Salcombe Yacht Club Winter Series - Race 4

Salcombe Yacht Club Winter Series Race 4 © Margaret Mackley

Salcombe Yacht Club Winter Series Race 4 © Margaret Mackley

Salcombe Yacht Club Winter Series Race 4 © Margaret Mackley

For the fourth race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Winter Series, Race Officer Nigel Blazeby sent competitors to Gerston on a force 2 to 3 North Easterly breeze and a flood tide, followed by Yalton and then two trips to Blackstone.

The Handicap Fleet were first away, and the Merlin Rocket of Peter Cook and Janet Exelby slipped away from the Phantoms of Alistair Morley and Ian Stewart, rounding Gerston with a comfortable lead, however the trip into Yalton proved tricky and allowed the Yawls of David Jayne and Dan Bridger and Jon and Clare Lewis to close up sufficiently to take the first two places on corrected time.

For the fourth weekend in the Winter Series sixteen Solos came to the start line, with the black boat of Ed Stephens pulling off a port tack start to lead the front pack of King, Cleaves and Jago into the Bag.

Phil King broke into the lead by taking the Hallwell shore to Gerston which he was to retain for the remainder of the race, including the tricky beat into Yalton and the run to Blackstone.

With conditions becoming variable, the Race Officer shortened the race, much to the relief of Phil King, who was followed home by Ed Stephens, Bill Jago and Chris Cleaves.

Race 4 Results:

Handicap
1st Salcombe Yawl 159, David Jayne and Dan Bridger
2nd Salcombe Yawl 150, Jon and Clare Lewis
3rd Merlin Rocket 3616, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby

Solo
1st 5568, Phil King
2nd 5194, Ed Stephens
3rd 5598, Bill Jago