Results 2024 Soling 1M Canadian Championship

A great regatta, well run and despite the weather the first day we all had fun.

2024 Soling 1M Canadian Championship
Sullivan’s Pond – Dartmouth, NS
Hosted by: Halifax Area Model Yacht Club
June 15-16, 2024

The 2024 Canadian Championship in the Soling One Metre class was held this past weekend at Sullivan’s Pond. While all but one entry came from the host club, we were very grateful that Blake Moran joined us from the Quinte Model Yacht Club.

Day one got underway with a steady rain falling, and a light a shifty wind from the south. Organizer in chief Brian Lugar made the gloomy weather a little more bearable with hot coffee, Tim Horton’s treats and most importantly a tent to keep the scorers and the Race Director a little drier.
With the sailors assembled and the facilities erected, race director Bob Boutilier called for the skippers meeting and the racing followed.

Race one started with twelve boats on the line and the rain intensifying. Immediately returning to the shore with a malfunctioning jib sheet, Jim Goddard started the first race in last. With the shifty wind conditions challenging the fleet the first race was won by Gary Bugden (213), second Brian Lugar (959) and third Blake Moran (967).
Race two brought a retirement for the balance of the day from Bob White (333) with radio problems before the start. Gary Bugden (213) repeated his winning form as conditions deteriorated further with a hard rain.
Race three saw two more competitors succumb to radio issues because of the dampness with Janice Anderson (625) and Mike McDonah (135) out for the day. The stalwart nine left behind were led to the finish by Jim Goddard (544), Blake Moran (967) and Mike Kennedy (110).
Jim Goddard (544) won races four and lunch arrived. Bob Boutilier announced that we would sail two more races following lunch and call it a day. While we love to race, we were all soaked, the weather was getting colder and the break was a welcome announcement. Race five and six saw Jim Goddard winning both.

In the evening, we attended a BBQ at the home of Bob Boutilier with most of the competitors in attendance. One interesting item under discussion was that the radios that failed were from Spektrum. Brian McDonah told us that the way he dried out the wet transmitter was to pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F, turn it off, place the transmitter on the rack and leave it in the closed oven for a couple of hours. Amazingly it worked and two of the units revived while word is still out on the third. Unfortunately, while his transmitter came back on after the oven treatment, Mike McDonah still had issues and was sidelined early on day two.

Day two was beautiful, sunny and warm with a brisk wind from the north. Sullivan’s Pond runs from north to south, so we love winds from directions that favour the longest axis of the pond. North winds are traditionally fickle with dramatic shifts in direction and changes in velocity, this day was no different.
Gary Bugden (213) retired from the regatta with back problems, Janice Anderson (625) was unable to get her boat operational, but Bob White (333) returned to the competition. A few races in, Bill Fiortas (200) caught the radio bug and retired.

On this day we sailed nineteen races with Jim Goddard (544) winning eleven of them, Brian Lugar (959) won four, Blake Moran (967) won two, Brian McDonah (127) won one and Bob White (333) is still celebrating his win in race eighteen. We sailed through gusts of 25 knots, flat calm, 180 degree shifts (sometimes all in the same race) making no lead safe and all with good humour and clean sailing. This event also included the only tied finish in my memory as Jim Goddard and Blake Moran crossed the line together ad the RD could not determine who crossed first.

1st Place with 25.5 points Jim Goddard
2nd Place with 56 points Brian Lugar
3rd Place with 64.5 points Blake Moran

Brian Lugar was the winner of a draw for a suit of sails donated by Dion Sails, thanks to Pat Dion for his support of the Soling Class.
The numbers were a little disappointing for a National Championship, but we had a great time. At awards time, the winners were awarded some local potent potables and Nova Scotia maple syrup for their efforts and each competitor received a commemorative coffee mug. Blake Moran was awarded a HAMYC cap as the sailor who travelled the farthest to attend.

Many thanks to Brian Lugar who handled the bulk of the work to make the regatta happen, Bob Boutilier for acting as Race Director and hosting the BBQ, Sarah Bugden for scoring, Richard Joules for assisting with setup.
Thanks also the John McKinney and the CRYA for their support.


2019 Soling 1M Canadian Championship

After two full days of sailing in variable conditions Bob Boutilier of Bedford, NS became the Soling 1M Canadian Champion for 2019. Gary Bugden was just two points behind in second and Janice Anderson was third.

The fall weather was near perfect allowing Race Director Jim Goddard to set competitive windward, leeward courses for thirty-six very close races. Click Here to download the full results.

Thanks to volunteer helpers Silvia Goddard, Henry Ng, and Jamie Ferguson whose help made the regatta run so smoothly.

https://youtu.be/6lSKQE1j-ZU
A video created by Henry Ng.