Salcombe Yacht Club Festive Series – New Year's Day Race

Twenty-two dinghies together with bleary eyed sailors made it to the starting line for the first race of 2019, forming the final part of the Salcombe Yacht Club Festive Series.

Race Officer Ian Stewart set a two lap course around the harbour on a fitful northerly breeze and a neap flood tide.

After a brief postponement the fleet got away, heading for the Crossways mark, with Dan Bridger's Aero 9 picking up a breath of breeze from the Bag, which escaped many, other early pacemakers included the Phantom of Alistair Morley and the Solo of Bill Jago.

To this correspondent, the interest in this race was always going to be off the tidal gate that is Biddle Head; the early leaders, Bridger and Morley took a direct route to the Blackstone mark, picked up some unfavourable tide and ran out of wind, which allowed the Solos of Jago and Greening to pick a route through the rocks of Biddle Head, and close the gap to the faster boats.

After rounding the mark, the leading bunch sped away on decent breeze, whilst the majority of the fleet struggled to round Blackstone.

Upon rounding Crossways, the Race Officer shortened the course back to the club line, with Alistair Morley finishing first on elapsed time. Dan Bridger went over the line in silence for a premature start. Tim Fells in an Aero was next, followed by Jago and Greening, who were sufficiently close to the leader to take first and second places on corrected time, with Morley third.

This provided excellent symmetry, since Jago, Greening and Morley were tied on six points in the Festive series, but ended up in the last race finishing order on countback.

Overall Results: (Race and Series)

1st Solo 5598, Bill Jago
2nd Solo 5792, David Greening
3rd Phantom 1459, Alistair Morley