Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series Race 4
by David Greening 28 Sep 2015 11:42 BST
27 September 2015
An Indian summer day saw an excellent turnout for the 4th race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn series. Sadly the wind gods were not very obliging, providing a 15mph easterly breeze on a half tide, this was unfortunate for the Race Officer John Lewis had very few course options that would provide any tactical beating for the competitors, in fact it was possible to sail a full from the line to Gerston to Blackstone without a single tack.
From a competitor's point of view, everyone is presented with the same hand, and it was telling that the competitors who sailed a recce of the first leg also dominated the race.
In the Junior Handicap Fleet, father and son team Martin and Tom Ley led the way into the Bag in their Mirror, and though overhauled by Ruari McColl's RS Quba, were sufficiently far ahead to take the Handicap victory.
Tim Fells found the conditions to be perfect for his lightweight RS Aero to pull out a six minute lead from Tim Hunt's Laser in the Medium Handicap fleet.
Four National 12's, four Merlin Rockets and an RS400 made for excellent racing in the Fast Handicap fleet, with Jon Gorringe and Nikki Bass edging victory from the Merlin of Peter Cook and Janet Exelby, with Charlie and Helen Lloyd picking up the remaining podium place.
Twenty-one Solos came to the start line, and David Greening, Simon Dobson and Ed Stephens powered out of the line with maximum tide under them. Ed put in a short tack at Snapes to maintain the tidal advantage which allowed him to take the lead, and this trio built a decent lead from the pursuing pack by the Gerston turning mark. On their return to the harbour Greening fought for the inside berth down the harbour wall, which allowed him past Dobson, and this order was maintained to the finish.
The general absence of beating played into the hands of the Classic Yawl of David Jayne and Chris Spencer Chapman, who stayed sufficiently in touch with the Modern Yawl of Dan and Gail Bridger, that they were able to take the corrected time top spot, though stars of the day were the 10 year old Isabella and Thomas, crewing for Andrew Wood, who only missed the Yawl win by a bowsprit.
Race 4 Results:
Junior Handicap
1st Mirror 70390, Martin and Tom Ley
2nd RS Tera Sport 1881, Ben Meek
3rd RS Quba Sport 2, Ruari McColl
Medium Handicap
1st RS Aero 7 1505, Tim Fells
2nd Laser Radial 180706, Toby Rew
3rd Laser Standard 9, Tim Hunt
Fast Handicap
1st Merlin Rocket 3754, Jon Gorringe and Nikki Bass
2nd Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
3rd National 12 3534, Charlie and Helen Lloyd
Solo
1st 5194, Ed Stephens
2nd 5617, David Greening
3rd 5313, Simon Dobson
Salcombe Yawl
1st 28, David Jayne and Chris Spencer-Chapman
2nd 97, Andrew, Isabella Wood and Thomas Parkinson
3rd 161, Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford