The New President Guy Mayger

Well, the 2023 Selden Solo Na1onals will live long in the memory of all those who took part.

Star1ng with a breezy, wavy first day which led to a few slightly easier ones and a day lost to too much wind, this year’s Solo Na1onals really proved to have something for everyone. Once again, Hayling Island Sailing Club proved to be excellent hosts with the best race officer and team I have had the pleasure to work/sail with.

In Ben Flower, we saw a fine champion emerge from a fleet stacked with talent.

Ben, you should be very proud of your achievement, having only stepped into a Solo for the first 1me the day before racing commenced, and then only for a brief one hour prac1ce sail in 28 knots! Impressive stuff indeed.

Taking on the likes of perennial winner, Charlie Cumbley, and hoRest Open racer this year, Oliver Davenport. For those a liRle further behind it was a great watch.

With your sights set on gaining the Canadian ILCA spot for Paris 2024, I think the Solos offered you up some great compe11on.

I hope we get to see you racing with us again in the near future.

As many of you know, during the Championship the class also held its annual AGM and I was very grateful to receive the full backing of those in aRendance to take over the reigns as Class President from Patrick aZer his two years in charge.

Thank you Patrick for all you have done for the class over this 1me. We con1nue to be one of the foremost singlehanded classes in the country and it’s through your hard work, and the likes of Doug LaRa and Will Loy before, that we con1nue thrive.

Looking ahead to the future, my personal thought is that we should con1nue to make the class an aRrac1ve proposi1on for sailors looking for a great, well designed boat that offers excellent racing, whether that be at Na1onal championship level, open mee1ngs or at the many clubs around the country.

Having raced at a number of clubs in the Southern region, I think it is wonderful that you can turn up and there is almost aways another Solo to race against.

Now that we are over the Covid period (hopefully) we are also keen to get the class training running on a more regular basis. To that end, please do get in touch and the Associa1on will help guide you in this area. We now have a number of qualified coaches and funding is available to help keep costs down.

Thinking back to the Na1onals, seeing “young” Ben lead the way and our 4 lady compe1tors duking it out together, promo1ng the class beyond the usual demographic is also a goal for us.

Whether via the Class Associa1on or at your home clubs, let’s see if we can grow the class. One takeaway from the week at Hayling was those towards the back of the fleet who told me how much they’d enjoyed themselves, compe1ng against their peers. Old and new friendships, and rivalries, were made and this is something the class is great at.

Most of all, get your Solo out on the water and come and enjoy the fun our liRle boat has to offer.

Mr Holt would be very impressed to see how the fleet has developed today.

Your President, Guy (5691)