Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series - Day 5
by Simon Dobson 3 Oct 2018 07:25 BST
29 September 2018
Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series Day 5 © Malcolm Mackley
After the driving rain of the week before, the sun returned to Salcombe on Saturday and with the wind from the north easterly quadrant, sailing conditions in the main estuary were pleasant indeed. Race Officer Peter Cook set a beat to Crossways, a reach to Gerston and back and then a couple of laps around Blackstone and Crossways.
With many of the Club's Juniors away competing in the Regional Junior Championships at the National Sailing Academy in Weymouth, numbers in in the Cadet fleet and the Medium Handicap Fleet were somewhat depleted. Charlie Evans got the better of brother Henry in the Toppers whilst in the Medium Handicap, Roger Odell posted a maiden win in his Aero 7. Over in Weymouth meanwhile, Ben Meek joined forces with William James from Paignton to take a close fought victory in the RS Feva XL Class – an excellent result for one of the Club's most talented Juniors.
Back in Salcombe, the Fast Handicap has of late become a battle of the Phantoms and this week was no exception, Paul Ellis making the best start and extending away to win from Ian Stewart and Chris Cleaves. With the tide against them, the Solo start saw the fleet split between the Portlemouth shore and Salcombe for the beat to Crossways. Simons Yates and Dobson made the running on the Portlemouth side and when they crossed to Snapes at the traditional point just before Ditch End, they were well ahead of those short tacking up the Salcombe side. Dobson got the better of Yates towards the end of the beat and rounded the first mark with a comfortable lead.
Things were about to get distinctly uncomfortable however as the fleet progressed through the bag where the wind became light and random. Yates sailed through into the lead and Billy Jago threatened to overtake as well although Dobson just held off the latter on the reach to Gerston. Positions remained unchanged on the reach back to the Bag but then it was Yates's turn to be undone by Lady Luck and Dobson slipped through to re-take the lead. Behind, Graham Cranford Smith got the better of Jago to move into third. Although the last two beats proved shifty, the ebb was turning into flood and there were no further place changes.
In the Yawl fleet Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer Chapman took a comfortable victory from the Classic boats of Stephen Galvin and Peter Stratton.
Race 5 Results:
Cadets
1st Topper, Charlie Evans
2nd Topper, Henry Evans
Medium Handicap
1st Aero 7, Roger Odell
2nd Feva XL, Andrew and Lewis Groves
Fast Handicap
1st Phantom, Paul Ellis
2nd Phantom, Ian Stewart
3rd Phantom, Chris Cleaves
Solos
1st Simon Dobson
2nd Simon Yates
3rd Graham Cranford Smith
Yawls
1st Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer Chapman
2nd Stephen Galvin
3rd Peter Stratton