Solent Black qualified directly for the Finals from the South Central Qualifier having finished 6th.

Solent Black's qualification came as somewhat as a surprise for us all, but we are elated to be here as the first Solent team since 2013.
As one of the only teams in the country with out boats, we've had to beg, borrow and steal boats to be able to get some time on the water! We're excited to be sailing with the top teams in the country and learning loads whilst seeing old and making new friends! Having two team members with broken bones has been a minor inconvenience in the build up, but we're all excited and keen to get on the water! Special thanks to Matt Reid for helping with the coaching, PreBar for helping us get here, Musto/Harken for the kit and Sport Solent for the continued support!

The Team

Justin Busuttil

Maltese Laser sailor with Olympic Ambitions. Will be the one you can hear shouting the team round the course and exclaiming 'this doesn't happen in Malta'. We strongly advise you not to touch his visor.

Andrew Kilburn

ex Optimist/29er Sailor, can often be found frantically trying to organise some sort of training! Captain Kilburn oversees the troops which is easier said than done with these girls.

Oliver Goodhead

His helming debut at BUSA as the team had a last-minute shakeup. A young-gun fresher who even Nick Craig wants in his boat. A silent assassin is our Ollie; master of the roll tacks and one liners!

Claudia Wilson

Can often be found/heard squealing the team round the course, or in A&E the night before an event! Fun Fact: 2 days before Qualifiers she got thrown off a horse and broke her back. Crewing for Ollie, a new partnership, fingers crossed!

Nicole Ames

Solent Commodore and a replacement at Qualifiers for a broken comrade. Rumour has it, Nicole had only sailed a firefly once before Qualifiers! Fun Fact: On the 7th April she is having an operation on her broken nose... see if you can spot how wonky it is!

Emily Mitchell

A last-minute replacement for our team! Emily was originally a crew on Solent Red. A keen and committed fresher who likes to sail DNGHYS (ask her to say Dinghy, you won't regret it!). Sailing with Justin, two gingers in a boat... let's hope this works!

Sharky

Solent's Mascot is journeying with us up to Scotland to find love. He's been single for over a year now and it's time to sort this out. He's got a mighty fine fin (never misses fin-day) and only bites if you ask him He is already disappointed that we're not sailing on Loch Ness where his beloved Nessie resides. He has heard about Cardiff's duck who raised some fins, help us in #sharkysquestforlove