History of the National Solo 1956-2026
Solo Class Insurance Scheme Since 1995 noblemarine.co.uk 01636 707606 Specially arranged by Noble Marine (Insurance Brokers) Ltd Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
NSCA Presidents
Honorary Members Danny Butler Ron Green Steve Ede Mrs Renee Crawshaw Jim Gates Martin Grounds Alec Stone Doug Hughes Tony Thresher Gordon Barclay William Loy
L.R Llewellyn Frank Mountifield Grant Prothero John Conway Jones Martin Grounds David Dean Arthur Waddell Winston Knight Gordon Walls Craig Moffett Paul Hemsley Nick Yeoman Mike Barnes Ken Falcon Gordon Barclay Bob Taylor Tom Davis Steve Ede Mike Ball Roger Gravatt Will Loy Patrick Burns Doug Latta Current uk president Guy Mayger
Life Members Jack holt Nigel pusinelli
Current dutch chairman Paul de geus
NSCA Committee 2026
• President: Guy Mayger • Vice President: Paul Davis • Honorary Secretary: Vacant • Honorary Treasurer: Andrew Liddington • Membership Sec: John Steels • Championship Organiser: Vacant • Demo Boat Coordinators: Nick Hornsby, Paul Davis • Web Site Coordinator: Nigel Davies • Training Coordinator: Vacant • Class Measurer: Jonathan Woodward • On-Water Judge: Steve Watson • Dinghy Show Coordinator : Guy Mayger • Media: Will Loy
• Southern Area Rep: Ian Matthews • Western Area Rep: Vernon Perkins • Eastern Area Rep: Mark Maskell • Midlands Area Rep: Jon Swain • Thames Valley Area Rep: Godfrey Clark • Northern Area Reps: Nick Hornsby • Scottish Area Rep: Charlie Brecknell • Sea Series Rep: Vacant •
Lake como 2025
Editorial will loy 70 extraordinary years, dripping with stories filled with drama and comedy, tragedy and smiles. I have been fortunate to have witnessed first hand as champions rose to the top of the podium having mastered the subtle art of making the solo go fast. I have always been as interested in the rest of the cast as the ‘a listers’ and try to give them more than fifteen seconds of fame, they make the big fleet events so special and their sob stories make great reading.
The story of the solo began on the embankment in putney and though much of the detail is lost in the haze of time there are small glimpses into the beginnings of the solo’s life, I would like to think there is a napkin somewhere in a back of a drawer with a pencil drawn outline of the instantly recognisable bow profile, the smooth lines of the foredeck as it drops towards the thwart and the often lamented centreboard capping which was actually a stroke of genius when you understand that hiking straps had not yet been invented. Many of the pioneers including it’s creator have long since gone to that lake in the sky but fortunately the class have a sizeable library of nsca magazines to draw on for insights into those halcyon days of solo racing and development.
I do wonder what jack would think if he could walk around the modern, cutting edge, all singing and dancing solo he designed seventy years ago. Transom sheeting has long since been replaced, the trusty wooden spars and cotton mainsail has given way to tempered alloy mast extrusions and sails designed on laptops and cut by lasers and the simple controls, replaced by ball bearing, continuously controlled, carbon infused, kevlar cored systems of some complexity. I believe he would have a good look and design something better. I did have the pleasure of meeting jack once, he commented that I was a bit of an animal (after some pretty fruity racing at Chichester), I would suggest he was rightly protective of every solo as they are all his children.
President’s report guy Mayger I wonder if when drawing the lines for the Solo that Jack Holt (OBE) would have thought that his creation would still be going some 70 years later? In designing his little singlehanded dinghy, he hit upon all the ingredients to make a fun yet challenging boat to sail. Easy to race, but a boat that requires time, attention to detail and a realisation that it’s the skill of racing that makes this class so enjoyable.Over the years, many have pondered the subtleties of the rules, originally intended for home-building, but within that framework the result is that the boats go very much the same speed but with the option to customise your setup to make it feel just right for you. The super close racing has been the proving ground of many great championship sailors over the years, far too many to list here for fear of missing someone out! But a look down the champion roll call sees sailors who have honed their skills, often taking them onto major wins in other classes, but always coming back to the Solo for the real cut and thrust of boat-on-boat racing. Beyond the hardcore racing, the Solo continues to be one of the backbone national classes of the UK club racing scene. Every weekend you’ll find Solos racing across the country from small lakes to open water venues, all proviiding the proud owners with a great sailing experience and many stories at the bar post-racing. As class President and a former employee, I doff my cap to Mr Holt for providing so many of us with an amazing little boat that has, and continues, to provide so much fun, both on and off the water.
Jack holt The man who designed the National solo
Jack Holt was one of the boating world’s most prolific and influential designers. In a career spanning more than 60 years his designs fostered an explosion of home and professionally built craft, making it possible for people who previously found sailing unaffordable to get on the water. John Lapworth Holt was born the son of a panel beater in Hammersmith on April 12 th , 1912. His early skills with wood developed when he studied cabinet making at Shoreditch Technical College at the age of fourteen. Having cut his sailing teeth in Winnie, a small lugger bought from AP Herbert, he started to build boats after a motorcycling accident, which took many years to recover from and left him very short of money. He built an 18ft clinker dinghy, Candlelight, which he raced successfully, thus bringing him further business opportunities. In the years following World War II people began taking to the water in much greater numbers than before, and by utilising wartime technology boat developers were able to provide a new range of affordable boats. By this time people in the sailing world were beginning to take a professional interest in Jack’s designs. One man who played an important part in Jack’s career was Group Captain Haylock, Editor of Yachting World, who encouraged Jack and published some of his designs in the magazine, Jack Holt met businessman Beecher Moore at Cowes when they were competing against each other in the International 14 Class. Moore was impressed by Jack’s advanced designs which won many races in the class in the late 1930s. A colourful character, Moore caused a stir among boat owners when he fitted a rope and a belt to the mast of his Thames A Rater to enable his crew, Peter Scott, to stand on the gunwale and lean out, thus creating the forerunner of the trapeze. He was also rumoured to be a friend of Christine Keeler and one of the unnamed men in the Profumo Affair, a political sex and spy scandal of the 1960s. Beecher Moore helped Jack to exploit his considerable design and building talents by handling the business side of Jack Holt Ltd. Determined to bring small boat sailing to the masses, together they embarked on a highly successful partnership. In the next thirty years Jack produced a string of designs. His aim was to encourage more people to take up the sport of sailing, reducing the cost of buying a boat by making many of them available in kit form. His boats included the Cadet, GP14, Heron, Solo and Enterprise, all of which were designed to provide some exciting sailing. His most famous boat is the Mirror dinghy, sponsored by the Daily Mirror newspaper in 1963 with the help of TV’s DIY celebrity Barry Bucknell, and whose numbers now exceed 70,000. He employed well proven stitch and glue construction techniques to produce a boat which was practical and easy to build and sail. Jack Holt’s designs have been built in the tens of thousands: his legacy has brought hundreds of thousands to the world of sailing. In 1977 he was awarded the Yachtsman’s Award for Services to Yachting, and in 1979 he was awarded OBE. There is no doubt that he was instrumental in shaping the world of sailing.
Super Series 2026 Sponsored by North Sails
70th Anniversary
Q1 Sat 07 March Noble Marine Winter Champs Northampton SC Friday 24 April NSCA Training Day Hayling Island Q2 Sat 25-26 April Springs Championship Hayling Island SC Q3 Fri 01-03 May Spring Cup Medemblik Q4 Thursday 04-07 June Nations Cup Quiberon, France Friday 10 July NSCA Training Day Felpham Q5 Sat 11-12 July Nigel Pusinelli & Southern Area Champs @Felpham SC Q6 Wed 06-09 August National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay YC (registration on 05 August) Q7 Sat 05-06 September Inland Championshipo Grafham Water S.C. Q8 Sat 14 November EOS Champs Draycote Water S.C. (4 to qualify plus best Area Championship result)
1956 Jack Holt designs and builds Solo 1 at his boatyard on the embankment, Putney and so the story began. Rumour was that Solo 1 was lost in a fire some years later but Jack later commented that the first build had in fact been a bit heavy so when they built Solo 2 they swapped numbers, therefore Solo 1 does still exist but with it’s alias number. Tim Bass of Salcombe builds his own Solo ‘Tom Thumb’ Solo 20, painted white on one side, the other in red, to confuse the race hut. Paul elvstrom wins olympic gold in port Phillip bay, Australia.
1957 John marshall testing Solo 1 ‘solow’ on the river thames
The jack holt solo 40 Note the floor battens, designed to strengthen the floor which was originally 6mm thick. The hog was wide, strong and heavy. The capping was ingenious and allowed the helm to hook their toes under as hiking straps would not be around for a few years. This example retro fitted cross members to provide fixation points, I guess around 1970. The thwart sat proud of the deck, a rule change in the mid 80’s allowing builders to fill the void or chamfer the timber.
1958 The self build of Solo 55 cost £114, 5 shillings and 9 pence. Jack Holt wins the inaugural National Championship at Twickenham in Solo 1 “Solow’. The self build of solo 55 costs £114, 5 shillings and 9 pence. John holt wins the inaugural national championship at twickenham in solo 1 ‘solow’.
1959 Jim Stone and Sons in Salcombe register their first build, Solo 68. W.claydon wins the national championship in solo 96 at Hayling.
Solo 39 graces the 2013 national championship with a fly-by.
Solo 66 Note: collar mast, transom sheeting, washboard and no footsteps, still to be invented!
1960 Chess S.C. is formed and in 1962 they hold there first open meeting, won by the man himself, Jack Holt. The club existed until 1985, the members forming at a new venue, Broadwater but retaining the Chess Board Trophy for the open meeting winners. Alec Stone wins the national championship in solo 170 at salcombe. Jack holt builds solo 186 ‘free’ for Tony allen (allen brothers) winning a championship race in 1964. Later in it’s life the decks were damaged while stripping the varnish with a hot air gun and my dad purchased her with two pots of paint, one yellow and one red. This became her well known livery and I could spot my dad from the shore as the sunlight illuminated the bright yellow decks. Annually, The collar mast was moved into our lounge and varnished, my mother clearly a perfect match for my father. He once recalled that going downwind in a blow would open a crack at the gooseneck, wide enough for him to slip a penny into, but it never snapped. Paul elvstrom won olympic gold in naples. Mike dray adds his name to the prestigious chessboard.
decade- 1970’s Venue- sonning Hull- holt Mast- collar Sail- mountifield Apparel- smock and jeans Concentration- 100%
1961 Alec Stone wins the National Championship in Solo 200 ‘Clean Sweep’. Ian Mitchell would refurbish her in the early eighties and raced her at the 1986 National Championship finishing 34th.
1962 R.Fowler wins the National title at Brixham in 356 (Holt). The Dutch Class Association are allotted 100 Solo hull numbers, marking the beginning of their Solo growth. Solo 68 ‘Schnapps’ is raced by Shirley Tyler in Salcombe. The Tylers donated several trophies to the class, the three handled Tyler Trophy is still winnable at HISC and has Will Loy on it twice which thrilled my father. Another called the Portlemouth Trophy is fought for every year at the National Championship, it’s birthplace was of course where the Stones built their Solos. Shirley won the Vacher Cup three times, 1962-63-66, the cup itself donated by a chap in Dartmouth.
Salcombe fleet captain Adrian
griffin racing 209 in 1969 and more lately in his winder 6030
The dutch come to the party, builders including schackenbosch, vermain and schoonveldt building some fine examples but one individual, carel vial would build many of the early hulls. Johan vels builds Ned 4 but it would be a full 10 years before he builds his second one before going on to build some fine championship winning solos including NED 519 (Mark Tigchelaar) Dutch Champion 1990 and ned7 (2785) Johan geenen dutch champion 1997. Interestingly the original H7, built in 1962 and raced by Paul Bournas was third at the world trophy in 1982 behind van ooyen and carveth. Quite incredible.
1963 Alec Stone wins the first of his multiple titles at Gorleston, norfolk in Solo 600 ‘Pixie’. The beats were two miles long, 6 competitors dsq in one race for forgetting their tallies while 9 more were dsq’d in a further race for taking the wrong course. Among the 41 competitors, 9 were dutch including f.beck Third
Solos launching from Mill bay, salcombe. Shirley Tyler’s Solo 68 is afloat, the red terylene sails were pretty common, light blue too. Attire was relaxed, shorts and plimsoles, buoyancy aids in yellow, one size fits all.
Salcombe Same beach, different era though it is quite possible that some of the sailors feature in both photos.
1964 Stone defends his title at Holyhead in Solo 666 ‘Yertiz’, west country slang for “yes it is”. Solo 365, built by Avalon boats chases down 367, a home build by g.bird. The olympics were held at enoshima, willie kuhweide (GER) winning the Finn class, Keith musto and Tony Morgan, silver in the flying dutchman. Helen turnbull wins the vacher cup in Solo 155 ‘march hare’.
Alec stone’s minstrel 1102, he didn’t need transom ports as he never capsized.
1965 Fred Beck NED in Solo H16 ‘Spuitwater’ wins two races and the National Championship at Poole, Dorset in a Schackenbosch. Miss p. Baljeu wins the vacher cup in Solo 595 ‘zest’. Other Race winners were; Mike mountfield and Alec Stone, Solo 510 built by j. Schilling in 1963 competes in the annual tideway race, London. Sneaking along the shore line, they evade the strongest part of the current which, being the thames is penal.
1966 Alec and his lifetime partner Kath pull solo 1102 ‘minstrel’ up the beach after winning his second race of the championship at torbay. Second, and four minutes behind was a.ball in solo 186. Note the mainsheet block strop on the boom and the single purchase. Sue Tyler wins the vacher cup in solo 826, built by salcombe based D. Gibbens in 1965.
1967 Stone wins again in minstrel, the venue was Hayling Island, only beaten in one race by p. Taylor in solo 1144, a home build and to rub salt into the wound, another salcombe sailor. I can only imagine how hot the fleet were in that part of Devon. Nothing has changed. N. Kroeze h150 wins the inaugural Turnbull trophy for under 21 and miss f.pot takes the vacher cup back to k.w.v.de kaag in h70. In other news, Sir Francis Chichester circumnavigates the world in gypsy moth iv,
Solo 133, built by jack holt in 1960. Battens were made from ash and an inch wide, the mast gate was a big 3 inch square hole, given the dimension of the mast at that position.
1968 Chess s.c. in rickmansworth, had arranged an informal open meeting in 1967, jack holt won and suggested the club run an annual event, the rest is history and many notable sailors have their names etched on the chessboard including Roger gates, Craig moffett, Geoff carveth, Richard willetts, Jon clarke, Jim hunt, Andy Davis and Tony thresher. It was also my first open win in 1984 so very memorable. Hayling Island based sailor John Conway-jones wins the national title at saundersfoot in solo 219 ‘zest’, a holt built in 1961. Richard Lovett wins the Turnbull Trophy as under 21 in solo 96 ‘Ondine’. Valentin mankin wins finn gold in Acapulco, brits Rodney pattisson and Iain Macdonald smith taking gold in their flying dutchman superdocious. Sailors competing for the chessboard trophy. Bill loy snr at the back in the bottom photo but he loved to go low on the run.
An original advert for mountfield sails
1969 Order is restored at Plymouth, Stone winning in his own build, ‘Whitehall’ 1212. Aluminium spars were now standard spec, gold Proctor Spars the go-to and visible on the photo below. This improvement must have been huge in terms of performance and longevity, though I wonder if there we’re more instances of solos capsizing and turning turtle. Wood does have one natural advantage. Incidentally, I understand that 1212 was used as the plug for the stone grp mould circa 1972-3. Richard Lovett enters the scene, winning a championship race and the Turnbull trophy in Solo 92, built by Stone in 1959. Clearly a talented sailor and he would go on to build exceptional Solos. Hiking straps and more advanced kicking arrangements were being developed. 186 had a single wire cable led from a bracket on the boom to a drum via a teflon block. Hyfield levers were also popular. Cotton sails had given way to teryline and Dacron and with a strong committee, rules were firmed up to provide a stable and uniform racing class. Mrs j britton takes the vacher cup back to salcombe, p. Vollebregt winning the under 21 title for the dutch.
1970 The Dutch take the titles back to the Netherlands, J. Lucas winning at Holyhead in H 277 ‘Ponem’, a Schackenbosch build while compatriot werkhoven wins the youth title. Ironically the turnull trophy is in- fact a silver plated cigarette box, how times have changed. It is actually a perfect size to house a mobile phone these days. Interest in the Solo is strong across the UK and Holland as grp production becomes available though it would not establish itself as a viable alternative for a couple of years. Stone builds the majority of Solos in this year, 1370 ‘winsome’ would prove a very fast boat. Industrial fibreglass start grp production along with slaters marine and Holt. In other news, bruce Kirby designs the laser dinghy. Below: Solo 1525, a stone composite seen here being re-decked.
1971 Alec Stone wins the inaugural world trophy in solo 1370 at Hayling Island. 107 competitors reflects the status of the class and the love of the venue. strong winds and big seas kept the fleet inside the harbour on two of the days and forty stayed ashore on day 4 as the remainder set off with much swimming. Stone had opted to use this race as a discard and so the final race on the final day would determine the champion with dutchman jan bart Lucas (NED) equal on points. The conditions were light and stone took the win and title with Lucas eighth on the water and second overall from ellemeet (NED), Kaan (NED) and Conway jones in Solo 1405 Geronimo who had won the practice race and backed it up with a 8-2-1. He was lying fifth in the final race before capsizing on the run and that ended his hopes. Mrs e Kelley wins the vacher cup in solo 1221, built by Turnham motorboats and dutchman h. Holst wins the Turnbull trophy for Kwv de kaag. The dutch had been superb in the short chop in the harbour, tall, athletic and brave but stone recorded 1-3-3 DNS and the final race win was the bullet to the head for the dutch hopes. Tony freer raced winsome in the early nineties and he was surprisingly fast in such an old solo.
1972 Gerald rockett wins the world trophy in brouwershaven in solo 1769, a stone composite decked by himself. John Conway jones wins the national title in Southend, trading races with rockett, only Danny butler who had almost single-handedly run the class in the late sixties taking a race in solo 807 ‘king Fred’. Wraysbury lake sailor Roger gates announces himself to the class, winning the Turnbull trophy in solo 1526, a wooden stone. The vacher cup is won by miss m. Hoek in winsome (assuming she purchased it off Alec in ’71’). In other news: the olympics are held in Kiel with serge Maury winning Finn gold, Pattison and Davies win flying dutchman gold and Alan warren and David hunt taking tempest silver.
James hawker blasts into the leeward mark with a strong dutch presence on his transom and eventual ’72’ National champion Conway-jones inside the top six.
1973 Dutchman Ronald van vienan wins the dutch championship before capturing the world title (and junior title) in Plymouth, racing his stone built solo h422 ‘le baron rouge’, 1-1-4-4-(20) which he had restored to a high standard. Stone was second in Solo 2300 ‘cela enots’ and both sailors were utilising the new needlespars, vienan opting for weers and mountfield sails while stone used a musto. Conditions were generally light and the tide penal but stone won the only windy race. Conway-jones and Lovett lacked the consistency required and poor Ernie lee (pretty sure he is Mark lees’ dad) finished 10th in a race but was so excited he failed to sign off. and by the way…there were 135 competitors! Miss j. Green takes the vacher cup back to dell quay.
Alec Stone racing at his beloved salcombe
Adverts circa 1973
Some recollections from long time solo ambassador Steve Townsend
1974 Solos were displayed at the Zurich Boat Show by Rudi Burkholter.
The national c hampionship at Whitstable was an infamous week of strong winds, some solos we’re abandoned at sea while their owners were rescued. One solo is lost at sera. Nigel Pusinelli believed he had won a race but later that evening the decision, following a protest against the Race Committee was upheld and the race void. Nigel’s appeal to the RYA would later see an amendment to the rules regarding general recalls though his race win was not reinstated. Fred Imhoff wins the world title in a composite built by Stone, the mould taken from 1212. A. Bainbridge wins the national title in the Stone built solo 1935 and Paul tasked wins the junior title in solo 2000 (which is a cool number). Australia are allotted 100 builds starting at 2600 and these are built on location in GRP by Botterall and Sons and distributed to clubs including Albert Park Melbourne, while the state of Victoria also sees interest. Smith and Davies and Plycraft start building wooden Solos and these become a popular choice for the race minded sailor who cannot wait for a Lovett. Ron Beasley builds Solo 2288 and would go on to build a good number in the 80’s. Severn Sailboats build their first GRP Solo 2457 though they are also listed as building 2291 in 1973.
Pages from spring 2013 solo specific relating to the Australian evolution.
1975 Graham Tapper wins the World and National title at Hayling Island in a Stone built Solo 2096 ‘Lucy’. The early 70’s has seen a huge surge in GRP construction, Wyche Marine, Industrial Fibreglass, Slaters Marine, Centre Marine and Don Marine joining Holt and Stone. The Laser dinghy, designed in 1970 is taking a grip on the market and this would slow down World-wide interest in the Solo.
The Wyche Marine GRP Solo featured smooth beige gelcoat decks as standard though I have seen examples in yellow and blue. The hiking area was textured for grip. Failures would include the bond at the gunwale, the floor to side deck joint and spider cracking along the deck where the helm hiked. The timber thwart would come away from the deck and the transom would rot but apart from that it encouraged hundreds of sailors to sample the good nature of the Solo.
1976 Dick Batt, who was then working for Mcnamara (original advert below) met Richard Lovett at Topsham S.C. over the winter and noticed how flat the cut was of the sail he had brought back from the Antipodes. Mike Mcnamara instructed Dick to build one based on this cut and Richard was fast, winning a windy Championship in the first of his white wood flared Solos 2939 which would later become NED 492, owned by the great Peter Bos. One of my reading sailing club heroes Jim absolom wins the Turnbull trophy in 2056 ‘gun runner’. Quietly spoken but with a burning hunger in his eyes. Inspirational. Mrs a. Robertson wins the vacher cup and Nigel pusinelli wins his second veterans trophy. Ziggy Stardust’ lost at sea at the Whitstable World Championship in 1974 was found in the Netherlands and hoped to be repaired. Fittingly the hull colour was bright orange. a Lovett 2891 wins the World Trophy for Graham Tapper. Richard Lovett wins the UK national title in his own build. 2939 and this hull would win the World Trophy for Mark Tigchelaar in 1990. The Dutch are legendary in refurbishing these Solos, they also kept them in large sheds to shield them from the elements and ensure they were kept at minimal weight. Richard Willetts builds his first Solo 2852, and his fast Solos would include ‘Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster’ and Nick Yeoman‘s ‘Aunty Flo’ who was very successful. Seamark Nunn enter the scene with their GRP build, 2788 and for those that cannot get on the Lovett waiting list, the array of plastic and wood builders is daunting. In other news, jochen Schumann wins Finn gold for Germany along with brits reg white and John Osborn in the tornado. Pattison wins silver with Julian Brooke-houghton in the flying dutchman (they really should reinstate the Finn and FD).
1977 Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret presented the World Championship prizes at Royal Cornwall Y.C. Falmouth, Rob Van ooyen (NED) taking the world and national titles in the Lovett 2799 (NED 478). Roger gates wins a race in his solo 2941 ‘earwig-o-again, a Lovett of course.
Chris gillard blasts across the lake up north somewhere. Needlespars and number 1 sail are set on a smith and Davies wood kit which was constructed by his father in their small garage. chris’s attire consisted of an orange coloured boiler style overall, javelin boots and shoulder length hair. I imagine flared jeans were under the apparel and a beer mat was stitched to his behind for additional grip.
1978 The self build of 3124 cost £571. Italian boatbuilder Adamo Vignati reported that his yard had been destroyed by fire and he would no longer be building Solos in Italy. Cor Jan Schouton (right) wins the World and junior title in Hoorn in a Lovett 2877 (NED 491) and Roger Gates wins the National title in Southend in a Lovett 2941 with Anne Fryer (left) claiming the ladies title. Incidentally, the Lovett 2878, sister to cor’s was blisteringly quick for Oxford S.C member Peter gibbard in the 80’s. Lovett managed to build around 18 hulls in 78, quite a feat when you see the craftsmanship that went into them. Seamark nunn are the most popular choice with Harris, benson and stone still providing options. Bob beckett builds solo 3142, his second of a selective number of solos and he drops the centreboard case into the hog, thereby ending years of water ingress overnight. This would later be deemed legal in a rule change, the committee all too keen to apply common sense where no speed advantage is gained.
Race briefing 1978 and the competitors look riveted with the speeches and pro directive. If you are still alive and recognise yourself, well done and do get in touch. The fellow in the wraysbury lake shirt could be roger gates and his brother David may also be close by. The dutch are instantly recognisable with their funky glasses but the takeaway is that they all look rather youthful.
Original advert 1982
From his distinctive style I believe this is salcombe’s simon yates racing his runnymede dinghies solo built in 1979
1979 Jack Holt receives an OBE for his services to sailing and export. Sue Shaw wins the ladies title at Windy Whitstable in solo 2888 (seamark nunn) with Cees van Grieken NED winning the World title in a Solo he built himself in 1972. The turnbull trophy is won by cor van schouton in h491 ruck duck.
1980 Winston Knight is Class President. Cor jan Schouten wins National, junior and World titles in Hoorn (Plymouth 102 entries) he must have been 17 or 18 when he won the Worlds in 1978. Sue shaw retains the vacher cup in her new solo 3207 sorceress, sticking with the seamark nunn. Plan B dimensions allowed for a smaller sail. Dick Batt, who had spent four years in New Zealand returned to the UK and after setting up Batt Sails above Richard Willetts at Runnymede Dinghies, started producing sails based on tricks he had learned in the OK class abroad, utilising the flatter cut that was so successful for Lovett in 1976. In other news, the uk are among 65 nations who boycott the Moscow olympics.
Geoff carveth feathers his solo, powered by needlespars and a musto sail upwind at whitstable 1979.
1981 Rule changes allowed a transverse rib on GRP hulls to help stiffen the floor to centreboard case and an optional extension to case capping for compass mounting. I do recount seeing one grp version with steel tubing bracing the side tank to case, legal but a little worrying. NSCA membership was £3 and great value for it.for context, A pint of lager was 73p and a gallon of fuel was 35p. Rob van Ooyen won the National and World titles at Felpham in 2799 (NED 478), mark tigchelaar winning the turnbull trophy in solo h423 ‘body and solo’, a stone built in 1973. Sue shaw defended her ladies title for the third time in a row. Trevor Tegge’s self build of 3305 (below) cost £866.33.
1982 Rob van Ooyen defended his World title in Hoorn. A wonderful location and the dutch are legendary hosts and the small beers have ruined many a uk competitor’s sailing regatta. Ian Houston announces his arrival, winning the turnbull trophy in his yellow lovett, 3316 ‘custard tart’ and sue shaw cements her name in to the record books with the fourth straight vacher cup. The Solo magazine advertised Lambswool v neck sweaters with Solo logo at £12.50. David Marrs Uttley built Solo 3375 was displayed at the Dinghy Show and would later go on sale for £1200 including Needlespars and Musto sail. Max Blom is the Dutch Class Chairman and would eventually go on to own 3286 ‘Bungler’ and become CEO of Magic Marine. Ian Brock is the Australian and Victorian Class President while Neil Bowles is Class President in New South Wales. Nigel Pusinelli and Fred Osbourne, two veterans asked at the A.G.M. that the Veterans Trophy, up until then awarded to the winner of Thursdays race be determined over the whole week. Carveth wins a windy UK Championship at Llandudno in the Lovett 3286, a final successful gybe in winds that were classed as fruity cementing his name into Solo folklore.
Original advert circa 1981
1983 Geoff Carveth wins every race at the World Championship at HISC in the Lovett/Batt/Proctor C. Wraysbury lakes’ Anne gates wins the vacher cup in solo 3080. The small pond near Windsor has produced some fabulous sailors over many decades. Omega foam sandwich hulls accounted for 13 of the 20 new builds in that year and two finished inside the top twenty at the Worlds. Gordon Walls was anointed Class President. I understand a vote to allow tillers over transom was rejected. Needlespars were apparently trialling a thin walled mast and proctor were developing a longer taper. New builds were struggling and there were some issues with finding willing Committee members. Carveth and Payne finished 6th in a Laser 2 at the Endeavour Trophy at Burnham.
Carveth and ‘Bungler’ in perfect harmony work the hayling chop in 1983. Ian houston in ‘custard tart’ is easily spotted.
1984 Simon Cray won the Nationals at Brixham in a fleet of 36 in an Uttley/Hyde Code 2D (utilising a weight jacket) with Ken Falcon 4th in an Omega. Incidentally, cray’s rig was set up with more mast rake and this would soon filter down through the fleet. d. Macklin won the vacher cup with houston retaining his junior title. Geoff Carveth won the World Championship in Hoorn which was my first championship and a baptism of water. Craig Moffett was elected as Class President 84/85. A fine sailor and had he been born in another era, a championship title would not have eluded him. Superspars entered the ring as a supplier of M1’s and M3’s. The IYE catalogue advertised a metal stock and tiller for use with Solos but this was about twenty years too soon for the members. Rule change allowed for a larger tiller port width. A Lovett built Solo 3121 was for sale at £1200 and you could buy a new Runnymede tiller and stock for £25. Frank Mountifield stepped down as Hon Chief Measurer, Jim Gates taking the reins. Only four new builds were registered. Roger Harford won Dovey Week, the fleet of 33 enjoying some close racing. The Young Brothers on the IOW started building Solos, Peter Brook, Tony Cook and Nigel Young himself some of the early jockeys. Richard Lovett builds his final hull for Barry Green Solo 3402, marking the end of an era bathed in success. His craftsmanship would set the benchmark for beauty and speed. In other news, Russell coutts wins Finn gold in los angeles from John Bertrand and Terry neilson, quite a podium. jo Richards and Peter allum brought home bronze in the FD.
1985 Paul Hemsley elected as Class President 85/86. Ken Falcon wins a windy World Championship at Pevensey Bay (entry fee £30) and Richard Goodenough wins the Inlands (62 entries). Richard Lovett, Runnymede Dinghies and Seamark Nunn were no longer building Solos. The NSCA had 600+ members, the growth over the two years securing the class financially. Ken Falcon announces himself to the class with a memorable World Trophy win at Pevensey Bay in a Lovett 3315 from Dick Batt in Lovett 3300. It was a battle royal. Tony Thresher builds the first of many Solos, 3420. His development of construction methods and hull shapes innovative and ground-breaking. J de ventor won the junior title for the Netherlands in solo h444 (originally stone 2280).
This is the dutch way of recovery at pevensey bay. Peter boy doing much of the work at the transom.
Batt sails advert 1985. The batt sail proved very versatile and did much to revolutionise the solo rig.
Tony thresher (3420) punches out to the left with ken falcon (3315) on his shoulder. Nick yeoman (3236), Paul Hensley (3424) and Martin Lambert (3350) are coming out of the committee end with Paul bournas (h7) and John daniels (2750). Martin payne (3283) is on port and looking to cross…
John dixon in the Lovett 3386 Note the wishbone tiller which I believe was a lovett innovation.
Jan van darl leads nick yeoman and chris Avery at pevensey bay
1986 The class trialled a three day Nationals at Lee on Solent, entry fee £15 and won by Ken Falcon. The stand out performance was from Martin Payne in second, racing a Stone Solo 2505 which was built in 1973. Ian mitchell won the junior title in Solo 200, both nostalgic and impressive given it’s age. Richard Uttley ceased building Solos but moved to Porter Brothers. Jack Holt reported that interest in their new plastic Solo was high. After a break of some years, Don Marine started building Solos again, joined by Ambery woodworking. Jon Clarke (Performance Sails) finished 6th in the Bloody Mary (447 entries). Jon Hartley won a competition to design the new NSCA window sticker. Subscription was £8.50 and NCSA accounts showed a surplus of 3K. Reliable Plywood, the sole UK supplier closed down making wooden builds more expensive. Tony Thresher (his first thresher hull) finished second to Martin Lambert in a Lovett at the Inlands (Oxford 80 entries) proving the speed of his build, both utilised stiff Holmspars. Ocean World are appointed official clothing supplier. I had a cool white hoodie emblazoned with the logo. The national speed limit for towing was increased from 50 to 60 miles per hour but Jon Clarke still managed to turn up late for race 1. Falcon won a windy World Championship in Hoorn from Hans Arends and Mark Tigchelaar, billy barnes winning the b fleet. Mag editor Richard willets (below right) commented that out of the 80 entries at the national championship, only 17 attended the agm.
Original 1986 holt advert
1987 Nick Yeoman was class President. Ullman Sails were cutting Solo sails at £198. You could buy a new Thresher complete for £2000. Richard Willets was decking the foam sandwich Holt hull and must have had no spare time as he stepped down from the Mag Editor position. NSCA accounts showed a surplus of 5k. Jon clarke brokers a deal with High Performance Sailboats to build the first three of a number of wood hulls, mine, 3517 ‘will power’ was super flat in the rocker and featured sheathed foils which were questionably legal. Jon clarke raced his racing green hps 3508 to second at one of the tightest inlands ever at Bala, only beaten by Andy bond on discard. Incidentally, legend robin webb was third, Ian houston fourth and Martin payne fifth with less than a point between them all. Young brothers of the IOW, famous for building fast albacores turn their attention to the solo and soon attract a following. Ken falcon completes a Patrick of world titles, mumbles was the venue and anyone who was there remembers the race where the leeward mark drifted towards Ireland, the leading group having rounded it were smelling of roses until the Pro abandoned with many of the fleet unable to catch it. Ian mitchell (below) defended his junior title having upgraded to his own harmony wood build 3568.
1988 Mike Barnes stepped into the editor role, Don Marine could supply you with a fully fitted Solo for £2260. an NSCA subscription was £10 and entry fee for the Inland Championship at Chew Valley was £8. Graham bond took the title there but only after last race drama, houston match racing him but at the gun and, due to the top three being BFD, the tactics had failed. At the agm T terminals were rejected on the grounds that reduced windage would disadvantage existing masts. The World Championship in uitdam is won by Hans Arends in a Lovett 3104 (NED 500) a hull built in 1977. Ken falcon wins his fourth national championship in a row at harwich with j. keeble taking the vacher cup and Ian mitchell, the turnbull trophy for the third year running in his harmony solo 3627. There were 642 nsca members and at the agm it was pointed out that sheathed foils and lead correctors had not yet been legalised. For context, the rule regarding correctors was that they should be made of wood and the maximum allowance was 3kgs, that is a lot of timber. In other news, Jose doreste wins gold in the Finn class at the seoul Olympics, Michael McIntyre and Bryn vale winning gold in the star.
Jon clarke 3508 with ken mack 3273, Andy bond 3537, will loy 3517 and Kees rekelhof
Ken falcon is one of the solo greats.
1989 Newest build was Ken Falcon’s Bob Beckett built 3615 (registered January), you could purchase a fully fitted Severn Sailboat for under 2K (utilising the Omega moulds). Tony Thresher instigated class coaching sessions and Storrar and Bax provided Solo packages incorporating Derek Jolly built wooden hulls for £2700, Ian Barker their jockey. We had 699 members and 35 more Solos were registered by June. Falcon won the Inlands (Grafham 107 entries) in ‘Pogs’ but only after some drama. He was in twelfth as the top group headed off to a mark that was not part of the si’s, falcon inheriting first place and eventually, the spoils. Geoff Carveth defies the odds to win the World Trophy (Plymouth) in Roy Barnes Lovett 3252, built in 1980 and again proving the racing pedigree and longevity of the Lovett. Mitchell completes a four timer of junior titles with just keeble defending the ladies cup. Martin payne finished tenth in ‘winsome’ including a race win, what a legend.
STONE
STONE
Above; Ullman sails gained some traction in the hands of nick yeoman. Gate start Plymouth and ken falcon fancies getting out early from Dave Aston (3313 ’Gail Ellen’ which was Craig moffett’s old bob Beckett built solo) then will loy in a young build 3513 (borrowed sail 3402). Robin webb arrives late with his distinctive black anodised spars.
1990 Will Loy took on the editor role, 3723 was the newest build, Mike Barnes became Class President, Carveth beat 112 competitors at Oxford to win the Inlands in solo 3252 again and the NSCA reported 723 new or returning members. Severn sailboats were about to produce their first grp solo from a mould they built. They had previously utilised the original omega mould. Severn’s Graham bond would campaign solo 3700, a wood build before they implemented the shape into the new build. A rule change to allow sheathed foils with either laminated or solid wood was rejected 29 votes to 21 at the agm. The Jade Marine/Duffin package won the national Championship at abersoch (solo 3726), Carveth, hunt and falcon completing a marvel hero podium. Incidentally, I had a moment or two of glory which was wrecked by an OCS, so setting a trend I would follow for the next three decades.
Helen falcon won the vacher cup in 3615, a Beckett. Mark tigchelaar won the world title in medemblik
Rowell and Morrison built their first and only solo for Peter Hammond, 3733 ‘red alert’ setting a new benchmark for craftsmanship.
Below; Geoff carveth (lovett) leads into the bottom mark at farmoor reservoir, Oxford s.c.
Pete in Red Alert sending it at Thorpe Bay 1992. Hull Rowell and morrison Spar Proctor c Sail Hood
1991 Carveth wins the Inlands (108) and World Championship at Thorpe Bay (65) in a Gerry Ledger built Solo 3776, I followed him up the first beat in race 1 with Cliff Crawshaw, assuming he knew what he was doing but after looking over my shoulder noticed the fleet going around the first mark while we were heading for the wing mark…that was our discards sorted for the week. Falcon’s Lovett ‘Pogs’ 3315 is on display at Crystal Palace. Newest registered Solo (Feb) was 3750 and the new NSCA tie was available for purchase for £5. Dick Batt provided a rigging and tuning guide, mast measurement from tip of mast to top of transom with mast at back of gate, 6250mm. 2025 guide from current Champion Oliver Davenport at P+B is 5952. Tony thresher continued to provide training days for nsca members and these sessions contributed to greater attendances at events and more importantly, higher standards of helmsmanship. Below; Peter bond provided some info on the new severn sailboat.
1992 Noble Marine become official class insurer. 68 new builds were registered to August. SB Marine started building Solos after Steve Boon took his first, in striking pink to Penzance, finishing last but welcoming feedback which he would implement in future builds. Nsca membership stands at 818. Carveth turned up in Kevan Gosling’s head turning first build 3817 ‘Monologue’ and took the national title with a 2-1-1-1-1-rtd scoreline. Carveth also won the world title in Medemblik and the Endeavour trophy with Pete Rowley in an Enterprise. Jim Hunt’s Holt foam sandwich Solo 3816 was for sale for £2500. Martin Payne reported that his Beckett built Solo 3740 had been stolen, whether it was ever found remains shrouded in the mists of time. The Solo mag editor is Paul cunningham and he reported that their were ten builders constructing wooden hulls, the dark art of knowing which to choose was the trick. The Australian Class Association put forward rule proposal to allow alloy rudder stocks but this is rejected. Structural fillets, minimum thickness of rudder stock cheeks and optional positioning of capping knees were accepted in construction rule changes at the agm. Ken falcon is elected as the new class president and wins the inland championship in his Beckett 3615, 110 entries. The nsca hold the inaugural winter championship, won by carveth. at the Barcelona olympics, Jose van Der ploeg won gold in the Finn, Laurie smith, rob cruikshank and osier Stewart taking bronze in the soling.
The gosling solo 3817
Paul proctor racing the Beckett 3740, I would assume this was before it was stolen otherwise, Martin, I know where you’re boat went.
1993 Subscription is £12. Geoff Carveth retains the Endeavour Trophy. You could buy a new Superspar M1/M7 for £163, rigging for £35 and a boom for £53.50. ‘Monologue’ featured at the Dinghy Show along with Solo 4000, its black hull and grey deck breaking all the rules aesthetically. This was the Don Marine FRP Solo. Every member had been given tickets to sell, funds from the raffle going towards future training days and the winner, which was drawn at the National Championship was Rod Jenkinson from Delph S.C. All Uk sails would have to carry GBR for international competition, previously it had been ‘K’. Carveth wins the world and national titles at Paignton in the ledger solo 3776, McMillan (3), thresher and houston taking race wins along with carveth but consistency was the key at this tricky venue. Helen falcon wins her fourth straight vacher cup in solo 3760, a thresher and j. Llewelyn takes the turnbull trophy in solo 3912, a don marine frp build. Wraysbury lake had a fight on it’s hands when the local council tried to close it down on the grounds of health and safety. After some negotiations, an agreement was made, much to the relief of the members. Jim hunt started his own loft, the multiple champion soon gaining a strong customer base.
Original 1993 advert
1994 Graham Scott developed the Wavelength rig and won the Nationals and Inlands in the 3840 (Thresher). Richard Sydenham wins the turnbull trophy in solo 3847 ‘top drive’ (Beckett). Nigel Young at Hood sails starts developing a Solo sail utilising untapped battens, Kevlar and Mylar materials and also goes on to incorporate tri-radial designs that made the rig more versatile. Jim Hunt wins the World Trophy (Brouwershaven) in a Severn Composite 3907 and his own sail. Barry green is the magazine editor and Geoff carveth wins his second endeavour trophy. Ken falcon somehow had three solos in his stable, 3315, the all conquering lovett, 3615, the Beckett and 3760, a thresher. All with great pedigree and the dilemma of which two to sell must have been a wrench. You could buy barry’s thresher 3754 (below) with all the bells and whistles for £2950. An absolute bargain when you see how fastidious the green family were with their bimbling. A rule proposal to allow grp/frp case and transom to be cladded in wood was rejected but the use of epoxy fillets in the construction process was carried.
Original 1993 advert
Tony cook finished fifth at the nationals in solo 3923, a thresher.
Junior champion Richard Sydenham won two races at the national championship, abersoch.
1995 Jack Holt passes away. The designer of the solo and many other dinghies had created world wide change for so many peoples lives. The solo has created life-long freindships based on a common love of our little racing dinghy and a shared dream of being the best, quite some legacy. Nsca membership stood at 842. In the rule changes, double thickness floors, negating floor battens are adopted though metal stocks, optional toe holes in the capping and T terminals are not. ‘Pogs’ Lovett 3315 was for sale for £1750. Bernie Gittens reported on a successful Australian Championship at Wodonga S.C. on Lake Hume. The RYA stated that 60 new builds were registered. Andy Bond wins the Worlds and Nationals (felpham) in the Severn Composite 3943, back to back wins for the Severn Sailboats yard. Gordon barclay would be inaugurated as class president at the agm. L. Kelsall won the vacher cup in a young build and a youthful Harvey Hillary won the turnbull trophy in his gosling 4004. Below; the determination etched on Andy bond’s face was his standard emotion, targeted, driven and fully immersed in the moment. Tony freer in 1370 was in his sights on this occasion.
1996 Hunt Sails were the dominant sailmaker. North sails entered the scene and would become a big player. Speed/Holt FRP and Harvey Hillary’s Gosling 4004 were on display at Alexandria Palace. Jon Clarke leaves Performance Sails to set up Edge Sails in Earlsdon, Coventry. It was reported that Solo 265 ‘Volare’) had been stolen in West Molesley during a renovation, seems pretty desperate to me. The Superspar M7 cleaned up in the major Championships and Jamie Lea racing his Thresher 4072 took the Worlds and National titles. In recognition for attending 20 consecutive National Championships, Nigel Pusinelli was awarded Life Membership of the NSCA. The annual general meeting was somewhat subdued, no rule proposals but comments from robin webb and simon hoult on adoption of carbon spars and alloy stocks made for some interesting discussion. Subscription, after some extensive debate and amendments was increased to £13.50. we are a very boring group of sailors. Vanda young won the vacher cup for littleton in the ledger 3776 and Harvey Hillary collected his second junior title, the gosling and north laminate, matched with a wavelength mast and bloodaxe foils, incredibly quick. Below; gordon barclay in the gosling/north combo. At the Atlanta olympics, mateusz kuszneirewicz won Finn gold, John merricks and Ian walker winning 470 silver along with ben Ainslie in the laser.
1997 Jon Clarke’s Thresher and a new Severn Sailboat with case sides sheathed in a thin layer of ply were on show at Ally Palace. Doug Hughes put together the first World Wide Web Solo pages. Chris Eslick takes on the role of Editor. Steve Boon advertised new wooden hulls for £1949. Geoff Carveth turns up to the worlds and Nationals at Looe in the Holt FRP build 4127 and a nice striped jumper and takes the win, much to the surprise of the fleet who have been brought up to believe wood will always be quicker. Harvey Hillary completes a hatrick of junior titles (third overall) and vanda young wins her second vacher cup, this time in the ledger 4123. Glass sheathing of foils was finally carried, alloy stocks once again rejected and the chief measurer reported that six of the eighty solos at the recent championship had been found underweight. A constitutional rule change to make postal voting to the whole membership, where the proposal is considered to be a major alteration should have been carried but the wording needed adjustment so this would be re-visited in 1998.
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