SYC Winter Series, Race 3 - Solo Report

Published 15:34 on 9 Nov 2025

A sunny day with a light west south westerly breeze saw twelve Solo sailors come out to play for the third race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Winter Series.  Race Officer Esther McLarty set a course to Mill Bay, Gerston, Mill Bay, Crossways.

With a spring ebb tide it was a struggle for the fleet to keep behind the starting line at the bang of the gun, however a good start or not made little difference, following the rounding of the Mill Bay mark, the fleet reconvened at the East Portlemouth ferry landing for restart number one, with Chris Turns taking the inside berth along the beaches to emerge in the lead at Fishermans Cove.

Running out of wind, the cognoscenti took the classic route and crossed to the town side, though on this occasion were proven wrong, as those who held to the beach side and crossed straight to Snapes Point emerged ahead.
Snapes Point provided the second restart, with Robin Hodges taking inside berth, and taking a more direct route to Ox Point, whilst Will Henderson gybed onto starboard toward Bungalow Point, to find the slacker water in Ox Bay, Hodges prevailed.

The rest of the fleet were divided, most crossing from Ox to Tosnos Point, however comparative back markers, Bill Jago, and Simon Dawes took a leeward route to Hallwell Point, undercutting the rest of the fleet who had got stuck off Tosnos, to emerge just behind Hodges, Henderson and Chris Cleaves.

Hodges picked up some weed on the fetch toward Gerston, allowing Henderson through.  This formation was maintained until on the last lap, Cleaves allowed Jago through to third place, with the finishing order Henderson, Hodges, and Jago.

~ D.Greening

Photos L.Burn