Race 6 Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series Solo

Published 14:02 on 3 Jun 2024

Sixteen Solos came to the starting area for Race 6 of the Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series. 

With the starting line in the transition zone between the prevailing light North Westerly breeze and a fitful sea breeze, it took the great experience or perhaps the toss of a coin for Race Officer John Burn to decide which direction to send the fleet.  As it was, he sent them northwards, setting an ambitious course with two laps of Yalton, a trip up to Gerston followed by a couple of laps of the harbour.

With the tide under the start, an individual recall flag saw OCS Mark Sanken and Graham Cranford Smith restart.  Tim Fells in a moment of generosity to the fleet unnecessarily restarted.  Simon Dobson emerged from the line with speed, with David Greening also making progress finding less ebb tide in the Yawl trots.  Dobson rounded Yalton first with Greening and Bill Jago close behind.  The second beat back from Crossways to Yalton saw Fells back with the leaders, with Chris Cleaves also playing the shifts well.

On the final leg out of Yalton, a sea breeze came out of Goodshelter, which Fells and Cleaves took advantage of, and along with Dobson were able to pick up the sea breeze in the harbour first, whilst the middle of the fleet inverted.

Having consulted his watch, the Race Officer removed the Gerston leg from the course, and the fleet made their way back to X then then to Crossways to the Finishing line.  With a dying breeze, Dobson stemmed the tide best to round Crossways in the lead, while Fells and Cleaves battled to the shortened course finish, with Fells taking second from Cleaves by a bow fitting.

By David Greening

Library Photos By Lucy Burn.