Salcombe Yacht Club Spring Series - Race 5

Salcombe Yacht Club Spring Series Race 5 © Margaret Mackley

To Race Officer Simon Ballantine setting a 3 mile long first beat to the Balcombe mark may have seemed to be small beer when compared to the 1800 mile beat that he covered on his voyage to Greenland, however to the competitors of the Salcombe Yacht Club Spring Series Race 5, this proved to be a serious athletic challenge, having to beat into an ebb tide into a force 3 to 4 northerly breeze.

First away was the 19 strong Solo fleet, David Greening and James Hannaford were first to flick onto port tack off the start line, whilst many of the regular front runners were pinned to the Salcombe end of the line by right of way starboard tackers.

As the fleet reached Widegates, Simon Yates and Tim Law emerged from the pack and followed Greening around the Balcombe turning mark, with a clear break from the rest of the fleet. Law worked his way into the lead down the equally long run, but Greening managed to secure room at the Millbay mark, to regain the lead which he extended on the beat back to Gerston.

Salcombe Yacht Club Spring Series Race 5 - photo © Margaret Mackley

After two hours of racing the Race Officer shortened the course, giving the win to Greening, with Yates picking up a little more breeze to overtake Law and secure second place.

Seventeen boats came to the line for the Handicap Fleet start, boosted by 8 Yawls who were attending a coaching weekend run by former Merlin Rocket champion Richard Whitworth. It also marked a welcome return to the fleet of Paul Ellis whose two year around the World cruise is drawing to a close.

With all boats taking over two hours to complete the course, to many it would have appeared that the 12 minute lead of the RS400 of Pete and Liss Bennett ahead of Alistair Morley would have been sufficient to hand them victory, however the beat and running nature of the course and the absence of significant planing legs handed the first five places to the Salcombe Yawls, with Andrew Wood and Jayne Morris working their way through the fleet to nick first place from John Smithers and Peter Hughes by a boat length at the shortened course finishing line.

Race 5 Results:

1st Solo 5617, David Greening
2nd Solo 5601, Simon Yates
3rd Solo 5599, Tim Law

Handicap
1st Salcombe Yawl 97, Andrew Wood and Jayne Morris
2nd Salcombe Yawl 19, John Smithers and Peter Hughes
3rd Salcombe Yawl 150, Jon and Clare Lewis