SYC Sailing Club Series, R2 ~ Fast Handicap Report

Published 08:28 on 28 Apr 2025

Saturday saw 12 boats arrive on the line, despite the building spring tide and the predicted lack of wind towards the latter stages of the afternoon.

Race Officer Paul Rayson wisely kept the fleet in the main stretch of the harbour, setting the course 3-1-3-1-3-1. This would allow him to shorten the course and end any unnecessary suffering should the forecasters have got it right.

The mixed fleet got away cleanly and trundled off to Crossways in a gentle ENE breeze, allowing the different classes to settle into their natural running order.

Peter Colclough/Alistair Morley in the 505, Fran Gifford/Charlie McKenzie in a Merlin Rocket, and AJ/Sheila Squire in the Albacore made good progress along the Portlemouth shore, in that order, with the remainder of the fleet following on.

John and Frankie Burn, back in their Yawl for the first time this year, along with John and Annie McLaren in an RS400, spotted the front three motionless off Mill Bay beach and noticed the faintest of breezes trickling down the Town shore as the wind swung round to a more southerly direction. At the ferry landing, they made their way across the estuary to join Andrew and Izzy Wood in Y126, who were already making their way up the Town shore, albeit a little further back.

The RS400, the Burn Yawl, and Woods Yawl chose the risky path inside the crab pots, where they continued to make good progress, tucked in out of the tidal stream and in what little pressure there was.

The rest of the fleet found themselves parked up as they tried to navigate around the rocks at Biddle and into Sunny Cove. The problem they faced was a lack of wind and a lot of tide; some had multiple attempts to get to the mark, but to no avail, and had to re-set and try again.

The McLarens and Burns headed all the way along to North Sands before rolling the dice and heading out into the middle of the harbour in search of the mark — a wise decision, as they both successfully rounded and were shortly followed by the 505.

Thankfully, the Race Officer shortened the course, meaning all that was left was a slow run back to the line with the full flow of the tide under them.

Interestingly, all of the top three positions were filled by teams that chose the Salcombe side. John and Frankie Burn took first place convincingly on corrected time, with a five-minute buffer over Andrew and Izzy Wood in second, with John and Annie McLaren rounding off the podium in third.

By John Burn | Photos ~ Lucy Burn