Salcombe Yacht Club Summer Series Race 8 With low spring tides and a force 2 to 3 West South Westerly breeze, race officer Andrew Wood wisely set a course that did not take competitors into the higher reaches of the Salcombe estuary, where there was neither wind nor much water. Racing was confined to a beat to Blackstone, a run up to Saltstone and a couple of laps of the harbour. The Cadet Handicap was first away and Max Pearce in the RS Terra scored his first win from the RS Terra of William Meek and the Toppers of George Alexander. The Slow Handicap saw Clare Booth return to her winning ways in her Streaker to take the victory and the Summer Series from Torrin Blazeby. The National 12 “Dead Cat Bounce” sailed by Peter Ballantine and Theo Harris continued its dominance of the Handicap Fleet, scoring yet another win, allowing Peter and Theo to post a perfect score for the series, with the Merlins of Peter Cook and Janet Exelby, Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith and Andrew and Laura Squire taking the next three places. With twenty three Solos on the starting line it was a surprise to many that there was a clean start. Tim Law, Peter Hammond and Peter Sturgess established a clear breakaway group, with the peloton of the usual suspects, Simon Gibbens, Chris Cleaves, Billy Jago, Simon Yates and Simon Dobson in pursuit. Peter Hammond sailing the new “Boat from Beer” led back from Saltstone, but the heavy weight Chris Cleaves reeled in all but Tim Law by the finish. In the Yawl fleet there was a close race between Red Fleet regulars Geoff Gilson and Chris Spencer-Chapman in “Guillemot”, Charles Thompson and Alistair Morley in “Great Bustard” and David Greening and Stephen Galvin in “Spruce Goose”, by Saltstone Guillemot had worked her way to the front, however the Bustard picked up a massive lift in the Bag to establish a lead that looked to be unassailable. However at the Ferry landing, only 100 yards from the finish a misjudged manoeuvre following Gilson’s call for water saw the Bustard’s mizzen taken down and Guillemot performing an unintended turn, this presented an unexpected opportunity for “Spruce Goose” to take a long tack to the Watch House to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Meanwhile in the Yawl Blue or Classic fleet, Anthony Lofts sailing with mother Allyson sailed a good race, mixing it with the more modern boats on the first beat, they held the lead to take the race from the evergreen Barney Greenhill sailing with Trevor Stanton making a welcome reappearance in in the fleet. Junior Handicap 1st Topper 701Max Pearce 2nd RS Terra 1131William Meek 3rd Topper 707George Alexander Slow Handicap 1st StreakerClare Booth 2nd Laser Radial 161391Torrin Blazeby 3rd Laser Radial 198304Kate Brooks Fast Handicap 1st National 12Peter Ballantine and Theo Harris 2nd Merlin Rocket 3616Peter Cook and Janet Exelby 3rd Merlin Rocket 3698Graham and Fiona Cranford-Smith Solo 1st Solo 5315Tim Law 2n= Solo 5295Chris Cleaves 4rd Solo 5424Peter Hammond Salcombe Yawl Red Fleet 1st Salcombe Yawl 177 David Greening and Stephen Galvin 2nd Salcombe Yawl 170 Geof Gilson and Chris Spencer-Chapman 3rd Salcombe Yawl 189 Charles Thompson and Alistair Morley Salcombe Yawl Blue Fleet 1st Salcombe Yawl 132Anthony and Allyson Lofts 2nd Salcombe Yawl 139Barney Greenhill and Trevor Stanton
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 20:49:14 +0000
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