and the conditions made sure it was a true test. Day one was windy enough that only two races could safely be completed, both convincingly won by Pim van Vugt . Day two o ff ered more breeze, more hiking, and once again Pim delivered two bullets establishing a clear lead. On the final day four races were sailed in lighter winds. Menno Huisman and Paul Dijkstra each captured a win, but Pim van Vugt maintained his exceptional form and secured the Dutch Championship with six wins out of eight races a dominant and well-deserved title.
Pim van Vugt
Other special honours: • Best newcomer: Johannes Reiker • Best woman: Annemieke Beemster • Best wooden Solo: Johan Geenen
Annemieke Beemster
Event 7 – Winter Championship, Loosdrecht Late October brought us to Loosdrecht for the Winter Championship. Traditional, cold, wet, and as enjoyable as ever. Under a steady 4 Bft and a heavy rain shower during race one, three short but energetic races were completed. The shifty breeze kept the beats tactical, while the final downwinds of the day provided planing conditions that put big smiles on everyone’s faces. A fitting finale to a great racing year. Or so we thought…
Simon de Rees
A Special Finale: Marit Bouwmeester Inspires the Fleet Although she did not compete, the highlight of the season’s final gathering came in the evening, when Marit Bouwmeester , Olympic Champion and the greatest female sailor of all time, joined the Solo fleet for a special presentation. Marit shared insights from her elite sailing career, speaking openly about training discipline, mental sharpness, and life at the highest level of international sport. Her presence and stories captivated the entire room and provided a deeply inspiring end to the 2025 season. Her visit underscored the welcoming, ambitious and proud spirit that defines the Solo class. A perfect closing note for an already memorable year.
Beautiful Lake Como
Crossover Techniques and Physical Conditioning Tim Law
Tim Law really requires no introduction, he has a distinguished sailing career spanning six decades, from racing the Cadet successfully with his brother Chris to winning the Fastnet Race in 1993. His successes in the ILCA class include World Masters Games Gold in the ILCA class in 2017, ILCA 7 Inland Championship wins and the Great Grand Masters ILCA World title in 2023. The Salcombe based sailor is also a long time Solo sailor with Championship race wins and overall results all inside the top ten.
2012 Nationals 7th 2013 Nationals 8th (116 entries, 2014 Nation’s Cup 7th 2016 Nationals 5th 2017 Nationals 5th 2018 Nationals (103 entries) 2018 Nation’s Cup 3rd 2019 Nation’s Cup 3rd
2021 Nationals 9th 2023 Nationals 9th
As a new season ends I have been asked to write down a few thoughts Firstly concerning any tips or techniques that I have learned from racing ILCA/lasers over the last 50 plus years that I have tried to transfer when I now race a Solo and also secondly my attempt to improve and maintain my physical fitness during my late middle age in order to try and maintain my racing performance approaching my 70th birthday. When considering whether to race either in an ILCA or a Solo initially you might do so expecting there to be little or no di ff erence as they are both are generically single-handed one design racing dinghies whereas in fact the ILCA is a very strict one design whilst the Solo although a one design allows a number of di ff erent hull shapes as well as di ff erent mast and sail options therefore multiplying the variables compared to racing an ILCA. And of course the Solo’s fundamental design also di ff ers from the ILCA in many ways including its chine hull shape, it’s rig being supported by shrouds, having a more e ff ective rudder and also allowing many di ff erent sailmakers and therefore sail shapes SELF ASSESSMENT So the first technique I try to utilise when racing a Solo is more of a psychological one. When I feel that my boat speed is slow My first thought is not that I have the wrong mast rake or the wrong sail or settings etc but instead that the problem is actually probably the way I am sailing the boat at the time ( or weed )! Because in the same situation racing an ILCA you have to think that way because it can’t be anything else as the boats are all the same! And probably, nine times out of ten that is the stark reality and believe me it works. After the race you can check on set up and settings but not whilst you are racing. Negative thoughts are slow thoughts. Pleasingly during the 15 years that I have been racing the general development of the Solo by the builders has improved the quality so much that the boats now seem to me more evenly
matched then ever. I feel this makes the class even more attractive to race in as it is more about each sailors ability rather than the equipment they use and that balance has shifted in that right direction. My attitude is to critique my own performance first than initially question my boat set up and gear. WAVES Another technique that I have tried to import from racing my ILCA experience is how I race my Solo downwind in waves As many might know in those conditions in an ILCA you should ideally never just steer a straight downwind course as you have no shrouds you can let the sail out past 90 degrees and allow yourself to sail fast by the lee with the draft flowing on the other side of your sail enabling you to surf down a wave one way and as you lose speed (or even before you lose speed) then to lu ff hard up on to a fast reach, hopefully still riding the same wave. The end result being you can achieve better VMG. Of course in a Solo to replicate exactly the same technique as you are able to do in an ILCA is not as straightforward because the Solo’s shrouds restrict you from being able let your boom out past 90 degrees. However it is still possible to do this technique more than you might think and enough to be very e ff ective in the right conditions. For example in the perfect waves o ff Hayling Island you can experience in a typical sea breeze conditions. To be successful in achieving this you have to be a little bit brave and ease the kicker/ vang more than probably you normally have done before to open the top of the leech ! As always practicing this technique will help The top guys in the ILCA Class really never steer directly downwind at 180 degrees when there are any sort of waves ! They are constantly going up and down trying to at least stay on the same wave or even catch the one in front ! GYBING Also whilst mentioning the Solo’s shrouds I must say one of the biggest challenges I and I know others have found when moving from ILCA’s to Solo’s is gybing when it’s windy ! Although generally I find it a lot easier to do a good e ff ective gybe in a Solo than I do in an ILCA in most conditions.When it gets windy mainly because of the Solo having shrouds it becomes a great deal more tricky to avoid a capsize ! In an ILCA you can survive having bad technique in strong winds but often in a Solo you can’t. Because if you miss time things such as not centralising the tiller and then allow the boom to crash into the shroud which then holds the power of the wind in the sail it often means a capsize ! Whereas in an ILCA if you mess up you can just let the main sheet go and release the power out of the sail. Also as an aside I notice in a Solo, people generally gybe too often downwind on shifts when actually it would have paid them to run deeper by the lee particularly at times if it is just a temporary small wind shift. By gybing too much how ever good you are at it can cost distance.
HIKING Another technique which I have found a challenge to transfer to the Solo is the straight leg hiking technique that evolved many years ago in the ILCA class. Up until then Solo sailors principally ‘drop hiked’ as they also did in other classes such as the Finn and OKs etc. The straight leg hiking technique I find harder to do and you need to be ‘ sailing fit ‘ to do it but I know it’s more e ff ective and you only need to watch our recent Champions such as Charlie Cumbley, Ollie Davenport, Ben Flower and others to see firstly how to do it properly and also how e ff ective it is to help keeping their boats as flat as possible more of the time and therefore faster upwind.
2023 National Champion Ben Flower Straight leg hiking = Max Leverage
VANG \KICKER The final thing I would like to mention as being relatively light now at 81 kilos I try when racing a Solo in a strong and steady breeze to use even more vang/ kicker than perhaps the norm and like we use racing in ILCAs so as to ‘ blade out’ the sail and therefore de-power the rig. This technique needs to be used cautiously in a really gusty strong breeze as the very tight leech it causes makes bearing away and tacking more challenging. Although unlike the ILCA the Solo control lines are so much better it’s relatively simple to ease and then tighten the Vang before and after tacking. PHYSICAL The second aspect I have been asked to comment on is the physical conditioning element that can help general performance. About fifteen years ago finding I had a little more time I decided to try and focus on improving my performance on the water One of the areas I felt I could provide a possible incremental performance gain was improving my physical condition. With this in mind I knew there are no short cuts and I would have to commit to a program that was obviously e ff ective but importantly sustainable. I.e. don’t give up !
Check Out Tim’s Workout Routine https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPg0vnjDETs/
Tim works his Winder upwind at Pwllheli 2016
Tim feathers his Solo through the Hayling Bay chop 2023
The aim was to find something that engaged me and also to find a good environment to do it that would hopefully get me aerobically fitter, stronger, Five kilos heavier and ideally get rid of various lifetime accumulated aches and pains I was lucky as firstly i met a physiotherapist who has since become a good friend who had just started his own practice having recently retired from the role of Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club’s physiotherapist He not only has sorted my body aches and pains out but at that first meeting he put me in touch with a fantastic Physical Trainer who having retired as a professional rugby player had started his own ‘gym’ in a nearby farm yard ! He began training me immediately and I have since averaged three sessions every week every year since and we now train in his purpose built Cross fit gym ( Box). My training focuses on all types of strength and conditioning including weight training, gymnastics, cardio and Pilates, all backed up by a very good high protein focused diet My initial motivation for this was to try and improve my performance on the International Masters ILCA circuit. And it has been very e ff ective in doing that and I believe it has also helped my Solo sailing as well as improving my well being both physically and mentally and I would recommend a similar approach to anyone our fantastic sport encompasses I believe most of us that race understand that as there are so many of these di ff erent aspects involved then just by getting a little bit fitter and stronger can provide us with a strong base to then help us tackle all those other aspects more e ff ectively.
Happy Christmas and look forward to a wonderful 2026 season on the water Tim
Tim won the ILCA World Masters Games Gold in Auckland, NZ 2017
Tim cheats the tide at the Salcombe Western Championship 2025, winning overall.
Solo Class Ambassador Steve Townsend A sailor who sails and promotes the Solo Class
The Class is lucky to have amongst its ranks, a number of essential yet unseen characters who, like missionaries spreading the word of God, seem to have spent their whole lives preaching about the virtues of the National Solo and in doing so, converted the non believers into the welcoming arms of the NSCA. Steve Townsend is such a person and has provided us with a really colourful and humorous insight into all things Solo.
Ambassador champion Will Loy asked me for an article for this magazine about my experiences, boats and people I have met over the last 52 years of Solo sailing. Since most readers are Solo association members I’m a bit unsure about what subjects to cover. So a bit about me, comments about the characteristics of wooden boats I have owned.My thoughts on tuning and trim providing the basis for my observations of Solo racing from the committee boat in the next issue. So a bit about me I started sailing Gulls and Leaders with my school in 1965 on a gravel pit near Theale near Reading. Much better than Rugby and Cricket obviously during spring and autumn. In the winter the boats needed to be varnished and painted so o ff to a local workshop by bike in frosts and snow to get the Gull fleets ready for the season ahead. Gulls are great. Actually nothing has changed . Its my retirement job now, finding and doing up Solos and recently other wooden or composite dinghies. Joining a youth sailing group I sailed from Burghfield, Chidham/Bosham and Lyme Regis in the school holidays. Lyme Regis bay is a spectacular place to sail especially as a “ no fear “youth I remember sailing a borrowed Minisail three miles o ff shore with a sea mist and a large swell. Surfing back was “quite” fast. So much so that I decided to buy a Minisail kit to build on the lawn at home. It came in a box consisting of plywood ,sails, glass kit, spars. What a great start.
Action from the Vintage Championship 2025
Now nearly 20, I decided I should sail a Merlin Rocket, a Proctor MK 6, a river boat with a very tall mast made by Needlespar. My then girlfriend got fed up with crewing it because every seam leaked, it was sold and I bought and Enterprise instead, then another. Sailing on a little pond was not that great so I joined Reading Sailing club— where I met Will’s father Bill Loy who suggested I should get a Solo as couldn’t get a crew so I bought my first Solo 661 ex Junior Champion boat. And that was the start of my sailing SOLO career. Venue Memories I have sailed in Holland, Hayling, Plymouth, most clubs in the Thames Valley Largs ,Pitsford, Rutland, Whitstable and more. Holland is must do if you get the chance for sailing and hospitality. We camped next to the Masten Bar in Enheuzein . The event was sponsored by Heineken.Oh dear there were a few hangovers. Fred Imho ff won he was FD World champion at the time. Hayling HISC OMG lots of wind lots of tide all the time and the famous Hayling Bar. Three great events each year. Plymouth The Nationals 100 plus boats so a bit close at times. The Dutch sailed very well with Micheal McNamara full sails and bendy rigs. I called starboard on the Navy Frigate when in the lead. I got hooted at and back winded. At least 80 boats went to the other side of the Frigate and waved as the sailed past.
Plymouth 1970 ish
Whitstable Nationals in the 70’s First race a very strong wind destroyed the fleet. I was second at the windward mark and looked back whilst surfing huge waves in shallow water. Everybody was capsized so a zoomed up the beach asap. The week was postponed till Thursday pm ie one race. Most camped and got wet, very wet. An orange boat called Ziggy Stardust, new, was lost, the owner along with several others were washed up in Herne Bay. All OK. Two years later Ziggy was found on a beach in Holland.
My Solos I have nearly always had a Solo since 1973. I have actually owned 26 Solos in that time. I have a list which includes new Stone ,Runnymeade, Harris and secondhand boats from Gosling, Lovatt, Thresher and others. My latest project is a brilliantly made Thresher 3996. Its getting an overhaul this winter. I have also sailed many single handers including Fly, Moth, Blaze, Phantom, Finn ,OK,Int Canoe,Laser. I have coached Optimist and Lasers locally. In the 70’s I was on the Solo Committee with Jack Holt, Alex Stone, Martin Grounds and Danny Butler. The work that they did in the 70’s really secured the popularity of the Solo class and design rules. After campaigning Solos and Lasers in the 80’s I got involved a club level with roles at the Thames Valley’s Burghfield Sailing Club concluding Committee work as Commodore to concentrate on coaching my son who was in the RYA youth squad. Burghfield S.C.has a growing Solo fleet with a separate Solo start Sunday morning and handicap/pursuit at other times. A fabulous Solo Class club new members always welcome. Fancy a Classic Wooden Solo ? Along with others I have sailed the now named “Classic Solo” ie made from wood or composite and of course recently GRP and FRP boats. As a guide (well my impressions at least) here are some characteristics of those original wooden Solos and the more recent FRP family.
Seamark Nunn GRP
Possibly a Jack Holt build
Gosling Dinghycraft ‘Monolog’
Woodies With the right hull and rig a wooden boat, sailed well ,is competitive Holt built. — The original wooden Solo. Jacks boats were pretty good, I have sailed against no 99, 100 at Championships and they went well. Stone family built — Fast down wind and light, really good to sail- could nose dive in waves. If looked after will perform well. Can be a bit fragile the as the glue and fixing can be a bit loose at times. Easy to re-deck and strengthen so can be a great project. Not easy to find. All my Stone boats were great. Avacraft — Seemed a shame to sail it because they were finished to a very high standard. Loved mine. Planed fast as not much rocker. Lovett — fast upwind and very well balanced. Buy it if you can find one. Chapter — Club level Solo ok to start with but not many around. Slater Marine Composite — big gunwales making a sti ff deck with thin floors. I owned the Red Baron 1605 and actually won at open meeting. Strange feeling as the floor used to bend with the waves. Had a bendy mast and a very old Musto and Hyde code 2b sail. Really fast up and down wind. Harris. — Had one didn’t like it. I know why. Runnymede Dinghies — Nice boats well made, if you can find one buy it. Boon wood — seem fast when sailed by others Gosling— beautiful boats and fast.My last project.Should have kept it. Young — well made . Good club boat Ledger — well made and fast not many around Thresher — Nice boats— di ff erent shapes—My current restoration in the workshop getting ready for next season. Plycraft — Light and fast.A good allrounder. There are other wooden boats of course that I haven’t owned e.g. Crawshaw, Jolly, Du ffi n, Severn Sailboats. I am not sure where you can buy a new wooden boat possibly from JJ Boats. Fancy a change….Decision decisions?
Bill Loy Sir racing his Holt build 186 Right: Severn Sailboat Composite.
Hull choices The thing is, do you buy a nice FRP boat or do you try and find a composite or wooden boat in good condition? Classic solos are really cheap at the moment. So you could put a new rig on it polish the hull and foils find a good sail . At club level should this work really well. Some folks will say “if you want to go to a championships”, you need an FRP boat from Winder boats. Of course this is the right thing to do . Choices are Mark one, Mark one a,Mark two, there’s probably a mark three on its way . Winder Solo delivers a fantastic new SOLO .However those new to Solos have the option of wide choice of boats available in a strong second hand market. How can we improve the Solo in the future? Hull shape - definitely no change Deck— less buoyancy? Open transom (so us old folk can crawl back in after a capsize). Do we need after noon tea ie the toe rail, Mast hole measurements worth a review given so much mast rake seems to be the fashion. Rig— Carbon boom (yes), Carbon mast (No) gooseneck change (makes sense) Sail(No change needed) worth consulting with sail makers again .Investigate smaller sail options though. Fittings. Optional trends work well Try to lower the cost of a new boat. Investigate wooden boat kit options Trends in Sails and mast choices Lets assume you have the hull sorted so now what about that rig.There are lots to choose from and being 100 kg strictly speaking I should have a very sti ff mast. Now what comes first the mast or the sail shape? Could it be that if you have a sti ff mast then you need a flat cut sail and lots of rake to ease the pressure and brake e ff ect of the leech upwind. Undoubtably fast in waves and when you are in the groove.ie somewhere between lu ffi ng and a close reach. This approach has an e ff ect on downwind sailing of course. The sail guides promote rake options and mast foot positions quite clearly so start there if you like. I quite like the bendy mast option. With a fuller sail I may use the traveller and kicker to bend the mast and flatten the sail upwind easing o ff wind promoting a fuller sail on the reach/run automatically easing the leech. Using the kicker / Cunningham balance option seems to work for me. There is however a trend towards having lots of mast rake which means that the boom comes down towards the side deck and when you tack the boom has the potential of getting in the way a bit. My suggestion is to look regularly at the sail makers tuning guides. There are all sorts of options advising the baseline for setting up your Solo. Fast Solo sails for me have been recently North and in the past McNamara,Mountfield and Batt. Boat set up sails etc is always a topic for Solo sailors in every boat to park and bar after the race. New ideas and advice can always be found on the stand at the Dinghy Show in February. I will be there Saturday. Dinghy Show 2026
Best place talk will be on the Solo stand at the dinghy show in February I’ll be there I’m sure many others will be there too to help. Subjects for the next issue
• Fittings and layout • From tune to trim. • What is the wind doing • Start line observations • That first beat
Ed: Thanks Steve.
Zero to Hero Paul Davis
The NSCA Vice President and Event Sponsor guru has had a stand out season, featuring on the podium or just o ff it in some big regattas. To be fair, the headline of zero is unfair but it does get the readers attention and Paul understands my sense of humour and journalistic sensationalism. I asked him where his secret lies.
2025, well, for me personally it seemed to be a year that things fell into place and worked out well. 4 th at the Nations Cup, 4 th at the Nationals (lost 3 rd by 1 point, pesky nippers), and then 3 rd at the Inlands, so when its counted Ive put it together so certainly going to look back at this year as one to remember. If truth be told, Ive not changed much on my set up from previous years other than a slight tweak on the sail thanks to Andy at Impact Marine. So looking at my set up, I'm running the Boatyard at Beer, the last one built by Kevin Driver himself out of the Boatyard at Beer before shutting shop thanks to Covid. This is then complimented with DEM Foils, a Superspars M2 mast with extended gooseneck and standard boom. Paul in action on Lake Como and (right) with a new friend in the boat park. Photo: Alessandro
And on the sail side of things, I run a sail from Impact Marine, which over the years Ive worked with Andy and have made little refinements leading us to where we are. In 2024 I was fine when the breeze was up but could have done with with a little more power in the lighter end of the wind range, so we tweaked it ever so slightly to give me that little bit more depth but not to much to make it a hand full in breeze as I only run one sail across all conditions. There was a couple of events which we looked back at and the existing sail had starvation creases from the clue but also looked like I could do with more kicker, so we added a fraction more lu ff curve to resolve this. And that's where we are today with one sail that Ive used at the major events across a wide range of conditions which seems to tick a lot of boxes. I try and keep things as simple as possible, one sail that covers all bases, simple rig setting where I can literally put the rig in the boat and hit the water with no questions of should my mast foot be further forwards, backwards, shrouds o ff more, on more, rig more raked etc etc. I have one mast foot position, then change my shrouds only by half a hole depending on conditions, this allows me to get my head out the boat and think more about the bigger picture. I very often have conversations with people who run multiple sails for di ff erent conditions and always go back to what happens if the breeze changes and you have you have the wrong sail on. I know some sail makers wont like me sailing this, but personally find one that works and learn how it works across the wind range.
Paul gets his head out of the boat at North Berwick. Photo credit Steve Fraser.
“Head out of the boat again”
Tactics wise, I sailed enough with my current set up to feel comfortable with it so I know when to change gear, go high go low etc etc and now I'm pretty on the pace, this means I get my head out the boat and think more about tactics and concentrate on those. I've made sure I've just gone through the motions and not done anything too risky to ensure I'm getting counters in which has certainly shown with the consistent results, no result outside the top 5 at the Nationals, all top 10 at the Nations Cup apart from two out of 10 races, not accepting my UFD as I still feel that was very unlucky and shouldn't really have been pinged by a non-anchored boat at the pin. It was only the top 4 that had 7 or more results in single digits at Como. The Nations Cup was 8-12 knots for the event and flat water, Nationals averaged 25 knots and certainly not flat water, confirmed the set up I have seems to cover all bases for me, and shows you don’t need to be 83kg to be competitive in the solo, you can be on the heavier side and still be competitive. Part of the the attraction to the Solo is, you can tailor your set up to you to make it work. What is 2026 looking like?, could be an interesting year, current plan is to do the main events including the Nations Cup and Nationals, so I will see you on the water.
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The Brothers Grimm Simon and Mark Maskell
Simon Maskell So why you ask in the Solo Magazine are you now looking at a Fireball on a 2 sail reach. Well, this is a photo taken of my brother and I, at a sunny but windy and cold Stevie Nicholson event at Northampton SC in February quite a few years back and it’s what we used to do before racing our Solo’s. I am on the back and brother Simon is posing for the Camera on the wire. At the recent Midland Area Championships again at Northampton Will Loy approached us and asked if we would tell our story so here it is. I had a Contender for a while, beautiful boats to look at and sail. Size wise not the smartest choice for me. Attending opens would incur a neck ache looking skywards up to my competitors, big guys most of those Contender chaps - damn good sailors too, awesome boat handling skills. I was just too small for that boat and so Mark kept pushing me to get a Solo, I resisted as long as possible until on my 50th birthday he presented me with a framed certificate, fully endorsed with the Solo Class Association logo etc, all very formal, stating I was now o ffi cially old enough to get one! I eventually relented and now many years later have enjoyed some of the best racing I’ve had and with a great crowd of people. I think one of my first opens was an Inlands at Rutland, no idea really of boat set up so just went out and sailed. Light winds, suited me and did ok, liked the boat and met the infamous legend that is Will Loy and was asked
My previous sailing life included a lot of time standing on the side of a Fireball, too small again for that role but thoroughly enjoyable. As the decades rolled by I ended up crewing for my big brother Mark, we did well up to a F4 but any more than that I was far too short & light to be standing on the side. Still, we had our moments in the limelight when conditions were right for us. And amazingly I can’t recall a single cross word when we sailed together, we seemed to bring out the best in each other. Moving on to life in a Solo however and the red mist descends and mutual hatred ensues, such is life for sibling rivalry, although with age comes a mellowness and now just finishing is an achievement with places no longer of so much importance. Still nice to beat the b*stard though! I’m happy for it to be called aqua, but not green! And please don’t ask about the boat name, the explanation takes too long.
I’ve had a Solo for about ten years now starting with a Winder 2, moving to a 1a and then back to a mark 2 again. I find this hull suits me as most of my racing is at small inland venues and I find the mark 2 rolls through the tack a little quicker. Sail choices have been HD, North & P&B - I’ve found all work really well and I can’t say I’ve noticed any performance di ff erence between them. One of the best things I’ve found with the Solo class is the excellent open meeting circuits and quality of racing competition there is available. Combined with my home club racing it provides the best of both worlds.
Hunts Sailing Club has a strong Solo fleet and we regularly get 10+ boats on the water with some good competitive, and at times, fierce racing, all good preparation for the open circuit. As for next season, my first target is to get to 2026, always a good start. I shall fill my calendar on the kitchen wall with all the opens I hope to get to, usually only manage about a third of them though due to age & increasing decrepitude! I would very much like to do a Nationals but due to a back problem the boat movement on the sea makes it just too uncomfortable. Sadly I need to stick to ponds. Might try to get to Salcombe though as a compromise, need to get my head around that tidal stu ff and where and when to cross from one part of the estuary to another, I’ve never got the hang of it. And finally, my boat is blue - having had several ‘white’ Winders I really wanted something di ff erent. It does come with a handicap in that I’m easy to spot on the line as my recent trip to Northampton demonstrated but really that was my incompetence and not the boat colour. I look at other fleets, Merlins & Scorpions, and it’s great to see such a range of colours on show - we need more of this in the Solo fleet, be brave and stand out. Simon Maskell 6037 Von Sheep, (Gel colour: Pacific Blue - 4529… just saying), now over to brother Mark.
Mark Maskell We used to race together in the Fireball and had a great few years together especially when the winds were lighter the highlights of which were race wins in the Worlds in Italy at lake Bracciano ( Now that’s a place we should go to for the Nations Cup ) and the Europeans in the Shetland Islands. As a team we just seemed to work well together and there was always banter in the boat about my hanging back at the starts, (I just wanted to avoid all the OCS !) My first experience of Solo sailing was racing at my then home club of Fishers Green in my father Solo, No 4205, built by John Rutherford of Danbury, it was a great boat, well balanced and one of the quickest in the fleet at that time, looking up the solo register, I see its still based at Fishers Green and if I decide to go down the classic route that’s one I would want to buy.
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