Autumn Series Fast Handicap - Race 7

Published 18:18 on 19 Oct 2025

Easterly winds are never a good thing at Salcombe, add in a fierce 5 metre tide and a restricted race track due to low water and the prospects were not looking good for the seven Salcombe Yawls and the lone 505 who turned up for the last race of the autumn series. This view was reinforced as we all tried, and failed, a practice beat out to sea. Fortunately the PRO John Meadowcroft took the sensible option to start us down tide and down wind towards Kingsbridge and away from the Salcombe washing machine.

At the start Will Henderson, guest starring in Y17 inevitably threw the double six and set off first, the rest of the fleet following on in fits and starts as they grabbed a passing gust. The 505 of Peter Colclough and Alister Morley got to the front by Snapes and were only seen in passing by the rest of the fleet from then on.

The rather strung out fleet of yawls played follow my leader up and down the bag, the reach out and fetch back not offering opportunity to pass. Until that is the starboard hand rounding of buoy 3 caught out Mr Henderson and dropped him to 3rd place. The rest of the race followed similarly, Y17 got past Y170 John Burn and Ross Bourne on the run and Y161 Dan Bridger and Andrew Stirling just failed to snatch a place from Y150 Simon Dawes and Fran Gifford as they toiled slowly up the last little beat to the shortened finish at buoy 3. Y150's third on handicap was enough to give them the series win with Y186 Olly Turner and Chris Skelhorn in second.