Lee-on-Solent Finn Open, BFA Traveller Series

This was the first Finn event at Lee-on-Solent Sailing Club in recent years. Sadly, only ten Finns signed up — somewhat unfortunate given the effort the club had put in. The event was shared with the Phantoms, who produced a stronger entry.

When the Finn fleet learned that reigning champion Matt Howard was taking part, the general mood was that first place was already spoken for!
The first day produced mixed conditions. The opening race started in about ten knots, but the wind soon dropped significantly. We all sat in our boats trying to make them move.
In every race, Matt Howard was first at every mark. The only question was who rounded behind him.

In the first light-wind race, Richard Phillips, the only representative of Christchurch Sailing Club present, went the right way and rounded in second, followed by Roman Khodykin. The race was snakes and ladders, but ultimately Matt finished first, Mark Spruce second and Roman Khodykin third.

Quite remarkably, between the first and second races the wind went from five knots to twenty knots. Suddenly we were hiking hard, rolling over big waves and trying to survive gybes. The next two races became the battle of the three Marks — Mark MacDonald, Mark Spruce and Mark Cooper. In the second race, Mark McDonald squeezed past to claim second, with Sprucie in third. By that point the sea state was quite rough, and some boats retired after that race. Chris O’Donnell broke his mast — the one he had bought after breaking another at HISC. Very unlucky!

In the middle of the starting procedure for the third race, we saw the SailGP boats foiling towards Portsmouth. Never had I been so distracted during a sequence — I was too excited watching the SailGP boats in full swing. Then I looked at my watch: two minutes to the gun, so I needed to position myself for the start. Matt Howard soon took the lead, Sprucie was in second when he went in for a swim. Cooper took over second place, while Mark MacDonald and Roman Khodykin fought for third. That battle lasted until the finish, with MacDonald claiming a photo-finish victory over Roman.

A few words about the location: it is a brilliant venue, but launching and recovery present a challenge. When the boats returned, big rolling waves threatened to smash them against the shore. Thanks to the club volunteers, who waited in the water in large numbers to catch the boats, everyone arrived in one piece — except Chris….

The second day presented a difficult decision for the PRO. The morning wind was twenty knots and set to increase. By the time competitors arrived at the club, the PRO had registered a gust over thirty knots. Remembering the challenges of launching and recovery, a wise decision was taken to keep the powder dry and cancel racing. All competitors headed to the clubhouse for a pint and the prize-giving.

Results overall:
Matt Howard
Mark McDonald
Mark Cooper
Also Richard Phillips got the first legend prize.
Overall, a brilliant venue with friendly staff and volunteers, and perfect sailing conditions. We look forward to sailing there again.

Report by Roman, GBR-13

Photos by Katen Ward