Solo Western Area Championships at Salcombe Yacht Club
by David Greening 20 Oct 2015 09:12 BST
17-18 October 2015
Salcombe Yacht Club hosted the Western Area Solo Championships over the weekend of 17th and 18th October.
The weekend opened with North Sails running a training day; National Champion Charlie Cumbley ably assisted by Pete Mitchell coached thirteen boats on various aspects of boat tuning and tactics which the sailors were able to put into effect over the forthcoming weekend.
On Saturday morning, thirty seven sailors were greeted with a light North Easterly breeze and a spring ebb tide. Race officer Ian Stewart set a course to Saltstone to the Millbay mark, to what was to eventually prove to be a shortened course finish line.
A crowd had gathered along the Cliff House Gardens wall to see the local's slug it out with a top quality group of visiting boats, and the Pete Mitchell and Charlie Cumbley led the fleet short tacking up the Town side. The downside of this approach was that they missed the subtle positioning required to cross the tide from Tosnos Point to Saltstone, which opened the door for Phil King and the stealth boat of Simon Gibbens, who had worked his way up the fleet from an uncharacteristically poor start. Peter Ballantine, representing the youth section, borrowed his Dads boat to bank a third place from Simon Dobson.
The tide was almost slack for the afternoon race, and the wind had picked up a notch or two, and the fleet was despatched to Gerston, Tim Law, who had a mare of a morning race, managed to read the shifts through the Bag, and pulled into the lead from Peter Ballantine and Steve Conroy by Gerston, and eventually this order was maintained at the finish, with Simon Dobson in fourth.
In the evening the fleet convened at the Yacht Club for an excellent curry, when the decision was announced that should the North Easterly winds prevail on Sunday; the fleet would take to sea, which would require leaving the Boat Park by 9 am.
With 15 to 20 knots off Prawle Point the omens were good, and Race Officer Dan Bridger set a windward leeward course off Starehole, with a gate that had to be passed through on the windward leg and avoided on the leeward leg.
Pete Mitchell led the first race off a long start line toward Starehole, with the omnipresent Peter Ballantine and locals Graham Cranford-Smith (who got the jump at the leeward end), Simon Yates and a chasing Charlie Cumbley, who would eventually haul in Yates.
So for the final race, with a shorter starting line but a massive beat, Pete Ballantine led the fleet toward Starehole Bay, picked the port shift off Victoria's Nose to lead the fleet to the windward mark, a position that he appeared to be consolidating, however with fresh breeze coming from the East, saw Steve Conroy and Simon Dobson break past. However at the finish, Peter had recovered his place from Dobson with Steve Conroy crossing the finish line first, but in silence, due to his not having passed through the gate correctly.
This was sufficient to give Ballantine the weekend, followed by Pete Mitchell and Tim Law. Liz Stephens secured the ladies prize.
At the prize giving thanks were made to the Race Officers; Ian Stewart and Dan Bridger, the Sailing Administrator; Jayne Morris, Class Captain; Adrian Griffin and the sponsors Barton's Solicitors.
Top Six Results:
1st 4894 Peter Ballantine, Salcombe Yacht Club
2nd 5509 Peter Mitchell, Hayling Island Sailing Club
3rd 5599 Tim Law, Salcombe Yacht Club
4th 5387 Charlie Cumbley, Teign Corinthian Yacht Club
5th 5313 Simon Dobson, Salcombe Yacht Club
6th 5568 Phil King, Salcombe Yacht Club