Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series - Race 2
by Simon Dobson 30 Apr 2018 15:17 BST
28 April 2018
Weather conditions were far from ideal for the second race of Salcombe Yacht Club's Sailing Club Series. A light north easterly wind was blowing down the estuary but this was forecast to swing around to the south at some stage during the race.
Low water had been late morning so by the time competitors were starting either side of 2pm, a strong flood tide was running. The prospect of battling the tide in light and fickle winds was not enticing and then it started raining... Nevertheless over 30 boats lined up for the starts although less than a third of those would eventually complete their courses. The race officer set a simple course of 3 laps up and down the harbour around Crossways and Blackstone and stood ready with the shortened course flag.
The cadets decided that they wanted to mix it with the adults so they pitched their lot in with the Medium Handicap fleet. George Alexander came a creditable second. Ahead the Firefly of Peter Cook and Janet Exelby sailed away to a comfortable win with Claire Booth third in her Aero. Three Phantoms made up the majority of the Fast Handicap fleet. Alistair Morley for once started on time and this proved to give him an unbeatable advantage. With the breeze having swung round to the south mid-race as forecast, he proved equal to the task of beating against the tide through a windless Mill Bay. Others did not and Alistair was the only finisher.
In the Solo fleet Ed Stephens has reigned supreme this season but on this occasion was over the line at the start and had to return to start correctly. Nevertheless, by the first mark he had taken the lead again, followed by Bill Jago. These positions remained unchanged at Blackstone with David Greening in third. With the wind now from the south the final beat from Crossways against the tide to the line was slow and painful. Greening elected to cross to the Salcombe side, a decision that looked wrong until Stephens and Jago got stuck trying to get around the ferry landing on the Portlemouth side. Their predicament allowed Julian Meek to close up. After much fruitless toing and froing Meek eventually snuck around the landing and sailed on to victory. Behind him Stephens took second whilst Greening, having persevered on the Salcombe side, just pipped Jago for third.
A class training weekend complete with professional coach and evening debriefing sessions had swelled numbers in the Yawl fleet. Being the last start in the sequence unfortunately meant they had to contend with the lightest of the breeze. Having worked their way upwind to Crossways the wind swung to the south, leaving the fleet with a long beat against the tide to Blackstone. By the time the fleet reached Mill Bay the wind had died completely. Getting half a ton of wooden boat to make progress against the tide in no wind is a tall order and sadly none of the fleet made it to the Blackstone mark, this despite three determined crews persisting until the expiry of the two-and-a-half-hour time limit. No faulting their commitment!
Race 2 Results:
Medium Handicap
1st Firefly, Peter Cook and Janet Exelby
2nd Laser, Radial George Alexander
3rd Aero, Claire Booth
Fast Handicap
1st Phantom, Alistair Morley
Solo
1st Julian Meek
2nd Ed Stephens
3rd David Greening