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:
Pos | Boat Type | Sail No | Helm / Crew | Club |
1 | RS400 | 411 | Richard Cain / Barney Dearsly | Starcross YC |
2 | K1 | 175 | Simon Hawkes | Castle Cove SC |
3 | RS Aero 7 | 4396 | Peter Barton | Lymington Town YC |
4 | Comet Trio | 501 | Andrew McAusland / Caroline McAusland | Exe SC |
5 | K1 | 84 | Paul Birbeck | Other |
6 | Solo | 6021 | Charlie Cumbley | TCYC / HISC |
7 | Merlin Rocket | 3691 | Mike Calvert / Jane Calvert | Axe YC |
8 | Solo | 6095 | Alistair Glen | Starcross YC |
9 | RS Aero 7 | 2960 | Mike Way | Exe SC |
10 | RS400 | 1504 | Sam Knight / Chris Bownes | Missing |
11 | Solo | 5546 | Olly Turner | Salcombe / Starcross YC |
12 | RS Aero 5 | 1846 | Zak Mitchell | Paignton SC |
13 | RS Aero 7 | 2550 | Chris Jones | Sutton Bingham SC |
14 | Osprey | 1281 | Terry Curtis / Peter Greig | Weymouth SC |
15 | Phantom | 1271 | Alex Carr | Torpoint Mosquito SC |
16 | Osprey | 1339 | Jeremy Williams / Mike Greig | Mounts Bay SC |
17 | Blaze | 827 | Hugh Kingdon | North Devon YC |
18 | Solo | 5649 | Spod Olive | Starcross YC |
19 | Laser Radial | 222564 | Michael Bagge | Starcross YC |
20 | 2000 | 22713 | Pete Vincent / Elysia Dooley | Llandegfedd SC |
21 | Laser | 177584 | Rich Babbage | Starcross YC |
22 | Hornet | 2165 | Dick Garry / Sam Woolner | Starcross YC |
23 | Phantom | 1220 | Chris Pope | RYA |
24 | RS400 | 1515 | Paul Bartlett / Greg Bartlett | Starcross YC |
25 | RS Aero 9 | 3023 | Richard Watsham | Starcross YC |
26 | Albacore | 8252 | Andrew Squire / Tristram Squire | Salcombe YC |
27 | Solo | 6059 | Paul Kelley | Starcross YC |
28 | Phantom | 1497 | Oli Greenslade | Starcross YC |
29 | RS Aero 7 | 2154 | John Tanner | Chelmarsh Sc |
30 | D‑Zero Black | 357 | Dave Bartlett | Starcross YC |
31 | Laser Radial | 190615 | Jonathan Couch | Torpoint Mosquito SC |
32 | Solo | 5926 | John Steels | Starcross YC |
33 | RS200 | 1373 | Dougal Scott / Jack Solly | Starcross YC |
34 | Phantom | 1118 | Nik Lye | Torpoint Mosquito SC |
35 | Buzz | 769 | Mark Pollard / Martin Wallbank | Starcross YC |
36 | Phantom | 1405 | Andy Smith | Bowmoor SC |
37 | 2000 | 22696 | Juliet Barnes / Steve Long | Hooe Point SC |
38 | Comet Trio | 476 | Chris Biglin / Rob Lamb | Exe SC |
39 | Merlin Rocket | 3779 | Dave Lee / Angela Bridges | Starcross YC |
40 | Hornet | 2160 | Nigel Skudder / Nick Daly‑Hunt | Starcross YC |
41 | Solo | 6030 | Adrian Griffin | Salcombe YC |
42 | Osprey | 1114 | Ros Downs / David Downs | Tata Steel SC |
43 | Laser Radial | 208190 | Nigel McKay | Starcross YC |
44 | Phantom | 1472 | Jon Rickard | Hooe Point SC |
45 | RS Aero 7 | 3328 | Klaus Harris | Swanage SC |
46 | Merlin Rocket | 3797 | Mark Elkington / Sarah Roberts | Starcross YC |
47 | Solo | 5622 | Geoffrey Cox | Salcombe YC |
48 | Merlin Rocket | 3813 | Steve Harling / Eleanor Thomas | Starcross YC |
49 | Fireball | 14789 | Hannah Showell / Barry Smith | Starcross YC |
50 | Phantom | 1470 | Matt Blakeston | Hooe Point SC |
51 | RS400 | 698 | Daryl Geary / Finn Houlihan | Starcross YC |
52 | Phantom | 1259 | Stephen McDonald | Starcross YC |
53 | RS800 | 1166 | Ralph Singleton / Sophie Singleton | Restronguet SC |
54 | Merlin Rocket | 3721 | Nick Turner / Carly Gurr | Starcross YC |
55 | Merlin Rocket | 3785 | Robin Charles / Oliver Hunt | Starcross YC |
56 | Phantom | 1356 | Steve Ward | Bartley SC |
57 | International Canoe | 340 | Chris Hampe | Hooe Point SC |
58 | Merlin Rocket | 3718 | Vyv Game / Mike Tuckett | Starcross YC |
59 | B14 | 769 | Gary Stuart / Dave Roberts | Northampton SC |
60 | B14 | 788 | Tony Blackmore / Jamie Dawson | Starcross YC |
61 | Phantom | 1263 | Joe Hearn | Torpoint Mosquito SC |
62 | B14 | 756 | Paul Roberts / Guy Raynes | Weston SC |
63 | RS Aero 6 | 1111 | Izzy Langman | Exe SC |
64 | B14 | 766 | Wayne Hancox / Claire Geoghegan | Grafham SC |
65 | Lark | 2065 | Martin Moore / Neil Moore | Lyme Regis SC |
66 | Laser Radial | 217860 | Josie Bennett | Lyme Regis SC |
67 | 29er | 1830 | Ed Stubbs / Noah Kenny | Lyme Regis SC |
68 | RS400 | 910 | Jonathan Carr / Keith Wheatley | Starcross YC |
69 | B14 | 76 | Eric Evans / Silas Braund | Starcross YC |
DNF | B14 | 789 | Crispin Taylor / Lucy | Starcross YC |
DNF | RS400 | 1287 | James Bowman / Mike Beach | Starcross YC |
DNF | Phantom | 1342 | Mark Spruce | Lee On Solent SC |
DNF | Supernova | 1012 | Mark Swan | Exe SC |
DNF | RS Aero 6 | 2150 | Luca Mitchell | Paignton SC |
DNF | Salcombe Yawl | 159 | Dan Bridger / Stephen Galvin | Starcross YC |
DNC | Scorpion | 2000 | Helen Allen / Susan Shaw | Paignton SC |
DNC | GP 14 | 14014 | Andy Wadsworth / Phil Dunster | Brixham YC |
DNC | Solo | 4426 | Sam Blocksidge | TR SC |