Autumn Series Race 3 - Solo Report

Published 14:37 on 23 Sep 2026

Seven Solos turned up in the starting area with trepidation for the third race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Autumn Series.  With forecast West South Westerly gusts in excess of 30mph on a flood tide, conditions appeared marginal. 

Race Officer Simon Dawes set a course that kept the fleet protected by the hills to windward, using the Millbay mark as the windward limit.

First to reach the windward mark were Tim Fells, Paul Rayson and Adrian Griffin, who made good starts, but the remainder of the fleet reconvened at Snapes Point minus Rayson, who took an early swim down the run.

By the Saltstone mark Simon Ballantine and Simon Yates had joined Tim Fells to form the leading group for the fetch and beat back to Millbay.  

The second lap was to prove attritional, with Ballantine, in what was his best race of the season, taking a roll after the Ferry landing, to come upright with a badly bent mast, forcing his retirement.

Fells took the high wind, high speed, option to run down the town side only to capsize at the forced gybe in front of the Watch House.

While Rayson survived the high-speed route down the town side to emerge within fighting distance of Yates.  These two fought out the beat back and the subsequent Millbay to Crossways to take first and second, with David Greening plugging on to take an uneventful third place.

By D.Greening | Photo P.Emery