Salcombe Yacht Club 2026 Commissioning Race
by John Burn 2 Mar 05:25 GMT
28 February 2026
Here we go again... After a slightly shorter than usual winter break, Batson Boat Park was once again a hive of activity as 19 boats rigged up and launched into a blissfully empty harbour.
For once, the rain gave everyone a day off and allowed the sun to do its thing. With a flooding tide and a shifty 8-10-knot WSW breeze, Race Officer Chris Cleaves decided the best way to dust off the cobwebs was to send the fleet on a near full tour of the estuary. The course 1-6-5-7-4-2-3 ensured competitors experienced every element of racing in Salcombe. Not content with simply testing early-season fitness, Chris also threw in a couple of starboard roundings, no doubt hoping to catch one or two out.
At the start, Fran Gifford and Frankie Burn, pairing up once again in their Merlin Rocket, proved a little too eager to get under way, as did Mark Waterhouse in his Solo. The Merlin returned to clear themselves, but Mark — seemingly unaware, or perhaps simply committed, carried on regardless. The sound of silence greeted him as he crossed the line and scored OCS.
John and Katy Meadowcroft, also in a Merlin Rocket, established an early lead, breaking clear of the nine Solos and seven Lasers as the short-tacking battle up the first beat unfolded.
Once around Blackstone, the fleet began to settle into a pattern. The two Merlins led the way, followed by Tim Fells and David Greening in their Solos, who had edged clear of the main pack. That chasing group was headed by John Burn and Ross Borne in a Yawl.
In a fleet this size — and with such a spread of PY numbers — keeping track of your true position is near impossible. The Merlins appeared to have the top two spots secured, but beating a Solo in Salcombe on handicap is never straightforward. Beating George Reynolds in his Laser, however, is becoming practically impossible.
Fresh from a dominant Festive Series win, Georges excellent form clearly hasn't faded over winter. Despite sailing a slower boat on paper, he finished fourth on the water, ahead of the seasoned Solo sailors, and won comfortably on corrected time. Greg Hoar, sailing a Laser Radial, pushed him hard all the way round to claim second, while Allan Willcox delivered an exceptional performance in his Laser 4.7 to secure third.
As is customary in the first race of the season, there were plenty of memorable moments. Graham Cranford-Smith's mainsail made an untimely descent just as he had worked himself into third Solo. Tim Fells went swimming twice — once while leading the Solo fleet and again on the finish line for good measure. And the Yawl wasn't the only wooden boat gracing the course. Adrian Griffin carefully navigated his beautiful classic Solo, built in 1963 with wooden spars and a cotton sail. He made it round in one piece — no small achievement — though it did highlight just how far performance has evolved over the decades.
A proper Salcombe opener: sunshine, shifting tide, tactical beats, swimming solos and a Laser masterclass. The season is well and truly under way.
Overall Results:
1st George Reynolds, Laser Radial
2nd Greg Hoar, Laser Radial
3rd Allan Willcox, Laser 4.7