Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series - Race 7

A dreich day greeted the more hardy sailors who turned out for the Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series Race 7. Race officer John Wylie set the right course for a South South Westerly; Blackstone Gerston, Millbay, Crossways line, however with the race taking place on maximum spring flood tide it was to be most challenging.

There were no takers for the Cadet Handicap race, so the Medium Handicap Fleet were first away, with the Lark of Will and Mandy Henderson and the Aero 7 of Simon Ballantine leading the ten boat fleet down the Salcombe shore. As the wind dropped during the fleets return from Gerston, Will and Mandy stayed on the Egremont shore, working their way past the tidal gates at Saltstone, Halwell Point and Ox to take the winning gun at a shortened course at Bungalow Point, from Simon, with the Laser 4.7s of Ben Meek and Henry Evans showing considerable persistence to finish third and fourth.

The Fast Handicap fleet was mainly made up of Phantoms, with Olly Alexander winning the start by virtue of the tardy arrival of Alistair Morley and Bruce Hattersley. Alistair showed his mastery of the class and the harbour to pull out a twelve minute lead, making some routing decisions over the tide that slower boats were unable to do.

For the Solos with their Open Meeting the coming weekend this was the last race of their Autumn series, when Simon Yates could mathematically lose to David Greening. Simon led for much of the race, but by crossing on the final beat to Tosnos he allowed Bill Jago and David Greening through. Bill went on to take the win, which gave Simon the series.

As the winter frosts loom, this was probably the last Yawl race of the season, with Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer Chapman leading Stephen Galvin and James Smith, and a welcome return for Ian and Wendy Stewart; however as the wind died, the Yawl of Gilson and Spencer Chapman were the only boat to make the gates, and took the win, while the others were either towed or paddled home.

Medium Handicap:

1st Lark 2157 Will and Mandy Henderson
2nd Aero 7 1756 Simon Ballantine
3rd Laser 4.7 190526 Ben Meek

Fast Handicap:

1st Phantom 1459 Alistair Morley
2nd Phantom 1417 Olly Alexander
3rd Phantom 1357 Bruce Hattersley

Solo:

1st 5598 Bill Jago
2nd 5792 David Greening
3rd 5601 Simon Yates

Salcombe Yawl:

1st 170 Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer Chapman