Summer Series at Salcombe Yacht Club - Day 7
by Malcolm Mackley 24 Jul 2016 19:27 BST
23 July 2016
Another glorious sailing day with blue sky and a warm force 1-3 wind blowing down the estuary. Race Officer Andy Savill gave the juniors a short course whilst other classes headed for Blackstone and then off on a long run and reach to Gerston buoy followed by a full on reach and windward leg back to Blackstone; all at the bottom of the tide.
The summer holiday period has now really arrived on the Salcombe estuary and so maximum attention was necessary to avoid swimmers, canoes, paddle boards, inflatables, moored yachts, motor boats and of course other sailing competitors.
With many of the regular juniors absent, the start was less fierce than usual allowing Evie Booth to quickly get away into clean air and win the race. She was closely followed by the boats of James Alexander and his younger brother Edward. Well done to Isabel Howling and Hannah Couling who despite numerous capsizes worked hard together and crossed the finish line in good spirits.
The medium handicap fleet had only four competitors and two "Visionaries" sailing a RS Vision were the winners. Regular victors Peter Cook and Janet Exelby won the fast handicap in their Merlin Rocket from Alistair Morley in his Phantom who on this and numerous other past occasions gives himself a handicap by arriving minutes late to the starting line.
The 20 competitor Solo fleet start was as usual very competitive and the race box had difficulty in identifying those who were over the line at the start. Phil King and Ed Stephens were early race leaders; however the long run and reach to Gerston provided plenty of opportunities for many and it was Simon Dobson and Billy Jago who emerged in front. Phil King saved his best to last and used all his renown skill to recover to third place having slipped down the pack in the middle section of the race.
Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer Chapman built up a healthy lead in the Yawl fleet; however it was not enough for the B Fleet yawl of Anthony and Alison Lofts to beat them on overall handicap.
Away from Salcombe, the Solo National Championship took place at Pwllheli Sailing Academy in Wales and two of Salcombe's most talented helms, Tim Law and Peter Ballentine took 5th and 6th position overall in a fleet of 84 highly competitive boats. Tim won two championship individual races and the overall Grand Master category, whilst Peter won the overall Junior sailor award.
Junior fleet results:
1st RS Tera 2146, Evie Booth
2nd RS Tera 881, James Alexander
3rd RS Quba 4, Kirsten and Edward Alexander
Medium Handicap results:
1st RS Vision 52, Two visionaries
2rd Laser Radial 174918, Elode Grenen
3rd Laser Radial 173025, Nicky Dobson
Fast Handicap results:
1st Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
2st Phantom 1357, Alistair Morley
3rd Merlin Rocket 3769, Graham and Fiona Cranford Smith
Solo results:
1st 5676, Simon Dobson
2nd 5598, Billy Jago
3rd 5568, Phil King
Yawl results:
1st 132, Anthony and Alison Lofts
2nd 170, Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer Chapman
3rd 189, Charles Thompson and crew