Race 1
The joy of racing at Starcross is that it’s not only a shifty lake but it’s got a fickle tide too, and as Race 1 started, the right-hand side against all logic seemed to have paid, with Paul Kelley and Charlie Nunn leading out of the right-hand side of the course, shrieking off on the triangular course. The pack were close on their heels but never caught them as the wind dipped and blew again across the course.
Big thanks to Olly T for pointing out the spreader mark to me, although, as they say, no good turn goes unpunished as I managed to sneak past on the next beat.
Paul K had to hand over the lead on the downwind leg to Charlie N and despite nipping at his heels never got past, following him into the finish with Spod Olive behind.
Race 2
With the breeze holding steady at 12 kts the fleet set off again but this time the left hand seemed to pay, sheltering them from the stronger tide on the right. Again, Paul Kelley had the boat speed upwind but with Olly Turner and Charlie Nunn on his heels, he slipped back after a luffing match between Paul and Olly resulting in turns by Paul.
Olly stomped off to win the race with Charlie just behind and Paul looking chastened as he took 3rd. Certainly, in my boat after the race it was a time to glug the juice, stretch the back and snack on a bar, hoping that everyone else was feeling the thigh burn as we waited for race 3.
Race 3
Clearly the wind gods had got quite grumpy by this stage as they parked a large cumulus cloud over the race course and threw the wind dice, shifting it 30 and then 90 degrees to the right. Having picked up a clump of weed on the start, I tacked off to the unfavourable right side only to be met with the mother of all shifts taking me straight to the first mark just behind Charlie Nunn. It then proceeded to die slowly leaving the fleet to drift in the becalmed tidal stream of the Exe. The Race Officer remained calm as we floated off downstream and was rewarded by a series of random puffs coming from the west, propelling some (not all) of the fleet back around the course. Charlie Nunn and Spod Olive still slipped away with Olly Turner just on their heels, a lead which they kept as the wind swirled around the course.
I
t's not often that you come away from an open having had it all. Unpredictable, frustrating while providing some excellent and close racing, with chop, sun breeze and waves. Lots of swapping places, but inevitably Charlie Nunn, pulling away and winning the day with Olly Turner and Spod Olive behind him, sneaking past Paul Kelley in the countback for third.
Thanks again to Goat for sponsoring us, to the Starcross shore team, and to the Race Officer Russ Gibbs for some great racing.
Spod Olive
The Solos' Open Meeting courses were shared with ILCAs/Lasers and Phantoms using separate starts - see full results and photo album for all three classes.