Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series - Race 2

Despite forecasts of a Force 3 to 4 sunny South Westerly, the competitors of the Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series were greeted by light winds, low tide and mistle creeping in over the Bar.

With reports of no wind in the Bag, Race Officer Tim Law kept all of the racing inside of the harbour, a decision that proved most prudent when the wind all but disappeared toward the end of the racing.

Although six cadets came to the line, only two managed to stem the increasingly strong flood tide, with George Alexander finishing in first place in a Topper and William Meek persisting to take second place in his RS Tera.

Tom Morris sailing his Laser Radial took first place from Torrin Blazeby in the Slow Handicap fleet, with Roger Pannell in his Yachting World Dayboat finishing in third place on corrected time.

The Fast Handicap fleet was made up of Merlin Rockets and National 12s and it was the Merlins that found the conditions most to their liking, Chris Winzar and Esther McLarthy swapped places with Peter Cool and Janet Exelby to take first, with Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith in third.

In the Solos Stewart Cartwright and Simon Yates executed perfect port tack starts in the sixteen boat fleet, however Simon Dobson took up the running to take first place from Billy Jago, Simon Yates held on to third place.

Dan and Gail Bridger won the Yawl Red Fleet, continuing their domination from the previous weekend finishing ahead of Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer-Chapman, with Jon and Clare Lewis taking first from Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford in the Yawl Blue Fleet.

Salcombe cruisers suffered a similar fate to the America's Cup fleet out in the range on Sunday, fog and mist and not much wind, after a 15 minute postponement, first to Starehole mark was Xotic sailed by Wendy Stewart, second was the Hawk of Peter Henesey-Smith and Ian Soul, closely followed by Jeremy Gurney's Halcyon, who was the only boat using her spinnaker, the order remained the same for the rest of the race, Halcyon and Grateful Parrot having a close race all the way round the course. The eventual winner on handicap was Xotic.

Race 2 Results:

Junior Handicap
1st Topper 707, George Alexander
2nd RS Tera 1131, William Meek

Slow Handicap
1st Laser Radial 154646, Tom Morris
2nd Laser Radial 161391, Torrin Blazeby
3rd YW Dayboat 664, Roger Pannell and crew

Fast Handicap
1st Merlin Rocket 3640, Chris Winzar and Esther McLarty
2nd Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
3rd Merlin Rocket 3698, Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith

Solo
1st 5313, Simon Dobson
2nd 5316, Bill Jago
3rd 4536, Simon Yates

Salcombe Yawl Red Fleet
1st 159, Dan and Gail Bridger
2nd 170, Geof Gilson and Chris Spencer-Chapman

Salcombe Yawl Blue Fleet
1st 150, Jon and Clare Lewis
2nd 161, Peter Stratton and Nigel Hannaford
3rd 139, Barney Greenhill and crew