Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series Race 3
by David Greening 11 May 2015 21:54 BST
10 May 2015
A gusty South Westerly Force 4 to 5 and a large swell from gales the previous night greeted the competitors in the 3rd Race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series. Race officer Will Henderson set the classic Salcombe course of Blackstone, Gerston, Blackstone and Crossways.
The Junior Fleet was first away, and for Evie Booth it was business as usual, who finished first in the slowest boat, taking the win from the Topper of George Alexander.
The Lasers of Mike Calvert and Robin Hodges set the pace in the Medium Handicap fleet, with Mike Calvert pulling out a decent lead to win the race.
John and Annie McLaren led the fast handicap fleet around the course in their RS400, however it was Andrew and Tristan Squire who took the corrected time win, in their Merlin Rocket.
Once again the most numerous fleet was the Solo fleet with seventeen starters. Simon Gibbens, hot from his victory the previous weekend in the Yawl Open meeting, and Peter Ballantine siling his Dad's boat estimated the tide correctly, to take a considerable advantage off the start line. Gibbens nearly fell in on the bear off at Blackstone, but survived to hold off Ballantine.
Chris Cleaves and David Greening played a few get out of jail cards on the run through the Bag, to emerge with a clear 3rd and 4th following the planing reaches to and from Gerston. Despite Greening briefly overtaking Cleaves, Chris gained the important advantage of inside berth at the final mark, which secured him 3rd place.
There was very competitive racing between the next six boats, and Malcolm Mackley sailed well to keep it together to take fifth place despite a close finish with Simon Dobson and Ed Stephens.
The Salcombe Yawl fleet was somewhat depleted, following four hard races the previous weekend. Dan Bridger and David Jayne built up a five minute lead over Peter Stratton and Charles Thompson, to take the win on the water and on corrected time.
Race 3 Results:
Junior Handicap
1st RS Tera Pro 2146, Evie Booth
2nd Topper 46721, George Alexander
3rd RS Quba 2, Max Pearce
Medium Handicap
1st Laser 204889, Mike Calvert
2nd Laser 195867, Robin Hodges
3rd RS Feva XL,
Fast Handicap
1st Merlin Rocket 3725, Andrew and Tristan Squire
2nd RS400 1421, John and Annie McLaren
3rd National 12 3534, Charlie and Helen Lloyd
Solo
1st 5428, Simon Gibbens
2nd 4894, Peter Ballantine
3rd 5573, Chris Cleaves
Salcombe Yawl
1st 159, Dan Bridger and David Jayne
2nd 161, Peter Stratton and Charles Thompson