Salcombe YC open

19 Twelves travelled to Salcombe for the 3^rd event in the 2007 South West series over the May Day bank holiday weekend.  The first race saw Salcombe virgins Sam & Fiona Mettam starting sharpest in a shifty and variable strength breeze.  Not believing that the second leg could really be three miles back up the estuary they lost their bearings a little and got swallowed up by the pack on the run back into the harbour.  Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne had been over the line at the start and obliged to return.  Notwithstanding this they were back in the leading group within twenty minutes and were the clear leaders by the second mark.  John & Mandy Thornton gave chase but Camm & Ballantyne held firm to win.  Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart took third.

Derek Davies in his brand new boat

After a wobbly night in the Salcombe Yacht Club bar, Sunday dawned much windier, but still shifty and with big gusts.  Camm & Ballantyne had a clear lead down the first run. With a pack of boats all shadowing each other and gybing frequently, there were several swimmers half way down the leg and Chris Winzar & Nicki Bass coming to grief at the second mark as five boats rounded together.  Dave Peacock & Tricia Wood chose not to get involved in the melee, stayed upright and got themselves into second place.  Meanwhile Camm & Ballantyne sailed on to Gerston and the inevitable gybe mark.   Unfortunately they tacked and left the mark to port rather than starboard and then had to execute two gybes as they realised their error in order to unwind themselves.  This they managed to do with their lead still intact.  Second to arrive at the gybe mark were Antony Gifford & Pip Jefferies who promptly swam.  Camm & Ballantyne continued to extend their lead throughout the second lap.  Various boats took on the mantle of challenging for second place only to quickly become swimmers.  Finally Frances Gifford & Sophie Mackley showed enough initiative to keep their rig above their boat and claimed second ahead of the Thorntons.

John Meadowcroft surfing across the estuary

It was time for lunch on the beach, watching 12s blow over on the sand whilst the Salcombe Yawls provided the on the water entertainment.  There was no let up in the breeze though.  Ibbotson & Stewart were the early leaders of the third race.  The 12s came through a fleet of noisy starting Salcombe Yawls on a planing run and it was amazing to see them all get through unscathed, Gifford & Mackley completing a double ‘centreboard and rudder up’ gybe in very shallow water to use up one of their nine lives.  For a moment it looked like Camm & Ballantyne would do another horizon job but this time it was Gifford and Jefferies who sailed off into the sunset.  They held on to win, with Camm & Ballantyne second, which was enough to secure the meeting with a race to spare and John & Katy Meadowcroft third who finally overhauled the pirouetting Gifford & Mackley on the final beat.

Monday was even windier and the final race was sensibly cancelled.  A few boats went out for some gybing practice.  The cameras were out and will show that more practice is definitely required!

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=7482503188389554083

Results

1^st         3492                Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne, Burghfield SC, 2pts

2^nd        3443                John & Mandy Thornton, Henley SC, 5pts

3^rd        3431                Frances Gifford & Sophie Mackley, Aldeburgh YC, 6pts

4^th        3484                Antony Gifford & Pip Jefferies, Aldeburgh YC, 7pts

5^th        3473                John & Katy Meadowcroft, Henley SC, 7pts