Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series Race 5

Thirty-seven boats came to the start line for the fifth races of the Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series. Race Officer Bruce Hattersley was presented with a light South South Westerly breeze on a Spring Ebb tide, ideal for a beat to Blackstone, run through the Bag to Gerston and a long beat back to the line.

First away was the Junior Handicap Fleet, with Martin and Tom Ley picking the best spot on the start line to lead the fleet away. Ruari McColl edged the Leys over the finish line, but was to drop back to third place after the handicap adjustment, with Ben Meeks RS Tera Sport splitting the result on corrected time.

The Aero's of the Booths dominated the Medium Handicap fleet, with the theoretically slower RS Aero 7 of Claire finishing ahead of husband Chris, both at the finish line and on corrected time.

Once again the Fast Handicap fleet were made up of a mixed fleet of Merlin Rockets and National 12's making a fine sight at the starting line. Peter Cook and Janet Exelby's Merlin Rocket found itself in pole position, which was never relinquished. Despite the three other Merlin Rockets finishing ahead of the National 12's, it was the National 12 of the Day's that took second place from the Winzars.

With some of the fleet away on wedding duties, sixteen Solos came out to play, with Simon Dobson and Andy Savell leading off the line and breaking clear by Blackstone. Despite some indecision of the preferred side on the run, the entire fleet apart from Dobson and Savell converged at Snapes Point.

Meek and Greening played their "get out of jail" cards by dogmatically sticking to the "classic route" to emerge just behind Liz Stephen's at Gerston, with a clear gap from the pursuing fleet.

Simon Dobson held onto a considerable lead, but Greening played the shifts on the beat home to real in Andy Savell, who was followed home by Julian Meek.

Dan and Gail Bridger led out the Salcombe Yawl fleet, segwaying their way through the tidal gates from Snapes, Ox, Tosnos and Halwell points to take a comfortable win from Stephen and Lesley Galvin.

Race 5 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 1517, Claire Booth
2nd RS Aero 1416, Chris Booth
3rd RS Vision 1, Club Boat

Fast Handicap
1st Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
2nd National 12 3526, Christian and Sophie Day
3rd National 12 3524, Chris Winzar

Solo
1st 5313, Simon Dobson
2nd 5617, David Greening
3rd 5303, Andy Savell

Salcombe Yawl
1st 159, Dan and Gail Bridger
2nd 99, Stephen and Lesley Galvin
3rd 161, Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford