Salcombe Yacht Club Festive Series 2016/17
by David Greening 2 Jan 2017 14:28 GMT
24, 26 December 2016, 1 January 2017
A three race Festive Series was held at Salcombe Yacht Club comprising races on the Saturday before Christmas, Boxing Day and on New Year's Day with a record 35 boats competing.
The forecast light North Westerly breeze which encouraged many regulars to go Christmas shopping never transpired, leaving a hard core of 10 Solo sailors and a single Phantom to sail on a truncated windward leeward course on a strong ebb tide, set by Race officer Andy Savell. Light wind ace Simon Dobson found more wind than the others, and in his words, "the beats were so short you had no time to set your sails, whilst the runs took forever". Significantly Pete Bennet took second place from Robin Hodges.
Boxing Day dawned with a forecast of a 15 mph North Westerly breeze, enough to encourage twenty seven sailors away from their turkey leftovers. Under the supervision of Barney Greenhill, in almost flat calm conditions the fleet set off to a windward mark that could be laid from either end of the line. In their eagerness to get going, the RO recalled the fleet, restarting under a Black Flag.
The faster boats made an early getaway, including the Yawl of Dan Bridger and David Jayne, the Merlin Rocket of Peter Cook and Janet Exelby and the Phantom of Ian Stewart, with the Solo of Peter Bennett breaking ahead of all of the other Solo's. However a lull in the wind followed by a fresher North Easterly filling in during the closing stages of the race, saw an inversion of the elapsed times, presenting Pete Bennett with the win, from the Yawl of Dan Bridger and David Jayne, and the Solo of Bill Jago making a recovery into third place.
Pete Bennett had to return to bar duties on New Year's Day, mindful that a win by the Yawl of Dan Bridger and David Jayne would see his lead in the series wiped away on countback. Fortunately for him, the brisk South Westerly wind over tide conditions, and the trip up to Gerston, set by RO Clive Jacobs favoured the planing boats, with the Phantom of Alistair Morley and the Merlins of Cook and Exelby and the Squires leading the fleet around a very gnarly Blackstone mark.
With large rolling waves there were several casualties on the first run, with Bill Jago and Graham Cranford-Smith both having spills, however both were to emerge in the mix, sailing a lower course through the Bag, overtaking the leading Solos in the process.
Following a windy return to the harbour Alistair Morley in his Phantom took the win followed home by AJ and Tristram Squire, aided by another capsize in the closing stages by Cook and Exelby.
With the Yawl absent from the podium, Pete Bennett took the series win.
This marked a pleasurable end to the 2016 Season. The Salcombe sailors will now enjoy a two month lay-up, looking forward to the Commissioning Race on March 11th.
Overall Results: (top three)
1st Solo 5361, Pete Bennett
2nd Phantom 1357, Alistair Morley
3rd Solo 5598, Bill Jago