Salcombe Yacht Club Bucket and Spade Series - Race 1

The Salcombe Yacht Club Bucket and Spade Series was conceived as a series running throughout the Summer Holidays to enable visitors to the town to complete a series around the main Regattas. It also allows those not competing in the Regattas to get their weekly fix.

The first race of this series got away in a light South Westerly with the official duties in the hands of Mike Hicks.

Martin and Tom Ley opened proceedings with a win in their Mirror over an abbreviated course. The bulk of the boats, including fourteen Solos raced in a twenty five boat strong Handicap Fleet, and it appeared that the three Merlin Rockets, in the hands of Peter Cook and Janet Exelby, the Rayson's and the Cranford-Smiths, would make the running and by the time they exited the Bag, this was the case, but as conditions became more fickle the Solos of Peter Ballantine, Robin Hodges and Ed Stephens and Simon Yates had closed up sufficiently to take the podium places on corrected time.

Five Salcombe Yawls chose to use the day as a warm up for Regatta Week, with Mark and Sarah Jephcott leading the way on the water and Mike and Karen Whitehouse in close pursuit.

However all eyes were on the unlikely pairing of Solo sailors Chris "Chubby" Cleaves sailing with Muttley Bell in a borrowed boat, working their way through the fleet... there is a book running on whether this pairing will be divorced by the close of Regatta Week!

By the close the Classic boat of John Smithers and Peter Hughes had closed enough to take the Handicap victory.

Junior Handicap Results:

1st. Mirror 70390, Martin and Tom Ley

Handicap Results:

1st. 5573, Peter Ballantine
2nd. 4813, Robin Hodges
3rd. 5194, Ed Stephens

Salcombe Yawl Results:

1st. 19, John Smithers and Peter Hughes
2nd. 148, Mark and Sarah Jephcott
3rd. 171, Mike and Karen Whitehouse