Solo class Nigel Pusinelli Trophy 2025 at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy - Preview
by Will Loy & Guy Mayger 14 May 21:31 UTC
17-18 May 2025
Alexander Alcock wins the Solo Nigel Pusinelli Trophy at the WPNSA © Will Loy
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. Nigel was a very unassuming man, his winning speeches, of which he made many were a joy to the ear, such was his grasp of the spoken word.
Nigel Pusinelli was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by HRH Princess Anne on his retirement from the RYA.
Nigel passed away in July 2010 and the pre-championship event at Weymouth was re-named in his honour.
Roll Call of Champions
2008 WPNSA and Jim Hunt wins from Cliff Crawshaw and Chris Cleaves in the FRP Boon, securing the title with four bullets and a second.
Read the report here
2009, same venue and Salcombe sailor Alistair Morley takes the win in his blue hulled Winder 1 from Charlie Cumbley and Chris Brown despite opening the event with a 16th. The fleet of 48 enjoying two days of classic Weymouth westerly winds.
Read the report here
2010 54 entries and the dominance of the Boon package was displayed by Cumbley, Howard and Hunt, a podium of some class.
Read the report here
2011 and Matt Howard in the Boon won a hard fought event in testing conditions, his clean sweep only spoiled by Jim Hunt in the Speed 5.5 who would finish second from Mike Sims in the Winder.
Read the report here
2012 and 43 competitors enjoyed another epic WPNSA experience, Mike Sims in the Winder taking the win from Tim Law (Winder) and Crawshaw (Winder/Crawshaw).
Read the report and watch the action here
2013: Racing was only possible on day 1 so the PRO squeezed in 4 races for the 37 entries, Andy Tunnicliffe beating Law on count-back with Mike Sims third.
Read the report and watch the action here
2014 and 35 competitors enjoyed two days of tight racing, Cumbley taking the title from Pete Mitchell, both in their Speed 5.5's with Sims again third.
Read Nick Fisher's report here
2015 48 entries and another overall win for Andy Tunnicliffe with Andrew Wilde and Chris Brown your top three.
Read and watch the Day 1 report here /
Read and watch the Day 2 Report here
2016 and 47 entries reflected the continued support for this high class event. Sims wins from Jack Hopkins and Pete Mitchell.
Read and watch the Day 1 report here /
Read and watch the Day 2 report here
2017 and the fleet moved the venue to Hayling Island as this would be where the following year's National Championship would take place. HISC has always had a strong home fleet and this bolstered the entry number to a whopping 63. Cumbley dominated in classic Hayling Bay wave sets from Oliver Davenport and Chris Brown.
Read the report here
2018 36 entries and an overall win for Richard Lovering in his Hyde powered Winder from Tim Law and Pete Mitchell.
Read Doug Latta's report here
2019 and with the Marvel 'blip' just around the corner the 38 entries enjoyed an epic WPNSA event, Tom Gillard defying his all-up helm weight to win from Davenport and Shane MacCarthy.
Read the Day 1 report here /
Read and watch the day 2 report here
2022 saw a reduction of entries, possibly as a side-effect of the Covid effect and also due to the last minute organisation of the King's coronation but the 23 competitors were not put off, Alex Alcock winning from Sims and Paul Bartlett.
Read the report here
2023 Lymington Town welcomed 49 competitors to this little bit of paradise, quintessentially English and with the added edition of the odd ferry to circumnavigate. Mark Lee broke through for his first 'Major' win from Nigel Davies and Alex Butler.
Read and watch the report here
2024 and the re-arranged Trophy would be held at Salcombe, one of the hotbeds of Solo sailing and although the members probably rank amongst the wealthiest in the UK, their combined income would still be less than Patrick Burns.
Tim Law won a one day showdown from Tim Fells and Oliver Turner in a field of 39, Day 2 deemed too windy to race and if Martin Payne says it's too windy then it is.
Read and watch the report here
What's going on at HISC?
As well as the Solo class heroes and legends mentioned above, the local fleet at Hayling Island has seen a strong resurgence. Well, resurgence might not be the right word as we've always had a great fleet of boats in the boat park but since the beginning of the 2025 season, we have been seeing a growing number of racers hitting the water. Regular turnouts have been between 12 and 18 boats, the sailors have enjoyed mini-open meeting style racing which has been super competitive.
With the likes of Alex Butler (young and fast), Mike Lennon (old and faster), Nick Peters (older and fast), (dear is say) Guy Mayger (old) and harbour expert, Nick Rawlings amongst others, the sailors have great markers in terms of half decent racers to chase/line up against.
Recent class converts, Paul Haswell, Simon Lytton, along with Mark Fuller, are really on the pace and fully capable of winning races. Getting into the top three is really quite a challenge! Look out for some of these names, and others, to be amongst the action.
It should be a great Solo dust up in the Bay come the weekend.
Venue Guide (thanks to RS Sailing/Jim Saltonstall)
- Southerly: As you progress up the course expect more cross current, providing a very small lift on port further up the course. Be wary of getting to the port lay line too soon as it's easy to be swept above and find yourself reaching in.
- Downwind if the course is square then port gybe will be longer one and the port gate up tide.
- Gentle southerlies do turn into stiff southwesterlies in a sea breeze and then the very suitable tidal shift mentioned above is very much outweighed by the persistent righty (tip: check Chimet for temperature dip to confirm the sea breeze).
- Southwesterly: If it's a prevailing gradient SW wind then expect some turbulence off the Isle of Wight and significant shifts from clouds. Keeping an eye on favourable shifts will likely outweigh any tidal gains during neaps.
- If it is a south-westerly sea breeze, then expect it to progress to WSW and if in doubt work your way right. ((tip: check Chimet for temperature dip to confirm the sea breeze).
- Westerly: Most typically the sea breeze won't track quite as far as west so you are usually dealing with a gradient wind. In this direction you will be beating against the tide, so getting some relief by heading right and inshore is a good percentage move. The exception to this is if you have low clouds with are oscillating the breeze, in which case follow your compass numbers.
- If it is getting windy then at low tide the right-hand side of the course can be significantly flatter giving a decent speed edge where the winner banks filter out solent chop usually leaving the SE swell that wraps around the Isle of Wight.
- North-westerly: Pretty rare wind direction and you're really affected by the land. At neap tides I don't see any situation where a tidal gain could outweigh the shifts so keep your eye on the compass numbers.
- Northerly: Toward the top of the course, it will be shifty, as the wind rolls over the buildings. There isn't really any significant topography to order the chaos so just keep your head up.
- In this scenario on possible feature will be the cross current at the start further offshore leading to build up of boats at the committee boat end.
- North easterly: Cold. My only pro tip here is after leaving the bar to carry your beer right around the club where there is nice sunny sheltered seating on the southern side.
- East to South East: Seemingly becoming more common. A very nice direction where swell and wind chop align for some of the venue's best conditions. The wind is usually rock-solid stable with very little in the way of clouds. Possibly a small gain by going right into what will now be a favourable flow. Be fast.
