Salcombe Yacht Club Summer Series 2026 - Race 4: trepidation amongst the Yawls
by David Greening 12 Jul 21:07 BST
12 July 2026
There was more than a little trepidation amongst the Yawl sailors gathered on the Yawl pontoon in anticipation of the fourth race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Summer Series, with wind speeds topping 43 mph at Prawle Point, there were discussions regarding the available stock of new masts, in between the pumping up of buoyancy bags, resulting in several arrivistes taking a look and returning to their tenders.
Anyway, Will Henderson the Race Officer had made his decision, and on an Easterly high tide, set a course beating into to Yalton twice then returning to the harbour for a couple of loops around Blackstone and Crossways.
Six Yawls started, with the heavier combos of Paul Ellis and Martin Beck and John Burn and Ross Bourne duking it out to Yalton, with some interesting avoiding manoeuvres at the gybe and bear off. Paul and Martin eventually prevailed despite some close and tactical mark roundings.
John and Zoe Meadowcroft were very much in the mix, but when the fleet returned to the protection of the main harbour the shifty beat shuffled the midfield allowing Phil King and John Sleep up to third, while David Greening and Josie Dayment edged past John and Zoe.
As is often the case, the trepidation before the race was unfounded, no new masts will be required and our buoyancy remains untested, it was worth going out just for the flat-out planing run out of Yalton, the only casualty being Paul and Martin's broken jib stick!