Spring Series Race 1 - Solo

Published 12:32 on 8 Mar 2026

Eleven Salcombe Solo sailors survived the Winter enabling themselves to compete in the first race of the Spring series.

Fran Gifford, the Race Officer set a windward leeward course in the harbour making the most of the force 2-3 East North Easterly breeze.
With a competitive start, Tim Fells found sufficient speed to find clear air and less tide by heading to the Yawl trots first, leading Chris Cleaves around the Crossways mark.

Tim was never to be headed and drew out a comfortable lead, helped by the close racing between six pursuers, who bunched up on the run to Blackstone, and were to remain in close contact throughout the race, the order determined by the quality and positioning of their mark rounding.  Cleaves, Henderson, Mackley and Greening being the early chasers.
With a big spring low tide at an hour into the race, on the upwind legs it would prove a challenge to decide how close to the shore sailors could go to avoid the ebb tide, vs. finding some gusty lifts further out in the tide.

As Mackley dropped out of the bunch, Billy Jago and Robin Hodges joined the group.  At the penultimate rounding of Crossways, Will Henderson found a cleaner line to break into a more comfortable second place, leaving the four boats fighting for the remaining podium.

At the final rounding of Blackstone Robin Hodges called no room on Greening and Cleaves, securing him third place, whilst Greening and Cleaves finished in a dead heat fourth.
A great two hours of racing, though probably quite boring for Tim Fells the winner.

By David Greening

Photos Lucy Burn