Autumn Series, Race 5 - Solo Report

Published 08:38 on 2 Oct 2023

Seventeen Solo sailors turned up at the starting line for the fifth race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series.  

With the lowest of Spring tides the Race Officer John Burn set a course within the harbour which ensured that there was sufficient water around the turning marks.

In a light F2 to F3 southerly breeze and heading for Blackstone, those who started on the line at the Portlemouth end benefited most, and drove across the building tide to Woodcot then crossing back to Biddle Head to get the lift out of Sunny Cove.  This resulted in Tim Law leading at the windward mark from David Greening, Roger Guess and Tim Fells.  This group pulled clear from the rest of the fleet by the downwind X mark.

 
 
When the leading group chose to head for the Fishermans shore, Chris Cleaves led a small group through the moorings along the Town side and emerged in the lead followed by those who managed to bail out of the Portlemouth side earliest, Law, Greening and Guess.

 
With the leading group having good windward speed together with the knowledge that the Town side was beneficial, there were few passing opportunities on the final laps, and despite a bit of luffing action between Cleaves and Law, and a tacking battle between Greening and Guess, the formation was maintained to the shortened finish, with Cleaves taking the win from Law, and Greening holding onto third from Guess, with the series leader Tim Fells closing out in fifth place.

~ By David Greening

Photos Lucy Burn