Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series 2026 - Race 6
by Graham Cranford-Smith, Andrew Groves, Andy Savell 1 Jun 14:34 BST
30 May 2026
Solo Report by Graham Cranford-Smith
Sixteen Soloists, mostly pensioners, showed up in their Solos for this race on a gloriously sunny day featuring a brisk flood tide. Conditions included a 10-12 knot breeze with a Westerly component.
Most favoured the Portlemouth shore for the start with Tim Fells besting the rest in a signature move. Tim Law also got off the line in good shape but promptly fouled a mooring line in the process. In character, Cleaves ran a pithy commentary on his competitors perceived shortcomings.
Blackstone was the first mark by which point, Fells and Cleaves and flexed their superior abilities. The flood tide amplified their lead from the balance of the fleet. This was headed by Dobson and Law plus a well out of position Cranford Smith who has, these days, forgotten how to sail. If ever he knew.
There followed a long run to Mark 5 Saltstone. The wind pressure at points was flaky for everyone except Fells and Cleaves who simply sailed away in a private duel. Dobson and Law showed their class and also extended, though they remained under threat from the likes of Jago, Yates and the young(ish) Greenhill.
As the fleet emerged blinking from The Bag, the local lore is to fetch over to Ditch End pronto and close tack up the shore, to reprise Blackstone Mark 1. By now Fells and Cleaves were long gone. Not for them, obtaining maximum value from the race. Dobson and Law also duly sailed imperiously away from the rest. Close tacking a Solo favours those with functioning knees.
Again, we returned downwind, this time to mark 3. By now the novelty of yet another close tacking fest was wearing thin. Happily, John Meadowcroft PRO realised this and shortened the course. Thank the Lord.
At the gun, Fells, Cleaves, Law.
It is hard to say which of these performances was the most impressive. Law, probably, since he definitely made it hard from himself by hitting a mooring line just after the start. However, Fells in those conditions is almost unbeatable. And so it proved.
Short-Race Handicap by Andrew Groves
The heatwave was gone and we were left with a glorious Salcombe summer day; 20 degrees and a WSW F3. With an incoming tide the OOD set a course of Blackstone, Saltstone, Ferry Mark, Crossways.
The incoming tide ensured an exciting start as the 11-strong ILCA fleet vied for position in the slack water off Smalls. As the starting hooter went there was a rush for the starboard tack into shore; as usual Reynolds was quickest off the line and managed to tack onto port ahead of the pack.
Groves, who took a quieter route starting much further out in the tide, slotted into second with Allan Willcox just behind, and the rest of the fleet calling on each other in the shallows off Smalls.
Reynolds picked up a lift off Cable Cove that saw him take a solid lead into Mill Bay. Groves had also pulled away from the pack as he chased Reynolds up the shore. Meanwhile, Ivy Hart was showing her class, stepping up to the 6 rig, as she made her way through the fleet into third. Groves opted to keep close to shore as they approached Biddlehead, whereas Reynolds opted for the cleaner wind further out. Groves sneaked around the submerged rocks and shot off into Sunny Cove as Reynolds tacked out and opted for a more direct route to the mark. The close-to-shore option was the winner as Groves took a decent lead into the downwind leg to Saltstone.
A good battle developed for second as Hart and Reynolds sailed side by side down the estuary. Meanwhile the pack rounded Blackstone and set off to chase the leaders. Someone — I'm not quite sure who, maybe Wilcox — managed a particularly spectacular capsize, boom up, which meant that on righting they went over again.
As the leaders entered The Bag, Groves stretched out a lead, rounded Saltstone and pulled away. Hart was second round and pulled out a decent gap on Reynolds.
That was where the positions stayed back to the finish line on a shortened course. The rest of the fleet was very stretched out and came in one by one with gaps between all.
The ILCA fleet is really competitive from front to back and enjoys some great battles and entertaining racing. With the Regattas to come, the season is proving to be one of the best for years.
Salcombe Yawl Race by Andy Savell Y187
10 Yawls came to the line for race 6 of the Sailing Club series, started by OOD John Meadowcroft, assisted by Katie Meadowcroft.
In a fitful South Westerly breeze, 5 yawls got away against an incoming tide, the remaining 5 boats losing way and becoming permanently detatched from the leading bunch. John Burn and Ross Borne (Y170) rounded Blackstone first, followed by Will and Mandy Henderson (Y168) and Olly Turner and Chris Skelhorn (Y186).
Helped by the strengthening flood tide, the fleet became strung out into the bag and up to Saltstone, with Andrew Wood and Pippa Hilditch (Y126) still hanging on to the leaders during the close reach back through the bag.
Crossing to the Portlemouth side to take advantage of the back-eddy off Ditchend the three leading Yawls short tacked up the shore in close contention followed now by Andy & Elizabeth Savell (Y187). Two more rounds followed a similar pattern, with boats strung out on the second and third downwind legs to Crossways, and then closing up again on the beat back up to Blackstone (round 2) and Mill Bay (round 3).
At some point on the windward leg, Y170 took penalty turns after a port and starboard incident, allowing Y187 to close up and overtake on the final beat to the finish to gain 3rd place behind Y186 and the winner Y168. Woody and Pippa were 5th on handicap.
Full results can be found here.