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Salcombe Yacht Club Spring Series - Day 4

by David Greening 9 Apr 2013 11:13 BST 7 April 2013

A light and fitful Easterly wind greeted the sailors in the Salcombe Yacht Club Spring Series on Saturday. Fortunately the tide was in, which allowed the fleets to explore the Yalton and Frogmore creeks before the Gerston mark.

In the eight strong Handicap fleet all three of the series front runners were recalled for being over the start line early. There was much shouting as the returning boats of Ballantine, Cook and Gilson headed back into the course of the boats that had started correctly.

Normal service had resumed by the Yalton mark, by which stage the Merlin Rocket of Cook and Exelby was leading the National 12 of Ballantine and Harris and the Yawl of Gilson and Lewis. This order remained until the fleets return to the harbour, when the considerable lead that Cook and Exelby had built evaporated when their boat "The Muppet Show" ran into a calm spot, and saw their advantage whittled away by the more nimble National 12 of Peter Ballantine.

Handicap Fleet Race 4 Results:

1st National 12, Pete Ballantine & Theo Harris
2nd Merlin Rocket, Peter Cook & Janet Exelby
3rd Salcombe Yawl 170, Geoff Gilson & Chris Spencer-Chapman

Fourteen Solos started after the Handicap fleet, with Julian Meek leading off the line, by the time the fleet turned into Yalton Creek, Chris Cleaves had outwitted him and took the lead which he was never to relinquish.

A breakaway pack pulled ahead of the pursuing fleet out of Frogmore, however the shifting breeze had Meek and Greening becalmed off Saltstone, allowing the rest of the fleet to close in by the Gerston buoy.

Player of the Match had to be James Hannaford who maintained the momentum from the previous leg, to overtake Meek and Greening over Widegates which he held all the way to the finish.

Solo Race 4 Results:

1st 5295, Chris Cleaves
2nd 4894, James Hannaford
3rd 5317, Julian Meek

In addition to the normal club racing Salcombe Yacht Club welcomed 45 Merlin Rockets for the Doom Bar Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller event held over Saturday and Sunday.

Matt Biggs and John Hackett from Parkstone showed the most consistency of the first day at the top of the leaderboard with a first and a second, ahead of Dave Winder and James Dawes.

The combination of ninety Merlin Rocket sailors, Salcombe Yacht Club's hospitality and the sponsor Doom Bar's product put paid to several campaigns by Sunday morning.

In light and variable conditions this made for a high scoring series, with no sailors dominating. All was resolved on the last race when Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis from Parkstone took the series on count back from Dave Winder and James Dawes.

Doom Bar Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Results:

PosBoatSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4Pts
1stOakey Dokey3712Jon GorringeToby LewisParkstone71‑1519
2ndThe Clone Wars3735David WinderJames DawesHollingworth Lake252‑149
3rdPokin'the Turtle3743Matt BiggsJohn HackettBlithfield127‑1110
4thBernard3658Chris JenningsAlly MartinBurghfield46‑16212
5thThe Black Boat3734David HayesJonny RatcliffHayling‑11111719
6thQuick Fix3691Mike CalvertJane CalvertAxe38‑11819
7thLeader3563Sam PascoeAlex AdamsCastle Cove104‑12519
8thThe Dark Side3733Tom StewartPhil DalbyNorthampton/Hampton15‑164322
9thFragile3727Tim FellsChris DownhamHayling/Salcombe598‑1022
10thFaithless3703Richard WhitworthWilliam CarrollParkstone16(OCS)3928
11thNeedle Makers3610Richard DeePhil ScottMidland18‑206428
12thShbazzle3729John TurnerRichard PascoeLyme Regis67‑261730
13th 3685William WarrenChris RobinsonShoreham13135(DNC)31
14thHeadcase3650Rich AdamsKatie‑Hannah WrightMidland(BFD)3131935
15thWild Card3656Olly TurnerAlex WarrenStarcross810‑211836
16thCarbonfootprint3716Steve LeneyGill LeneyBlithfield1219‑20637
17thBear Necessities3741Simon LyttonJackie LyttonHayling Island‑1915101237
18thSlippery when wet3693Will RaineyCaroline CroftShoreham‑251292041
19thTime & Tide3652John BellOlivia BellHampton14‑26181547
20thWhere's Wooster3745Steve CockerillSarah Cockerill ‑3121141651
21stHot Totty3676Frances GiffordSophie MackleyRanelagh201717‑2454
22ndFifty Shades3723Nick BrookNicola BrookHollingworth Lake9(OCS)242558
23rd 3641Mark WaterhouseNicky BassParkstone2214‑252258
24thSalmon en Croute3702Duncan SalmonHarriet SalmonWembley172219‑2358
25thBlood Sweat & Beers3730Paul HollisRob KennaughBlithfield272423(DNS)74
26thUppashade II3698Graham Cranford SmithFiona Cranford SmithSalcombe212827(DNC)76
27thGangsta Paradice3539Dan AlsopSam ThompsonLyme Regis262728(DNC)81
28thWho Dares Wins3688Ben HollisBen HendonBlithfield(BFD)23DNC1382
29thMoist3643Tim HarridgeBen HarridgeHampton‑3231222982
30thRevolution3657Anthony LoftsJo MarlowSalcombe28‑30293087
31stMylo Xylotto3744Chris MartinTom WhiteBlithfield2418(DNF)DNC88
32ndMinistry of Pleasure3634Ben ArcherJames Warren 29‑34312888
33rdRaunchy3621AJ SquireTris SquireSalcombe302930‑3189
34thSmall Cookie3559ToshJack Tosh ‑3825333391
35thTime Zulu3569Duncan BellMorgan PerkinsHampton3932(DNF)2192
36thStrings Attached3751Mark BarwellLouise JohnsonLymington36‑40322694
37thBusiness as Usual3626Andy HayPhilippa DanielsRYA/Thames‑3533342794
38thSpace odd at sea3544David DownsRos DownsTata Steel‑40373632105
39thMoondance Assasin3547Peter MaleLuke TuckerBlithfield‑37363534105
40thLiquid Dreams3647Hywell Bowen PerkinsOllie JenkinsHampton2339(DNC)DNC108
41stIsland Girl3725John McLarenAnnie McLarenSalcombe3435(DNC)DNC115
42ndMonkey Puzzle3706Kevin AndersonSadie AndersonHampton on Sea3338(DNC)DNC117
43rdDjeibeybi3660John BuckleyWilliam AndersonStarcross(BFD)41DNCDNC133
44thAfter Hours3585Mike PartridgeClaire DavisHayling Island(DNC)DNCDNCDNC138
44thSmoke on the Water3463Alan FeistSteve ComleyShearwater(BFD)DNFDNCDNC138

Salcombe Yacht Club looks forward to nearly 120 Merlin Rockets returning to Salcombe for Sharp Doom Bar Merlin Week in July.

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