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Articles by Will Loy
Solo class prepares for the culmination of a Season Of Determination Original
Solo class prepares for the culmination of a Season Of Determination by Will Loy 9 Nov 11:15 GMT We are just one week away from the culmination of a Season Of Determination (SOD), commitment and injury prevention, twenty three qualifiers holding four scores are already assured of their lucky ticket in the prize draw for a huge discount on a new North sail while a further twenty can add their names to the President's hat of destiny if they post a score at the End of Season showdown (EOS).
Solo Class Super Series 2026 Summary and Events Announced for 2027 Original
Solo Class Super Series 2026 Summary and Events Announced for 2027 by Will Loy 13 Oct 07:34 BST 2026 North Sails Super Series With just one major event remaining, the Harken End of Season Championship will provide one last chance for competitors to qualify or improve on their overall scoreline though Harry Lucas 2-2-2-1 has an almost unassailable lead, Oliver Davenport 1-1 will have to podium at the Midland Championship (Rutland Water Oct 45-25) before launching a last ditch bid at the EOS...
CB Dinghy Chandlery 70th Anniversary Solo Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club Original
CB Dinghy Chandlery 70th Anniversary Solo Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club by Will Loy 10 Sep 21:37 BST Day 1 62 Solo sailors have arrived at Grafham Water Sailing Club, their one mission, if they should accept, to take the title back home. Some have no hope, many do not really care and a few will be disappointed if they do not succeed but with 6 races scheduled over the two days, a winner will emerge.
CB Dinghy Chandlery Solo Inland Championship 2026 at Grafham Water Sailing Club - Preview Original
CB Dinghy Chandlery Solo Inland Championship 2026 at Grafham Water Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy 29 Aug 10:42 BST Grafham Water is the venue for this very special 70th Anniversary edition of the Inland Championship and with just under two weeks to go, we have 43 pre entries.
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Overall Original
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Overall by Will Loy 10 Aug 21:23 BST The final day of this magnificent Solo Championship dawned hot and sunny, just a thin line of cirrus nimbus spoiling an otherwise deep blue stratosphere. Torbados had already delivered some fabulous weather and the forecast was for 10-14 knots from due south, though there was a short delay with the competitors held ashore until the RO was happy.
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Day 3 Original
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Day 3 by Will Loy 9 Aug 19:05 BST After an early start of editing, processing, charging and publishing it was a body blow to receive a competitor WhatsApp from the RO, the brief message suggesting that we would be launching at the prescribed time, I had just ordered my breakfast, the bay looking ideal for fly fishing, not dinghy racing.
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Day 2 Original
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Day 2 by Will Loy 8 Aug 14:58 BST The day dawned like any other 2026 Torbados Summer day, buckets of sunshine and a gentle breeze though its northerly direction hinted that this heatwave might soon be over, until the next one.
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Day 1 Original
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Day 1 by Will Loy 7 Aug 12:26 BST The Solo fleet have returned to Torbay, the last time we visited was 2017 and before that 2008 so it's not hard to work out, one the NSCA event algorithm is in working order and two, we will not be back until 2035.
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Preview Original
P&B Solo class National Championship 2026 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Preview by Will Loy 5 Aug 21:55 BST There is no let-up for the poor blighters in Torbados, having just delivered an epic Fireball Worlds, the Royal Torbay Yacht Club is this week hosting the Solo National Championship and with around 80 pre-entries, it should be a marvellous event.
Solo class Nigel Pusinelli Trophy and Southern Championship 2026 at Felpham Sailing Club Original
Solo class Nigel Pusinelli Trophy and Southern Championship 2026 at Felpham Sailing Club by Will Loy 15 Jul 22:14 BST The Nigel Pusinelli Trophy, incorporating the Southern Championship, sponsored by P&B and CB Coverstore This would be one of those events where imperfect regatta organising collides with perfect weather, the result, a Championship that will last long in the memory of the few sailors that attended.
Solo class Nigel Pusinelli Trophy and Southern Championship 2026 at Felpham Sailing Club - Preview Original
Solo class Nigel Pusinelli Trophy and Southern Championship 2026 at Felpham Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy & Guy Mayger 8 Jul 20:26 BST The Nigel Pusinelli Trophy, incorporating the Southern Championship, sponsored by P&B This weekend is shaping up to be an epic encounter for those Solo sailors who venture to Felpham to contest the Nigel Pusinelli Trophy, the two day event coincides with another climate change/El Niño induced heatwave and North Easterly winds forecast to provide ideal...
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 at Quiberon, France - Overall Original
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 at Quiberon, France - Overall by Will Loy 10 Jun 22:35 BST Day 4 dawned overcast, the strong winds finally abating but the region still refusing to default to the blistering heat we had read about in the brochure. The competitors had an early start but that had not put some off a very late night of food, wine and entertainment though Vincent Horey's rendition of "We are Spurs" on his base guitar soon had the audience running for the exit.
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 at Quiberon, France after Day 3
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 at Quiberon, France after Day 3 by Will Loy 6 Jun 13:56 BST Day 1 Thirty-nine UK Solos and their helms and nine elite Dutch sailors have assembled on the small picturesque town of Quiberon to contest the 26th running of the Green and Gates Nation's Cup.
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 at Quiberon, France after Day 3
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 at Quiberon, France after Day 3 by Will Loy 6 Jun 05:56 PDT Day 1 Thirty-nine UK Solos and their helms and nine elite Dutch sailors have assembled on the small picturesque town of Quiberon to contest the 26th running of the Green and Gates Nation's Cup.
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 Preview Original
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 Preview by Will Loy 30 May 06:00 BST We are just one week away from the start of the Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup (June 4-7) and with 45 pre-entries, the team at the Institut National du Nautisme in Quiberon are gearing up for four days of hot competition.
Solo Vintage Championship 2026 at Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club - Preview Original
Solo Vintage Championship 2026 at Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy 27 May 19:50 BST You could be forgiven for thinking you have walked through a wormhole back in time if you happen to pass by Leigh on Sea on Saturday May 30th, narrow cobbled streets overflowing with pedestrians eager to sample the local ales and cockle bars, a train station, bereft of travellers awaiting departure and a beach full of cutting edge timber-constructed Solos.
P&B Solo class Welsh Championship 2026 at Llandegfedd Sailing Club - Preview Original
P&B Solo class Welsh Championship 2026 at Llandegfedd Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy 19 May 19:39 BST The Solo fleet will be visiting Llandegfedd Reservoir this weekend and someone will come away as the P&B Welsh champion and with the current entry list suggesting there could be a new name engraved onto the trophy (is there a trophy?) the likes of Perkins and Roberts are rubbing their sweaty little palms together with some relish.
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 - Early Entry Fee Reduction Ends Soon Original
Noble Marine Solo Nation's Cup 2026 - Early Entry Fee Reduction Ends Soon by Will Loy 30 Apr 21:23 BST There is just over one month to go until the 2026 Nation's Cup begins at the National School Sailing And Water Sports Centre ENVSN, in Quiberon, France. This stunning venue provides superb facilities, a fabulous bay to race in and the beautiful town of Quiberon as a backdrop.
CB Ultimate Hikers Solo Spring Championship 2026 at Hayling Island Sailing Club Original
CB Ultimate Hikers Solo Spring Championship 2026 at Hayling Island Sailing Club by Will Loy 29 Apr 15:55 BST Spring Championship sponsored by CB Ultimate Hikers, incorporating the P&B Southern Championship and the Tyler Trophy Day 1 Hayling Island are hosting a combined regatta for the very best of single handers and a bit like the porridge my mum used to tell me about, there are dinghies built just right for big bears, little bears and in the Solos case, mostly old bears.
CB Ultimate Hikers Solo Spring Championship 2026 at Hayling Island Sailing Club- Preview Original
CB Ultimate Hikers Solo Spring Championship 2026 at Hayling Island Sailing Club- Preview by Will Loy 21 Apr 11:50 BST CB Ultimate Hikers Solo Spring Championship incorporating the P&B Southern Championship Next weekend, April 25-26 sees the resumption of the Solo season of major events with the 17th running of the Spring Championship, this year generously sponsored by CB Ultimate Hikers.
Allen Solo class Winter Championship 2026 at Northampton Sailing Club Original
Allen Solo class Winter Championship 2026 at Northampton Sailing Club by Will Loy 9 Mar 15:43 GMT A new Solo season, new faces with dreams, new Solos and sails but the guarantee that the action and drama will be just as riveting as in previous years. If you did not follow the action via the Solo reporting WhatsApp group then this report, embellished with exaggerations and imagination will try and do justice to the event.
Noble Marine Solo class Winter Championship 2026 at Northampton Sailing Club - Preview Original
Noble Marine Solo class Winter Championship 2026 at Northampton Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy 2 Mar 15:43 GMT Northampton Sailing Club are gearing up to welcome the Solo fleet to Pitsford Reservoir for the North Sails season curtain raiser on Saturday March 7 and with a balmy 12 degrees and winds from the South at 8 knots, we hope to see a healthy attendance.
Midland Area Solo Championship at Northampton Sailing Club
Midland Area Solo Championship at Northampton Sailing Club by Will Loy 7 Dec 08:25 PST Sponsored by CB Coverstore and Allen So, to the very final major Solo event of 2025, a regatta that had been postponed twice, the allure of a trip to Llandudno on a May bank holiday not tickling the fancy of enough pre-entries to proceed, whist all the wind prediction platforms indicated there would be no wind on the re-scheduled date of October 10th in Northamptonshire.
Allen and CB Cover Store Midland Area Solo Championship 2025 at Northampton Sailing Club - Preview Original
Allen and CB Cover Store Midland Area Solo Championship 2025 at Northampton Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy 25 Nov 12:54 GMT The planets have aligned in the favour of the Midland Championship which, having been postponed earlier in the season, has now been bequeathed the last big Solo regatta of 2025 and so the focus will very much be on who can claim this hotly contested title and with it, bar bragging rites, kudos and most importantly, space in the next Solo Magnificent publication to...
Solo class End of Season Championship Preview and latest rig news Original
Solo class End of Season Championship Preview and latest rig news by Will Loy 24 Oct 17:41 BST The Ferry Marina EOS Championship will take place at Draycote Water SC on Saturday Nov 15th and this event, along with the recent Inland Championship provides competitors with a chance or two to win a 3-4 day break on the Norfolk Broads, courtesy of Ferry Marina. The lucky ticket will be drawn at the EOS Prize Giving alongside the North Sails Super Series Draw so two great reasons to be there.
Ferry Marina Solo Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club Original
Ferry Marina Solo Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club by Will Loy 10 Sep 09:29 BST Grafham Water Sailing Club would be our hosts and with a forecast of moderate winds and an air temperature enhanced by an airstream directly from Somalia, I can only imagine the confusion among the migrants who had just landed at Dover.
Ferry Marina Solo Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club - Preview Original
Ferry Marina Solo Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy 31 Aug 16:05 BST We are just one week away from the penultimate major event of this Solo season and the Inland Championship at Grafham Water is arguably the biggest event of the year if you are salt water intolerant.
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Overall Original
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Overall by Will Loy 8 Aug 22:33 BST So, after three full on days of racing and with eight races completed, Oliver Davenport was crowned Noble Marine Solo National Champion, his feat of winning every race setting a new record in the Solo class. His winning margin of total points nearly as impressive as the distance he won by, almost a minute over his nearest rival on many occasions during the week.
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 5 Original
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 5 by Will Loy 8 Aug 09:55 BST We had made it to Day 5 and with six Championship races under our belts, all won quite comfortably by Oliver Davenport, there was a degree of lethargy amongst the sailors, understandable given that they had been gruelling tests of both stamina and bowel retention.
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 4 Original
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 4 by Will Loy 7 Aug 08:35 BST With two days lost through strong winds, competitors and race management had been glued to their phones all morning, checking various weather apps for some kind of sign that a window of opportunity would miraculously appear over the east of Scotland.
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 2 Original
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 2 by Will Loy 5 Aug 15:10 BST With racing already cancelled for the day, hulls tied down with masts removed, the sailors eased themselves into day 2 and with the breeze building to boat-breaking proportions by the prescribed 1pm start time, weather predictors breathed sighs of relief, some fist pumping while others slinked back on their Hermon Miller with quiet satisfaction.
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 1
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 1 by Will Loy 4 Aug 17:09 BST Saturday was moving day for the Solo fleet, 43 competitors arriving to a sun-drenched North Berwick from three of the four corners of the UK.
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Preview Original
Noble Marine Solo class National Championship 2025 at East Lothian Yacht Club - Preview by Will Loy 29 Jul 21:49 BST The best of the best are about to descend on the shores of North Berwick, the challenge awaiting is a potential 6 days of racing warfare to determine who will be 'Top Gun'. I will have a word with our team to try and procure the iconic baseball cap but competitors please note, our SIs strictly forbid any flyby of the race hut.
Latest edition of the Solo interactive Magazine
Latest edition of the Solo interactive Magazine by Will Loy 26 Jul 10:06 BST This edition of the Solo interactive Magazine focuses on the recent Xalient Nation's Cup which took place at beautiful Bellano on Lake Como. This is a secret sailing mecca and I would recommend it to any class of dinghy if you like a constant 8-12 knots and 30+ degrees. The class has a strong Vintage following and the event at Leigh on Sea was quite a spectacle.
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 4 Original
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 4 by Will Loy 25 Jun 18:45 BST I shuffled out of bed and ventured over to the balcony with some satisfaction, the first challenge of clothing myself passing without incident. The mountain range to my right was already illuminated, announcing that it would be another sunny day paradise. The sailing club lay idle, it was only 4.30am after all but I had made sure I was awake before the road sweeper got here.
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 3 Original
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 3 by Will Loy 25 Jun 09:57 BST Before I get into the action from day 3, first a quick recap on the previous evening's Italian themed Solo social which took place in the shaded area of the nearby Palasole Pavilion. This must have been a popular choice as every seat was taken and the traditional antipasto and risotto, finished with a choice of tiramisu or panacotta went down like a plate of mackerel in a seal sanctuary.
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 2 Original
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 2 by Will Loy 24 Jun 10:56 BST The night had been sultry, and not in a Monica Bellucci kind of way, though I would have happily discarded my pyjamas in her presence. The skies had become overcast as the sun fell between the mountains on the western horizon and the humidity could have provided a perfect environment for the fermentation of focaccia, no wonder it is so abundant here.
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 1 Original
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 1 by Will Loy 23 Jun 13:27 BST I awoke to the unfamiliar roar of an engine turbine as it throttled up, the local ferry utilising a hydrofoil system that, from the estimated weight of the beast, required as much thrust as the flux capacitor could give her to hit 88 miles an hour and lift-off.
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 0 Original
Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 0 by Will Loy 21 Jun 11:22 BST Circolo Vela Bellano, nestled on the banks of the eastern side of Lake Como continues to welcome Solos through its gates in readiness for what is effectively the European Championship. For some context for those interested in the detail it was named the Nation's Cup back in the year 2000, formerly our World Championship.
Solo Eastern Championship at Brightlingsea Sailing Club Original
Solo Eastern Championship at Brightlingsea Sailing Club by Will Loy 11 Jun 10:22 BST Bright sunny skies and a light easterly wind greeted the Solo sailors at Brightlingsea for the Eastern Championship. Race 1 Started First Time with Chris Rust Sailing off to Bradwell Power Station and coming into the windward mark on port smelling of roses. Steve Ede rounded second with Oliver Davenport in 3rd. Davenport passed Ede on the second beat and the slipped through Rust on the Run to win from Ede and Rust.
Solo class Nigel Pusinelli Trophy 2025 at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy - Preview Original
Solo class Nigel Pusinelli Trophy 2025 at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy - Preview by Will Loy & Guy Mayger 14 May 22:31 BST What's it all about? One of the founder members of the N.S.C.A, Nigel sailed his National Solo at Emsworth SC and then Chichester YC for over thirty years. He was still racing and attending the National Championships well into his eighties and received a special award in 1995 in recognition of his involvement with the class.
The Solo Welsh Championship and a Bit of History Original
The Solo Welsh Championship and a Bit of History by Will Loy 20 Apr 07:19 BST Another weekend and though we are only just into April, the Solo class has three events scheduled, an Eastern Area open meeting at Hunts S.C, St Ives, a Southern Area open meeting at Spinnaker S.C, Ringwood and for those sailors looking to put themselves top of the pecking order (or you just happen to live close by) the Welsh Championship awaits.
Solo Season 2024 and the release of SoloInteractive 21 Original
Solo Season 2024 and the release of SoloInteractive 21 by Will Loy 24 Nov 17:44 GMT Here we are near the very end of another Solo season, a new Nation's Cup and National Champion and the first Dutchman since Mark Tigchelaar won at Medemblik in 1990. Pim van Vugt's Olympic background in 49ers provided a perfect platform for his assault on the pinnacle of Solo excellence and has possibly opened the flood gates for other elite sailors to come and have a go.
Solo Class End of Season Championship 2024 at Draycote Water Sailing Club Original
Solo Class End of Season Championship 2024 at Draycote Water Sailing Club by Will Loy 6 Nov 05:54 GMT It was a relief to be released from the seemingly infinite production of apple donuts, the bright red numerals on the face of my digital alarm clock burning the numbers four, four and five into the very backs of my retinae. I usually start work at 3 a.m. on a Saturday so the lie-in was very welcome.
Solo Nigel Pusinelli Trophy 2024 sponsored by Salcombe Brewery at Salcombe Yacht Club Original
Solo Nigel Pusinelli Trophy 2024 sponsored by Salcombe Brewery at Salcombe Yacht Club by Will Loy 21 Oct 14:59 BST GOAT Marine Western Area Series 36 competitors descended from various parts of the UK to contest the re-arranged Nigel Pusinelli Trophy, 11 were official visitors but a good proportion of the home fleet live in Surrey so we're able to tie in a trip to the second home for the weekend.
Solo class ONK Open Dutch National Championship 2024 at Royal Netherlands Yacht Club Original
Solo class ONK Open Dutch National Championship 2024 at Royal Netherlands Yacht Club by Will Loy 27 Sep 10:08 BST The UK Solo Special Forces arrived in Muiden with a mission to try and retrieve some pride and hopefully the Open Dutch Championship title, possibly a canal bridge too far but any of the four UK competitors would happily take a top ten finish.
Gill Solo class Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club Original
Gill Solo class Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club by Will Loy 9 Sep 21:25 BST Day 1 There had been warnings in the run-up to this event, a poorly wife, camera and camera stabiliser breakages and to top it all, the good old Volvo V70 had just developed a troubling power steering issue. Whether that had anything to do with a plastic duct that fell off a day earlier is yet to be determined.
Gill Solo class Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club - Preview Original
Gill Solo class Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club - Preview by Will Loy 4 Sep 17:15 BST I turned to my long suffering wife, flicking a few strands of hair away from her ear, "it's the Gill Solo Inlands next week" I whispered, "a two day Championship on some lovely flat water and...".
Allen Solo class National Championship and Nation's Cup 2024 at Brightlingsea Sailing Club - Overall Original
Allen Solo class National Championship and Nation's Cup 2024 at Brightlingsea Sailing Club - Overall by Will Loy 28 Aug 06:00 BST My exit from the Brewers Arms B&B was frantic, onlookers may have had the impression that I was doing a runner but then again nothing irregular there. The popular rock band venue's car park had been full on my return the previous evening so I had parked a good 100 yards away and, in an effort to reduce my average steps for the day, now resembled an over-laden Sherpa.
Allen Solo class National Championship and Nation's Cup 2024 at Brightlingsea Sailing Club - Day 3 Original
Allen Solo class National Championship and Nation's Cup 2024 at Brightlingsea Sailing Club - Day 3 by Will Loy 25 Aug 11:15 BST The mood in the clubhouse had been very relaxed, other than a few crazy fools who, despite the driving rain, were already wheeling their Solos on to the beach. The majority were either sipping coffee or waiting patiently in a queue for the 'Barista' to weave his magic.
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