Salcombe Yacht Club Bucket and Spade series - Race 3
by David Greening 19 Aug 2014 14:53 BST
17 August 2014
The third race in the Salcombe Yacht Club Bucket and Spade Series was held in shifty West to South Westerly breeze, with gusts that proved challenging to the thirty six boats that started, resulting in several capsizes.
Race Officer Iain McGregor set a course between Blackstone and Gerston followed by two loops of the harbour and a strong ebb tide saw the Black Flag come out for the Handicap fleet in order to control the recalcitrant starters that caused the first start to be recalled.
In the Handicap Fleet the RS400 of Mike and June Baker was the first boat to finish but it was the National 12 of John Meadowcroft sailing with son Ollie which prevailed on corrected time, finishing ahead of the Solo of Simon Gibbens who overtook Chris Cleaves on the final run, with Phil King making a late push to finish fourth.
The Yawls continue to experiment with their handicapping of Classic and Modern boats, and this week the Classics ended up in the top places after the Handicap was applied, with Simon and Nicky Dobson taking first place from stalwarts Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford, with the first Modern Boat of Ian Stewart and Andrew Reed in third.
The drama in the Yawls did not end at the finish line, when Martin and Cheryl Beck capsized upon their return to their mooring.
The Bucket and Spade Series concludes this Saturday with two more races.
Handicap:
1st National Twelve 3543, John and Ollie Meadowcroft
2nd Solo 5428, Simon Gibbens
3rd Solo 5295, Chris Cleaves
Salcombe Yawl:
1st 112, Simon and Nicky Dobson
2nd 161, Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford
3rd 169, Ian Stewart and Andrew Reed
www.salcombeyc.org.uk