Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series Race 6

The prospect of blue skies, a Force 3 to 4 South Westerly breeze and high tide toward the end of the racing encouraged fifty seven boats out onto the water to compete for the 6th race in the Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club series.

Race Officer Jon Lewis set a course to Blackstone followed by two laps around the Bag to Gerston, before the fleets were to return to the Harbour.

First away was an encouraging fleet of youngsters, including three sailing the club's new Qubas. First home was the Topper of George Alexander, who together with the leading Qubas of Max Pearce and Isaac Tudge made a good breakaway by Blackstone, however Ben Meek was to take 2nd place on corrected time.

In the Medium Handicap, the Laser Radials of Harris, Blazeby, Rew and Lloyd set the pace and were to finish in that order.

For a moment it looked like Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith in their Merlin Rocket would get the better of Peter Cook and Janet Exelby, leading them down the beach side to Biddle Head, however Cook and Exelby took and extended their lead on the run from Blackstone, which they eventually extended to over six minutes, however, Chris and Rosie Winzar, leading the resurgent National 12 fleet, were always in the mix, and were to take the race by one second on corrected time, which was also the best corrected time performance of the day in any class.

A magnificent 27 Solos took to the start line, with all aiming for the pin end on the Portlemouth shore. Tim Law judged this perfectly, to emerge at the end of Smalls Cove ahead of the black boats of Simon Gibbens and Ed Stephens. Once in control of the beach, Tim could only extend his lead, and having rounded Blackstone, in what turned out to be a one tack course in the Bag, there were few, if any, overtaking opportunities.

Five Yawls contested their race, with the modern Yawls of Dan and Gail Bridger and David Greening and Stephen Galvin, seemingly joined by elastic rarely being more than 10 boat lengths apart. In a race noted for the lack of beats, the Greening Galvin combo looked like gaining the advantage within sight of the finish line, only to be thwarted by a floating mooring line in their path, allowing the Bridgers to pull away to take the win.

Race 6 Results: (top three)

Junior Handicap
1st Topper 46721, George Alexander
2nd RS Tera Sport 1881, Ben Meek
3rd RS Quba 2, Max Pearce

Medium Handicap
1st Laser 0, Theo Harris
2nd Laser 203307, Charlie Blazeby
3rd Laser 180706, Toby Rew

Fast Handicap
1st National 12 3524, Chris and Rosie Winzer
2nd Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
3rd Merlin Rocket 3769, Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith

Solo
1st 5599, Tim Law
2nd 5428, Simon Gibbens
3rd 5194, Ed Stephens

Salcombe Yawl
1st 159, Dan and Gail Bridger
2nd 177, David Greening and Stephen Galvin
3rd 166, Andrew Squire and Sue O'Brien