Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series - Race 1

Saturday saw the first races if the Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series. A strong spring tide combined with a boisterous force four north easterly breeze put paid to several boats before they had cleared the start line.

First away was the Slow Handicap fleet, the conditions were too much for several competitors who retired either through capsizes, gear failure or in one case sinking. Henry Wadey did well to come in first in his Laser Radial.

In the Fast Handicap Fleet, Peter Colclough sailing his 505 with Malcolm Squire, showed that he had lost none of his World Championship winning style, by pulling off a port tack start master class, clearing the entire fleet off the start line, unfortunately for them the more nimble National 12 of Peter Ballantine and Theo Harris, and the Merlins of Peter Cook and John McLaren proved more effective in restricted waters of the harbour at low tide.

Twenty four Solos made it to the starting area for the third start of the day. Tim Law, once again led Chris Cleaves for much of the race. There was close competition for the next eight places and a couple of capsizes, Tim Law's good fortune ran out when he returned to the Bag for the last time, whilst crossing the harbour into an increasing flood tide he was left stranded as the wind died, which allowed Cleaves, Greening and Jago through to take the first three places of a shortened race.

It was good to see five Yawls out racing as one fleet, in preparation for their open meeting this coming weekend. The husband and wife team of Dan and Gail Bridger prevailed over the perennial Gilson and Spencer-Chapman duo, with Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford taking third place. The Cruiser section has also been active over the past couple of weeks. The previous weekend thirteen boats sailed to Plymouth on the first Rally of the season; there was a passage race back to the Little Mewstone, where "Crazy Bear" the Dufour 405 of Steve and Nicole Carter was first home.

A cruiser race was held in the Range on Sunday, Paul and Susie Ellis in Firefly led the X-362 of Ian and Wendy Stewart and the Swan 44 of Simon Ballantine on corrected time, in a south westerly force two to three.

Race 1 Results:

Slow Handicap
1st Laser Radial, Henry Wadey

Fast Handicap
1st National 12, 3431, Peter Ballantine and Theo Harris
2nd Merlin Rocket, 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
3rd Merlin Rocket, 3725, John McLaren and Annie McLaren

Solo
1st 5295, Chris Cleaves
2nd 5301, David Greening
3rd 5316, Bill Jago

Salcombe Yawl
1st 159, Dan and Gail Bridger
2nd 170, Geof Gilson and Chris Spencer-Chapman
3rd 161, Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford

Cruiser Passage Race
1st Crazy Bear, Dufour 405, Steve and Nicole Carter
2nd Firefly, Humphries 42, Paul and Susie Ellis
3rd Ostara, Najad 40, Peter Kerr and Clare Lavis

Cruiser Series Race
1st Firefly, Humphries 42, Paul and Susie Ellis
2nd Xotic, X-362 Sport, Ian and Wendy Stewart
3rd Questar, Swan 44, Simon Ballantine