Salcombe Yacht Club Winter Series - Race 2

Salcombe YC Winter Series race 2 © Margaret Mackley

Salcombe YC Winter Series race 2 © Margaret Mackley

A South Easterly breeze is a tough call in Salcombe harbour, and Race Officer Nigel Blazeby was shuffling the course right up to the warning signal, as the breeze flicked from the sea direction to the land.

Sixteen Solos lined up for their start, tacking up against the Cliff House Gardens wall to make the best way against the tide in a fitful breeze. Some found their way blocked by David Greening, who capsized in the front rank after an over energetic roll tack at the start.

The early runners were Simon Dobson, Bill Jago and Andrew Borne, to be joined at Widegates by Peter Hammond and Greening.

On the second lap of Widegates the breeze increased considerably, to see Dobson capsize at Gerston, to let through Hammond and Jago, who held their nerve on retuning to a mill pond harbour, to take the line honours.

Variety is the spice of life, and this week's handicap had plenty of variety. Pace setters Peter Cook and Janet Exelby had a torrid time when they capsized in the shifting winds at Saltstone, which saw locals Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith bring their Merlin Rocket home in first place.

Alistair Morley finished third in his Musto Skiff, but was to drop to sixth on corrected time, and allowing last week's winner Peter Ballantine in his Laser Radial to take third place.

Race 2 Results:

Solo
1st 5271, Peter Hammond
2nd 5316, Bill Jago
3rd 5301, David Greening

Handicap
1st Merlin Rocket 3698, Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith
2nd Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
3rd Laser Radial 7, Peter Ballantine