2024 Fall Soling Bowl
October 5-6, 2024
By Andy Dize
Ah, the last event of the 2024 season. The year has gone by so fast. The 2024 Fall Soling Bowl brought out our regular SSA members and one guest skipper from the past. 11 boats registered for the event. Although it was a small group of skippers, the on-course competition was hotly contested down to the last race. The windward/leeward course leg lengths were about 0.6 NM with a weather offset mark and no gate at the leeward mark with the finish on the opposite side of the committee boat. Although shorter than normal, the course length kept competitors in the race to provide much closer racing. 6 races were held. Saturday greeted the fleet with an 8-12 kts northerly that steadily built during the day to about 10-14 kts. With the recent rainfall, not only were there wind shifts to deal with during the day but also a higher than normal current. Race 1 started cleanly and spread the fleet evenly across the course with CAN 233 (Donker/Devries/Valdestra) leading the fleet at the weather mark with USA 853 (Thomas/Siegel/Rubin) and USA 798 (Dize) rounding out the top three. Races 2 and 3 saw USA 798 (Dize/Roberts/Barrett) with a committee end starts in each race jump out to a lead at the weather mark where being caught up by the rest of the fleet was not possible. Kudos to USA 828 (Van Gieson/Connolly/Stenger) showed what a new set of sails could accomplish by finishing second in Race 3. Race 4 showed where the fleet was starting to figure out the wind shifts and became more compacted around the course. Wil Turner (USA 831) and CAN 233 made the right side of the course work to their advantage in coming back from mid fleet positions to being in the lead at the weather mark for the final downwind finish. CAN 233 posted another bullet and held a slight lead at the end of Day 1. The tradition of oysters after racing continued. Luckily a few “pro shuckers” stepped in to do the honors to make sure all were able to participate in having a few of the Bay’s finest.
Sunday morning was looking bleak as there was no wind and the onset of fog. Not a good look (but normal) for Annapolis and racing. After a 2-hour shore delay, the fleet had enough wind to get to the racecourse. After another hour delay on the water, there was a wonderful south easterly breeze ranging from 8 to 12 kts to get the last 2 races in. Race 5, USA 798 took the pin at the start and steadily moved faster and pointed higher than the fleet to allow a port tack crossing heading back to the weather mark. It was not an easy win as USA 833 Peter Galloway posted a 2nd to keep the pressure on the leaders. The series came down to the last race with USA 798 needing a top three finish for the win. A clean start and positioning on the course were the keys to staying competitive. USA 853 lead at the weather mark and maintained their lead to win Race 6. USA 833 continued to show you never forget how to sail a Soling by posting a 2nd. CAN 233 posted a 5th which gave USA 798 enough room to finish 3rd in the final race to take the regatta.
