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).
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