Summer Series at Salcombe Yacht Club - Day 8
by Malcolm Mackley 1 Aug 2016 09:00 BST
31 July 2016
After a rather gloomy start to the racing, the afternoon eventually turned into yet another glorious blue sky and warm breeze occasion.
Race Officer Graham Pike kept the sailors on their toes by sending the fleet to the Yalton stretch of the estuary and introducing marks that had to be rounded in different directions at various stages of the racing. The wind came from most parts of the compass, however during the crucial starting sequences there was a reasonable breeze blowing down the estuary from Blackstone rocks.
The cadet handicap fleet started in light winds and the little RS Teras and Qudas had to work hard to stem the tide. Evie Booth mastered the conditions and choice of estuary side to sail and she led Ben Meek across the finishing line and both beat the blue sailed Quba into third place. Evie has had strong performances throughout the eight race series and has emerged a very worthy overall series winner.
In the medium handicap the laser Radial of Torrin Blazeby won from the 12ft Wanderer of Patrick Meadowcroft in a five boat fleet; however it was the Aero7 of Claire Booth who emerged the overall series winner. The fast handicap fleet of nine boats was won by Peter Cook and Janet Exelby in their Merlin Rocket from Nigel and Sarah Blazeby in a National 12 and, making a guest Phantom appearance, Chris Cleaves mastered the Phantom Class single hander to secure third place. Overall the Blazeby's had done enough to win the series with three well sailed National 12s securing the first three series positions.
The 20 competitor Solo fleet split at their start with half working the Portlemouth shore and the other half the Salcombe shore with the odd few chancing their luck on both. "Yotter" Simon Yates chose the Portlemouth side and emerged first at Blackstone followed by "Salcombe side" Billy Jago and Portlemouth side, Julian Meek. From that point on, with the exception of the leading two, the die was essentially cast for most of the other fleet positions and there was little further place changing as the fleet cruised around the Yalton in ever improving conditions. Towards the end of the race, which was then being sailed in glorious sunshine, Billy Jago got the better of Simon Yates to pull through to a well deserved race and series win.
Once again the handicap system got the better of the two A Fleet Yawls of helms Ellis and Gilson who took the first two places on the water but saw the three B Fleet Yawls headed again by Anthony and Alison Lofts take the first three positions on handicap. This however was not enough to stop Paul Ellis and Geoff Gilson winning the first two final series positions from the eight races sailed.
Salcombe now enters its Sailing Regatta season with the Town Regatta from August 1-5th and the Yacht Club Regatta from August 7-12th. Both events attract large crowds with many different types of sailing boats on the water and of course the ever increasing armada of visiting holiday makers with their inflatable outboard boats. Summer has well and truly arrived at Salcombe.
Day 8 Results:
Juniors
1st RS Tera 2146, Evie Booth
2nd RS Tera 1881, Ben Meek
3rd RS Quba 3, Max Pearce
Medium Handicap
1st Laser Radial 1611391, Torrin Blazeby
2rd Wanderer 1024, Patrick Meadowcroft
3rd Laser Radial 201476, Coleen Pope
Fast Handicap
1st Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
2st National 12 3439, Nigel and Sarah Blazeby
3rd Phantom 1357, Chris Cleeves
Solos
1st 5598, Billy Jago
2nd 5601, Simon Yates
3rd 5317, Julian Meek
Yawls
1st 132, Anthony and Alison Lofts
2nd 97, Andrew Wood and another
3rd 161, Peter Stratton and two young crews