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Zhik - Made for Water

2024 Exe Sails and Covers Starcross Steamer

by Ben Cutler-Sharp 7 Feb 09:46 GMT 4 February 2024

The 34th Starcross Steamer Sponsored by Exe Sails saw 75 boats head afloat in a mild February Sunday with a 10-15 knot offshore breeze. A two hours 30 minute pursuit race with the slowest boat heading off first with the faster boats chasing them down!

Away first were the Solos with an R/S Aero 5 of Zak Mitchell leading last years winner Charlie Cumbley chasing in a Solo through the first lap in sunshine. Heading down the first reach in a good breeze, the first few fleets tried to build a gap to keep the faster boats at bay.

Wind eased for lap 2 and the RS aero 5 held off the solos in as the faster B14s, international canoe and RS 800 unlapped themselves.

With the West South Westerly wind catching the gusts as they came through was the name of the game and Comet Trio of Andrew and Caroline McAusland able to hold their spinnaker on one of the tighter reaches gradually overhauled the Aero and Solo as the raced progressed and led round the penultimate lap.

With several fleets racing each other, for the spectators there were races within the race, with the B14s, RS400s, Phantoms and Solos trading places throughout.

As always with a pursuit race it’s the last few moments that count with strong finishes from Richard Cain and Barney Dearsly coming through to the front in the last few minutes and holding off a pair of charging K1s of Simon Hawkes in second and Paul Birbeck who couldn’t quite pass the Comet trio to finish 5th. Multiple winner Peter Barton in the RS Aero 7 also finished strongly to take 3rd!

Several Juniors took part with ILCA6 sailor Josie Bennett holding off the 29er pairing of Ed Stubbs and Noah Kenny. First female helm went to 2000 sailor Juliet Barnes.

A big thank you to all who travelled and the mass of volunteers many from the Clubs catamaran fleet and cruising sections for making the day run smoothly. The 2025 edition of the Starcross Steamer will be held on March 23rd 2025. We hope to see you then.

Overall Results:

PosBoat TypeSail NoHelm / CrewClub
1RS400411Richard Cain / Barney DearslyStarcross YC
2K1175Simon HawkesCastle Cove SC
3RS Aero 74396Peter BartonLymington Town YC
4Comet Trio501Andrew McAusland / Caroline McAuslandExe SC
5K184Paul BirbeckOther
6Solo6021Charlie CumbleyTCYC / HISC
7Merlin Rocket3691Mike Calvert / Jane CalvertAxe YC
8Solo6095Alistair GlenStarcross YC
9RS Aero 72960Mike WayExe SC
10RS4001504Sam Knight / Chris BownesMissing
11Solo5546Olly TurnerSalcombe / Starcross YC
12RS Aero 51846Zak MitchellPaignton SC
13RS Aero 72550Chris JonesSutton Bingham SC
14Osprey1281Terry Curtis / Peter GreigWeymouth SC
15Phantom1271Alex CarrTorpoint Mosquito SC
16Osprey1339Jeremy Williams / Mike GreigMounts Bay SC
17Blaze827Hugh KingdonNorth Devon YC
18Solo5649Spod OliveStarcross YC
19Laser Radial222564Michael BaggeStarcross YC
20200022713Pete Vincent / Elysia DooleyLlandegfedd SC
21Laser177584Rich BabbageStarcross YC
22Hornet2165Dick Garry / Sam WoolnerStarcross YC
23Phantom1220Chris PopeRYA
24RS4001515Paul Bartlett / Greg BartlettStarcross YC
25RS Aero 93023Richard WatshamStarcross YC
26Albacore8252Andrew Squire / Tristram SquireSalcombe YC
27Solo6059Paul KelleyStarcross YC
28Phantom1497Oli GreensladeStarcross YC
29RS Aero 72154John TannerChelmarsh Sc
30D‑Zero Black357Dave BartlettStarcross YC
31Laser Radial190615Jonathan CouchTorpoint Mosquito SC
32Solo5926John SteelsStarcross YC
33RS2001373Dougal Scott / Jack SollyStarcross YC
34Phantom1118Nik LyeTorpoint Mosquito SC
35Buzz769Mark Pollard / Martin WallbankStarcross YC
36Phantom1405Andy SmithBowmoor SC
37200022696Juliet Barnes / Steve LongHooe Point SC
38Comet Trio476Chris Biglin / Rob LambExe SC
39Merlin Rocket3779Dave Lee / Angela BridgesStarcross YC
40Hornet2160Nigel Skudder / Nick Daly‑HuntStarcross YC
41Solo6030Adrian GriffinSalcombe YC
42Osprey1114Ros Downs / David DownsTata Steel SC
43Laser Radial208190Nigel McKayStarcross YC
44Phantom1472Jon RickardHooe Point SC
45RS Aero 73328Klaus HarrisSwanage SC
46Merlin Rocket3797Mark Elkington / Sarah RobertsStarcross YC
47Solo5622Geoffrey CoxSalcombe YC
48Merlin Rocket3813Steve Harling / Eleanor ThomasStarcross YC
49Fireball14789Hannah Showell / Barry SmithStarcross YC
50Phantom1470Matt BlakestonHooe Point SC
51RS400698Daryl Geary / Finn HoulihanStarcross YC
52Phantom1259Stephen McDonaldStarcross YC
53RS8001166Ralph Singleton / Sophie SingletonRestronguet SC
54Merlin Rocket3721Nick Turner / Carly GurrStarcross YC
55Merlin Rocket3785Robin Charles / Oliver HuntStarcross YC
56Phantom1356Steve WardBartley SC
57International Canoe340Chris HampeHooe Point SC
58Merlin Rocket3718Vyv Game / Mike TuckettStarcross YC
59B14769Gary Stuart / Dave RobertsNorthampton SC
60B14788Tony Blackmore / Jamie DawsonStarcross YC
61Phantom1263Joe HearnTorpoint Mosquito SC
62B14756Paul Roberts / Guy RaynesWeston SC
63RS Aero 61111Izzy LangmanExe SC
64B14766Wayne Hancox / Claire GeogheganGrafham SC
65Lark2065Martin Moore / Neil MooreLyme Regis SC
66Laser Radial217860Josie BennettLyme Regis SC
6729er1830Ed Stubbs / Noah KennyLyme Regis SC
68RS400910Jonathan Carr / Keith WheatleyStarcross YC
69B1476Eric Evans / Silas BraundStarcross YC
DNFB14789Crispin Taylor / LucyStarcross YC
DNFRS4001287James Bowman / Mike BeachStarcross YC
DNFPhantom1342Mark SpruceLee On Solent SC
DNFSupernova1012Mark SwanExe SC
DNFRS Aero 62150Luca MitchellPaignton SC
DNFSalcombe Yawl159Dan Bridger / Stephen GalvinStarcross YC
DNCScorpion2000Helen Allen / Susan ShawPaignton SC
DNCGP 1414014Andy Wadsworth / Phil DunsterBrixham YC
DNCSolo4426Sam BlocksidgeTR SC

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