Yeti @Stones Boatyard Yawl Open Meeting - Red Fleet Report.

Published 19:45 on 28 May 2024

Salcombe Yawl Red Fleet 

Saturday PM 

Course - 757X3X 

Paul & Julie Rayson got a perfect start getting clear to power towards Snapes. Will and Mandy Henderson took leeward route through the Yawl Trots to be in the front bunch. By Snapes, Will was on the tail of Paul, and a trip inside the Lincombe pontoons saw Will emerge in the lead at Tosnos. Meanwhile, Duncan Salmon led Tim Law along the windward shore, feeding them in at third and fourth. 

The fleet maintained formation until off the Watchhouse where the Yawl fleet met the back of the Solo fleet at mark X. Will and Mandy rounded X unencumbered, whilst David Greening and Steve Conroy went round the outside to emerge in second, Rayson having to complete a penalty turn. 

RO wisely shortened course after fleet returned from Crossways. Henderson, from Greening, from Rayson followed in by Gibbens and Reed. 

Sunday AM 

Course - 171323 

WSW F4 

Ebb Tide 

RO Adrian Griffin set the traditional Blackstone Gerston course, followed by two laps of the harbour. Blackstone involved a hairy bear off in big waves, the fleet then ran down the Portlemouth shore, balancing the need to get out of the tide with the bigger gusts that were out in the harbour. 

The Hendersons got their nose ahead again at Snapes and were gone, whilst for the rest of the fleet, those who followed the traditional route from Snapes to Ox to Tosnos emerged from the pack and extended their positions over the reach across Widegates. 

Upon returning to the harbour, RO Adrian Griffin changed Blackstone for Millbay to spare the fleet from the bigger waves in the mouth of the harbour. 

The Hendersons took the gun from Burn and Stone followed by Gibbens and Reed. 

Sunday PM 

Course - 272323 

WSW F4 

Ebb Tide 

With a Black Flag, a strong ebb tide and a line bias toward the Salcombe shore there was a lot of congestion at the Fairway end, with an incident involving Tim Law and Ossie Stewart and the Hendersons resulting in the Hendersons retiring with a broken boat. 

This should not takeaway from the performance of Andy and Liz Savell in Firecrest, who made the break at Snapes together with Gibbens and Reed. 

The two boats had a close battle, with the Savells holding onto the lead despite a strong challenge from Gibbens and Reed. Phil King and John Sleep secured third place. 

Monday AM 

141313 

SW-WSW F3-4 

Ebb Tide 

RO Graham Cranford Smith set a meaty beat out to Blackstone, Will and Mandy Henderson escaped the front bunch and by the Ferry landing had established a sufficient lead to steer their preferred course and distance themselves from their pursuers whilst the rest of the fleet slowed each other down. 

Inevitably the rest of the fleet converged at the end of the run at Yalton, with Phil King, John Burn, David Greening, and Simon Gibbens making big gains from the left hand side of the creek. 

There followed a tight beat out of Yalton followed by two laps of the harbour in challenging conditions, the heavier weight teams ground in the lighter weights, except for the Hendersons who took the win, with King and Sleep taking second place from John Burn and Tris Stone. 

So, Will and Mandy Henderson took the Late May Open win from John Burn and Tris Stone with Simon Gibbens and Andrew Reed in what were classic Salcombe conditions. 

At the prize-giving Will went on to thank the sponsors, Yeti @ Stones Boatyard, for supporting the event with generous prizes.

By David Greening 

Photos By Lucy Burn. View more photos HERE