Teign Corinthian Yacht Club Ship-in-a-Bottle Regatta

Teign Corinthian YC Ship-in-a-Bottle Regatta 2019 © Heather Davies

Coombe Cellars Dinghy section of Teign Corinthian YC hosted the Ship in a Bottle Regatta over the late May Bank Holiday. Sponsored by The London Inn.

Blue sky and sunshine greeted the sailors on Saturday May 25th with a very light and fickle north westerly coming over the hills. Looking up toward Dartmoor showed a bank of clouds so the likelihood of a sea breeze coming in seemed remote. The 10 o'clock start looked optimistic with such conditions and after much deliberating the race officer scoped out a course with a couple of beats to the north west. Then just before calling a briefing the fickle NW'ly was replaced by a steady breeze coming straight up the valley from the sea. The bemused race officer still does not know how such a sea breeze developed. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth a new course was drawn up with a long beat down river toward the NEE.

Race 1 got under way with Tim Flower in his Finn having to make a return to the start line after being too eager to get going. Paul Craft in his RS100 got clean away and soon had a good lead over the fleet of Solos going downwind. Paul held this lead throughout but was not far enough ahead at the finish with Peter Hearne taking the win with Tim Martin (Solo) just 10 seconds back in second.

Race 2 saw another early start for two over eager sailors. Paul Craft realised and returned but Tim Martin in his Solo who pulled the trigger a fraction too early continued unaware. Paul again got away from the fleet but there was a close pack of Solos and the Finn vying for the minor places. Eventually Tim got clear but was met with silence as he crossed the finish line and Peter Hearne recorded his second win.

Teign Corinthian YC Ship-in-a-Bottle Regatta 2019 - photo © Heather Davies

Sunday racing started at 11am with a nice south westerly breeze. Two K1s and a 2000 sailed by Matt and 7 year old daughter Jessy Davies joined the fleet. There were no infringers on the start line this time and the first race of the day saw Tim Martin nail the start perfectly and round the windward mark cleanly. Tim was chased by Mike Commander in his K1 who passed Tim cleanly on the first downwind leg. A cracking reach across the river was the highlight of the day for every sailor. Mike had built up a sufficient lead over Tim by the end of the 3rd lap to take the win from Tim in second place and Dave Northcott in third.

The second race of the day again saw Tim make a clean start who was again chased and passed by Mike. The cracking reach across the river ended the hopes of some Solo sailors (Neil Howard and Dave Northcott) as they capsized around the gybe mark. With the race shortened to just two laps Mike had not built a sufficiently big lead and TimMartin took the win on corrected time. So after 4 races Peter Hearne lay first on 4 points, Mike Commander on 6 points and Tim Martin was lurking a bit further back but had an OCS discard in his bag for the third day of sailing. So all to play for on the final day...

Teign Corinthian YC Ship-in-a-Bottle Regatta 2019 - photo © Heather Davies

Third day of the Regatta saw another four sailors join us, Dan and Paul Brett in an RS Vision and Feva respectively along with Rob Upton in a Finn and the disruptor team of Sasha and Carlie Karakusevic in a Laser 2000. Race 5 start was pretty chaotic with everybody trying to claim the pin end of the line. Couple that with a flood tide and some huge wind shifts coming through in quick succession as the start gun sounded and it was no surprise to see some argy-bargy.

Mike Commander just made it to the windward mark ahead of the Dinghy Rear Commodore, Ben Miles and both bore away on to a broad reach down the river. But once the Finn of Rob Upton and 2000 of Sasha and Carlie had untangled themselves off the start line they both powered there way downwind and through the fleet, Sasha going on to claim both the on-water win and corrected time win. But you can never take your eye off those Solos of Tim Martin and Peter Hearne who both did enough to claim second and third on corrected time.

So come Race 6 it was now all to play for between Peter Hearne and Tim Martin, both of whom could win the regatta. Neither had banked on Sasha and Carlie sailing another blinder in the 20+ knot gusts to again take the win. With two wins to his name from day one Peter Hearne did enough to secure the trophy with Martin placed second and Commander falling off the pace to take third overall.

Thanks must also go to all the twelve volunteers both on and off the water in safety boats and the galley who looked after the 23 individuals that revelled in the conditions over three challenging days of sailing.

Teign Corinthian YC Ship-in-a-Bottle Regatta 2019 - photo © Heather Davies

Overall Results: