Sailing Club Series, Race 6 - Handicap Race.

Published 12:07 on 4 Jun 2024

Course 4P,3P,4P, 7P, 3S

The fleet of fourteen competitors including eight Salcombe Yawls started cleanly in a light easterly breeze and a slack high tide on a long beat to Yalton.  The early leader was Yawl 172 chased by John and Katie Meadowcroft in their Merlin Rocket.  

The fleet played the wind shifts on the way to Yalton with the Merlin rounding first followed by Peter Colclough and Chris Laycock in a 505 with Andrew Squire and Fiona Cranford -Smith in an Albacore close behind. The competitors by that time were enjoying a moderate breeze with plenty of hiking.

On the run to back to Salcombe and the next mark at Crossways followed by a further beat back to Yalton, the three leading boats, and particularly the Merlin Rocket, had pulled away in the consistent Easterly breeze. That helped them on the run back into the Bag and towards Gerston buoy against what was by that time an ebbtide.

As forecast the wind was to veer from East to West and that led to a period of doldrums in the Bag which was enjoyed in the sunshine by the three leading boats.   The chasing pack headed by Olly Turner and crew Frankie Burn in Yawl 170, took full advantage to close the gap in the westerly which was filling in behind them.

The new wind held for the reach across Widegates and back but it withered away in a beat through the Bag with the leading boats loosing further ground.  On entering the harbour, as set by the Race Officer, John Burn, the  crossways buoy had to be left to starboard on the beat to the finish line, something  missed by at least one Yawl .

Line honours went to the Merlin Rocket but on handicap the winner was Yawl 170 followed by the Albacore with Ross Borne and Laura King in Yawl 75 taking third place.

By Andrew Squire

Library Photos By Lucy Burn