Spring Series, Race Four - Solo Report

Published 13:53 on 31 Mar 2024

Salcombe Yacht Club Spring Series 4 encouraged an excellent turnout of twenty one Solo Sailors.  Race Officer Simon Yates set the best course that he could in a South Easterly force 3-4 on an ebb tide, sending the fleet to Blackstone, then into the Bag for a loop of Gerston, Saltstone and Gerston, before returning back to Blackstone and Crossways.

With the tide under the start, the RO let the start go, so it was Olly Turners conscience rather than an X flag that saw him duck back behind the line.

(Library Photo By Lucy Burn)

Tim Law and David Greening were first around Blackstone, having worked some puffs coming out of the beaches to port of the fleet, and headed toward Biddle, whilst the rest of the fleet led by Tim Fells and Will Wall headed Town side.  Law and Greening crossed back to the pack, with Greening picking up a small gust that saw him establish a small lead up to Tosnos.

(Library Photo By Lucy Burn)

Tim Fells, Simon Dobson and Will Wall gybed early at Tosnos catching Greening up, and by Gerston John Evans and Graham Cranford-Smith had joined the leading pack for the two solid beats back from Gerston.  In the melee, Tim Fells managed to keep clear air to pull ahead, and by Snapes Fells led from Wall and Greening.

After an hour of great racing, the fleet rafted up off Woodcot Rocks in the wind shadow of the Portlemouth shore, as the wind went east.  By Blackstone a number of front of fleet regulars who had been languishing in the middle of the pack came into play, including Chris Cleaves, who quite literally headed hard into the Salcombe shore in order to stem the tide to emerge into the lead and which he maintained to the finish, taking the winning gun from Simon Dobson and Graham Cranford-Smith.

(Library Photo By Lucy Burn)

By David Greening