South West Water Pursuit Race at Salcombe Yacht Club
by Malcolm Mackley 12 Nov 2017 15:23 GMT
11 November 2017
South West Water Pursuit Race in Salcombe © Malcolm Mackley
The South West Water sponsored laying up pursuit race provided yet another mix of sailing conditions for sailors with tricky winds varying from zero to force five.
For the fourth week in succession the wind was from the NW meaning that sailing in front of the club house was challenging and so Race Officer Peter Cook cunningly set a running start towards Yalton and kept the fleet in regions of the estuary protected from the prevailing gale blowing everywhere other than in front of the club.
A Cornish Shrimper and Two Tera dinghies were first off in the 90 minute pursuit race and Ben Meek sailed away in his Tera to hold the overall lead for over an hour of the race. Lasers and Solos made up the bulk of the 19 boats sailing and it was Simon Dobson and Ed Stephens who quickly established themselves at the front of the main group. Later starters included the Dan Bridger Salcombe Yawl that mysteriously lost its mast overboard on the first beat out of Yalton and was eventually towed back to Salcombe by the Cornish Shrimper that had also lost its mast too.
Tim Fells in his Aero7 made rapid progress and he was the first to overtake the Tera of Ben Meek. Hot on the heals of the Aero were the two expertly sailed Phantoms of Alistair Morley and Paul Ellis who both overtook the Aero only for Tim Fells to counter attack in a fickle area of the estuary and retake positions. As excitement was mounting and the clock ticking down, Tim Fells executed a major capsize of Smalls leaving the two Phantoms to secure a first and second place with Simon Dobson holding third.
In the evening there was a very congenial annual prize giving dinner held in the Club Chart room where one of the clubs rising young stars, Evie Booth sang and played her guitar beautifully during a series of screened Salcombe video shots highlighting stunning summer sailing days in the estuary. Of particular note to Merlin Rocket sailors was the annual award of the club "Clanger Bell" trophy to another of our Salcombe Treasures, the recently heavily overworked Rear Commodore Sailing, Graham Cranford Smith.
Overall Results:
1st Phantom 1357, Alistair Morley
2nd Phantom 1413, Paul Ellis
3rd Solo 5676, Simon Dobson