Salcombe Yacht Club Commissioning Race 2015
by David Greening 9 Mar 2015 10:25 GMT
8 March 2015
After two months in hibernation sixteen boats came to the start line for 2015 edition of Salcombe Yacht Club's Commissioning Race.
Race officer Chris Cleaves set a challenging course to Blackstone and Gerston, followed by three laps of the Harbour in a strong spring flood tide. The major tactical challenge for the day was in working out which wind shifts to take in a solid force 4 breezes which was swinging between South and South West.
For Peter Cook, there was unfinished business from the previous year, having previously had to settle for the runner up spot in his Foxer, this time he elected for more horse power in his Merlin Rocket, with crew Janet Exelby adding to the brainpower. The Merlin made fast progress up the course in the company of the National 12 of new members Christian Day and Sophie Richards.
The Solo class had a strong entry of twelve boats, with David Greening arriving at Blackstone just ahead of Phil King, with Peter Hammond leading the chasing pack. After a planing reach to Gerston, this formation was maintained to Saltstone, where King held the breeze to overtake Greening.
Meanwhile the Merlin had an unhindered passage back to the harbour, by which stage the wind had picked up a notch, which accounted for the capsize of Phil King off Mill Bay and the Laser of Robin Hodges on the run.
Despite the increasing breeze, the Race Officer from the comfort of the Watch House, sent the fleet round for another lap to the appreciation of all competitors.
Peter and Janet finished in an hour and forty three minutes, nearly twenty minutes ahead of Greening's Solo, sufficient to give them victory, with Peter Hammond and Andrew Squire making a push in the closing stages to take third and fourth places.
Overall Results: (top three)
1st Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
2nd Solo 5301, David Greening
3rd Solo 5271, Peter Hammond