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A sparkling spring morning and a stiff easterly breeze met the twenty six competitors who attended the first
Scottish Solo Travellers event of the year, at Clyde Cruising Club Bardowie near Glasgow on the 23rd April.
Solos are the fastest growing fleet in Scotland and two of their newest recruits, Jim Sinclair of
East Lothian Yacht Club and Kevan Gibb of Largo Bay SC, both on the Firth of Forth, have been practising hard
during the winter, to good effect. Already accomplished sailors in other classes they have transferred to Solos
and came to the inland venue of Bardowie to test their skills against the long standing establishment of the
'gentlemanly' Scottish Solo fleet.
The first race in a fresh and shifty wind saw Kevan and Jim, the new kids on the block, battling it out against
Gil Cumming of Newburgh SC and Craig Moffett of Loch Earn SC. Youth won out in the testing conditions.
The second race saw the retirement of Craig with a recurrent back injury and Jim, leading Kevan at the finish,
to be followed by last years Scottish Travellers winner, Jim Allan of Newburgh SC.
Following lunch, Sinclair and Gibb led the Solo Class Chief Measurer Gordon Barclay to the finish.
The father of the fleet, Gil Cumming had retired with the eventual result of third overall.
At the end of the day, lightweight Jim Sinclair won from Kevan Gibb with a display of intelligent
and athletic sailing which bodes well for the future of Solos in Scotland.
Next round at Montrose in two weeks time!
Alistair Angus #4474
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