Sailing Club Series, Race One ~ Solo Fleet.

Published 13:45 on 26 Apr 2026

A force three easterly and a high tide allowed Race Officer Simon Dobson to set a course into Yalton Creek returning to Blackstone, followed by two laps of the harbour, under a bright blue sky.

Thirteen Solo sailors made the start, and it was Chris Cleaves, Tim Law, Adrian Griffin, David Greening and Mark Sanken who held their lanes to clear the northern Fairway mark into the main anchorage ahead of the pursuing pack.

As the fleet turned into a shifty Yalton Creek, three boats pulled clear, with Cleaves rounding the windward mark ahead of Greening and Law, a close formation that was maintained down the run all the way to the Blackstone mark, where Law, being third to round was able to tack into Crab Pots, to be first to get some protection from the ebb tide, and took the lead on the beat up the Salcombe shore to Crossways.

Cleaves fell back while short tacking, which allowed Bill Jago and James Greenhill to move up into third and fourth.

This order was maintained despite some tactical choices regarding where to cross from Snapes to lay the Crossways mark, but the effect was to allow the fleet to spread out more by the time the fleet reached Blackstone.

With the breeze softening on the beat back from Blackstone, the Race Officer wisely raised the S flag, giving Law the win from Greening and Jago.

By David Greening | Photos Lucy Burn