Salcombe Yacht Club Summer Series Race 6
by David Greening 27 Jul 2014 14:23 BST
26 July 2014
A light West South Westerly breeze coupled with a strong flood tide presented lots of tactical choices for the thirty six boats that competed in the sixth race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Summer Series.
Race Officer Peter Colclough set the classic Salcombe course of Blackstone Gerston Blackstone Crossways eventually with a shortened finish line.
First away was the Junior Handicap fleet with Evie Booth once again getting away from the start line on the Portlemouth side in her RS Tera with William Meek in his RS Tera coming home in second place.
Sam Lloyd led home the Medium Handicap fleet in his Laser Radial, from Clare Booth and Jo Guest, while Peter Cook and Janet Exelby brought their Merlin Rocket home in a clear first place in the Fast Handicap fleet.
Probably the most competitive start was that of the fifteen strong Solo fleet, with a pretty even split between the Salcombe and the Portlemouth ends of the line. Interestingly by the Blackstone mark boats fed in from both sides with Simon Gibbens rounding ahead of Ed Stephens. However by Gerston Bill Jago and David Greening had worked through to first and second, and the four leading boats continued to duel around the harbour, the decisive move came from Gibbens when he stuck to the Portlemouth shore on the penultimate beat, which brought him out clear ahead of Stephens.
In the Yawls, Andrew Squire and Sue O'Brien scored their maiden victory, having led off the starting line, with Charles Thompson and Alistair Morley in hot pursuit, these positions remained throughout with David Jayne leading the four classic Yawls home.
Race 6 Results:
Junior Handicap
1st RS Tera Pro 2146, Evie Booth
2nd RS Tera Pro, William Meek
3rd Topper, Max Pearce
Medium Handicap
1st Laser Radial 176294, Sam Lloyd
2nd Streaker 1845, Clare Booth
3rd Laser 181676, Jo Guest
Fast Handicap
1st Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
2nd National 12 3480, Norman and Karen Brown
3rd National 12 3534, Charlie and Helen Lloyd
Solo
1st 5428, Simon Gibbens
2nd 5194, Ed Stephens
3rd 5301, David Greening
Salcombe Yawl
1st 166, Andrew Squire and Sue O'Brien
2nd 189, Charles Thompson and Alistair Morley
3rd 28, David Jayne and Fenella