Eighteen enterprises gathered for the first start of the week, assembling alongside the old faithful's were new comers Dave & John Beaney (Castaways) and Ed Best & Claire Willis (London Corinthian), as well as returning fleet members Nick and Ann Jackson

Race one stared in a good SW breeze with some exciting tacking down the Mill Bay side.  Pete & Liss Bennett (Salcombe) showed they haven’t completely forgotten how to do it and led at Blackstone (windward mark). However it proved to be short lived as first Pete Jackson & Julie Sturgess  and then Nick Jackson with new crew Laura Noakes (Burghfield) finding their feet to leave the rest of the fleet standing to lead at Yawlton.  In a tactical manoeuvre planned the day before (at the Ferry Inn) Pete & Liss tacked onto starboard, leaving brothers Pete and Nick to fight it out on the port side.  It worked and on entering the infamous bag Pete & Liss were back in front, Pete & Julie however refused to give up rounding Gerston first, whilst Nick & Laura kindly took a rest.  Sailing back through the Bag Pete & Julie decided to cool off and took dip allowing Pete & Liss back into the lead a position they held until the finish, followed by Nick & Laura with Roger Bennett and stand in crew John Peck (Silverwing) in third.

Monday dawned to a decent breeze unfortunately from a westerly direction providing some nasty slammers. Appropriately the race was won by Martin and Laurence Davies (Rugby & Daventry) as tonight was the enterprise dinner with a French theme.  Nick & Laura came in a consistent second with Dave & John Beaney finding their way round the estuary to finish in third.

Tuesday started with a few sore heads thanks to the successful evening before (Thanks to Pete, Sue & Holly Jackson) and saw some different faces at the front of the fleet.  Nick Jackson today with Tom Noakes took an early lead with Martin Weston & Richard Ackroyd (Silverwing) in second, however coming out of the bag Pete & Liss were first to spot Crossways and in a sneaky move around the opposite side of a moored yacht snook into the lead which they held until coming back out of the Bag.  Dave & John were biding their time and keen to build on yesterday’s second took the lead on the way back out which they held by a nose (or should that be a bow) from Pete & Liss, with Martin & Richard third.

Wednesday Ann & Nancy Jackson (Burghfield) took an early lead before being overhauled.  The race was won by Pete & Liss, with Pete & Julie overcoming their slow start to the week to finish in second with Martin & Laurence in third

Thursday saw wind against tide making the conditions look worse than they actually were, certainly there were some nervous crews in the boat park resulting in some no shows.  Roger Bennett & Chris Kirkham (back from honeymoon) took an early lead, meanwhile Pete & Liss went to chat with the rest of the fleet whilst waiting for Nick & Laura who started in the opposite direction to everyone else. Nick and Laura turned on the turbo to go through to battle with the leaders eventually getting into second from Martin & Laurence with Phil & Laura Bevan (Grafham) in fourth, Roger & Chris taking the opportunity to build on their lead.  As often happens at Salcombe all was not as it seems and Pete & Liss showed a return to their phenomenal upwind speed going from fifth to second for the second time this week only this time on the finish line.  Nick & Laura were third followed by Phil & Laura and Martin & Laurence.  This was sufficient to give Pete & Liss the week but leaving three boats in the running for second place

Friday dawned to a gentle force 2 to 3, and with all to play for some daring moves were seen, Paul & Katie Englemann having returned on the start line took a route down through Batson and into the Bag (unfortunately a week early as the same path proved successful during Town week).  Dave & John led from the start, followed by Pete & Liss with Pete & Julie showing a return to form in third place. 

 

I hope that all will agree that a fantastic’s weeks sailing was had with racing being closer than the final results suggest and hope to see you all on the start line next year (12^th August)

 

Rank	SailNo	HelmName	CrewName	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Nett	Notes
1st	22879	Pete Bennett	Liss Bennett	Salcombe	1	(4)	2	1	2	2	8
2nd	20234	David Beaney	John Beaney	Castaways	7	3	1	4	(20 DNC)	1	16
3rd	23015	Nick Jackson	Laura Nokes	Burghfield	2	2	(6)	5	3	4	16
4th	22320	Martin Davies	Laurence Davies	Rugby & Daventry	5	1	(9)	3	5	8	22
5th	22359	Roger Bennett	Chris Kirkhan	Silverwing	3	10	(14)	7	1	6	27
6th	22439	Paul Bevan	Laura Bevan	Grafham Water	9	5	7	6	4	(20 DNF)	31
7th	23142	Martin Brooking	Jane Anderson	Bewl Valley	4	9	(10)	9	6	5	33
8th	22851	Martin Weston	Richard Ackroyd	Silverwing	(10)	7	3	8	7	10	35
9th	23045	Paul Englemann	Katie Englemann	Silverwing	8	(11)	4	11	8	9	40
10th	23047	Peter Jackson	Mi Julie		(20 OCS)	8	12	2	20 DNC	3	45
11th	21853	David Ackroyd	Clare / Rebecca Ackroyd	Silverwing	13	12	5	10	(20 DNC)	7	47

 

SALCOMBE JUNIOR HANDICAP

 

“Better drowned than duffers, if not duffers wont drown” Well this year at Salcombe we really put that famous Swallows and Amazons quote to the test !  How? Well Flossie (aged 12) and Cousin Tabby (10) announced that they thought they were ready to race in the junior handicap fleet on their own and their foolish parents agreed!

For those who haven’t been to Salcombe, a bit of context – they race on a estuary with lots of boats both moored and moving, there is tide and the races last up to 2 hours, and the girls sailing experience had covered nothing like this, they’d never sailed alone in an open event before and never even sailed together!

So Day 1 on the beach, surrounded by lots of confident kids getting boats ready, Flossie and Tabby look pretty small.  But they’re keen and eyeing up the competition, particularly the 3 other boats helmed by girls as they’ve heard there is a prize for first lady.  Pit crew (Flossie’s mum and Aunty Caz) are less confident, especially as it looks really windy!  Still they launch and head off, the boat healing in the gusts and the girls hanging out for all they are worth.  But disaster strikes – from the beach the main looks like it’s not quite up the top of the mast and begins sagging down. Soon it’s obvious even to the girls and they head in.  Mother and Aunty take the rap for gear failure and we hope for better luck tomorrow.

Day 2. Really windy again.  Lots of  last minute checks from pit crew to make sure sail is up properly and the girls head out again. The 5 minutes goes and they’re up on the line when disaster strikes.   An ambitious gybe and blustery conditions see them capsize.  And they don’t seem to be getting the boat up again –in fact they are sitting on the upturned hull waving at people they know in the other fleets but at least they’re smiling!  Later it turns out the rescue boat asked them to wait to get the boat up to avoid too much confusion during the start.   Anyway, eventually they get the boat up and disappear after their fleet.  Although they get round most of the course they retire before finishing.

Day 3. Dreams of “First Lady” out the window now, the pit crew is secretly hoping that the girls just get round a whole course by the end of the week.  But this is the day when things go right and they head off out of sight with the rest of the fleet.  When they return not only are they keeping up with the other Fevas they seem to be overtaking!.  Their luck holds and they finish 6^th, second  of the 4 Fevas and first girls. . They still have something to learn about good sportsman ship though – they were apparently overheard singing “We are the Champions” loudly as they overtook the competition!

Day 4 sees another creditable performance and as they come back up the harbour mum rushes up the beach to cheer them on.  Flossie turns to wave, misses the top straps and falls out leaving Tabby to capsize.  As they right the boat an angry voice floats across the harbour “That was your fault Mother!”  Despite this mishap they manage a  7^th place.  Flossie and Tabby check the race results sheets that night and realise that they’re actually ahead of the other girls on points and the competition hots up.

Day 5 dawns rainy and windy but the girls decide they’re going anyway. On the beach most of the junior fleet realise its just too windy and boats go back under covers.  For our girls it the sight of uncle “Mikey” Webb capsizing after he breaks the boom on the RS 400 (it was that windy!) that settles them on sitting this one out

Day 6 and everything to play for.  Two of the other girls boats can beat them on points  but only if they have a really good day and Flossie and Tabby don’t finish (and with their track record that’s a real possibility!) The other girls in a Feva have a storming start leaving our team behind.  But they keep it together, sail a good race finishing 7^th and its enough to secure them the trophy for First Lady much to their delight

Saturday October 27th 2012

Saturday 8th December

details to follow