RS Vareo fleet at the Salcombe Gin RS Summer Regatta

RS Vareo fleet at Salcombe Gin RS Summer Regatta © Digital Sailing

With some last-minute cancellations just four Vareos travelled to Torquay to join RTYC VC Jim Short. Seeing the reducing numbers, Jim persuaded his son Jovian (an experienced sailor in other classes including 29ers) to borrow another local boat to give us a fleet of six.

The yellow course was set well out in the bay by race officer Bob Penfold and was shared with the 100s and 600s. After a short delay to allow for some of the fleet to get to the sailing area the Vareos were started first. Jovian got off to a good start followed by Richard Woods and Luke Fisher.

With the wind not really filling in as expected the first beat was very long and after a gentle run down with the kites up the windward mark was moved down to shorten the beat (although for us pond sailors it still looked like a long way). In his first outing in the Vareo Jovian took an unlucky line downwind allowing Richard and Luke to get past.

Salcombe Gin RS Summer Regatta - photo © www.digitalsailing.co.uk

As the race progressed the 100s and 600s who started 6 minutes behind began to catch up giving us a larger fleet to contend with in the final run. Richard made the most of his new spinnaker (won at the Milton Keynes Inlands two weeks ago) to take the win from Luke then Jovian. At the back of the fleet Jim and Alan Basset were fighting for fifth and sixth as they did all afternoon.

Race 2 saw the winds get lighter if anything. Richard and Luke got well away from the rest and in what became a one lap race finished 1,2 again ahead of Paul North in third.

In what was to be our final race of the event Luke got a good start and led through the first lap playing cat and mouse with Richard. As they headed off to the right for lap 2 (again with a shortened beat), Paul close behind went left and found a little extra getting him to the windward mark well ahead. He held on to the lead while some close racing between Luke and Richard saw Luke hold on to his third second of the day by only a couple of boat lengths at the line.

With the second day's racing cancelled, due to high wins and seas, this became the final result. Richard took first, followed by Luke then Paul. Alan Bassett was awarded the Rooster Endeavour prize.

Vareo prize winners - Salcombe Gin RS Summer Regatta - photo © Digital Sailing

It's the Nationals next at Itchenor in four weeks' time.

Overall Results: