Salcombe Yacht Club National Twelve Gill Series Open Meeting
1st – 3rd May 2010
Even before the racing started there was much excitement in the boat
park at Batson as new boats were unwrapped and received their first
public airing, some were so new that they had only been collected from
the builders the day before!
The Salcombe open is run over 3 days with race one on Saturday, two
and three on Sunday and the fourth on Monday morning. For race one the
fleet set of towards mark Zero outside Blackstone and then ‘enjoyed’
some very fast surfing back into the Estuary before a trip up to Gerston
and back to the finish. After some very fast sailing throughout the
Estuary and surviving encountering a Salcombe Yawl fleet sailing the
wrong course and rounding a mark the wrong way as the Twelves went round
it the right way, Jo Richards & Sophie Mackley (3519) lead the
fleet home followed by Tom Stewart and Nicola Bass (3526)
Photo courtesy: John Murrell
The weather forecast for Sunday promised wind and it didn’t
disappoint! Fortunately the rain that should have come with it decided
that it didn’t like Salcombe and with some of the new boats deciding
that discretion was better than valour a slightly depleted fleet enjoyed
a very fast sail in sun and winds as strong as people could remember
sailing in, up to Gerston, a loop down to Saltstone back to Gerston and
then out to mark One at Blackstone followed by a beat to Crossways, back
to Blackstone and then to the finish off the Club. Tom & Nicola showed a
clean pair of heels to the rest of the Fleet, Jo & Sophie keeping them
honest with Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart (3528) third. Mention has
to be made of two young Salcombe Cadets, Peter Ballantine & Torrin
Blazeby (3003) who sailing a 33 year old Bouncer, albeit with a cut down
sail, finished the race when many older and much more experienced helms
fell by the wayside.
With the breeze still filling only 4 boats came to the start for race
three. Again a beat to Gerston followed by a reach / run back through
the Bag and out to Blackstone and then to a shortened course finish off
the Club. Jon & Charlotte took this race after a close tussle with Tom &
Nicola. Jon & Jules Brown (3483) flew (literally!) to third with John
Meadowcroft(3523) completing the finishers.
Photo courtesy: John Murrell
Monday again dawned bright and breezy................... The Race
course was a beat to Gerston, back to Saltstone, Gerston and the out to
Blackstone, Crossways, Blackstone and then the finish off the Club. Tom
& Nicola again showed devastating boat speed to win from Jon & Charlotte
with Jo & Sophie in third.
Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne (3530) showed great boat speed all weekend
but as their boat was so new it hadn’t been measured (it passed on
Monday afternoon!) retired from all the races and showed that all the
new P&B Dead Cat Bounces are looking potential championship contenders!
Photo courtesy
www.explosures.co.uk
01548 842005
Overall results
Rank
|
Boat
|
SailNo
|
HelmName
|
CrewName
|
Club
|
Design
|
1st
|
Alice the Camel
|
3526
|
Tom Stewart
|
Nicola Bass
|
Northampton / Salcombe
|
Dead Cat Bounce
|
2nd
|
Blue Kangaroo
|
3528
|
Jon Ibbotson
|
Charlotte Stewart
|
OCSS
|
Dead Cat Bounce
|
3rd
|
Dead Cat Bounce
|
3519
|
Jo Richards
|
Sophie Mackley
|
Gurnard
|
Dead Cat Bounce
|
4th
|
Tonto
|
3483
|
Jon Brown
|
Jules Brown
|
Upper Thames
|
Paradox
|
5th
|
Lightning Storm
|
3523
|
John Meadowcroft
|
Jo/Jenny/Tricia
|
Upper Thames
|
Paradigm 2
|
6th
|
The Wrong Trousers
|
3515
|
Peter Cook
|
Janet Exelby
|
Salcombe
|
Paradigm 2
|
7th
|
Bart
|
3455
|
Caroline Martin
|
Clare Hunter
|
Burghfield
|
Feeling Foolish
|
8th
|
Zippy
|
3431
|
Simon Ballentine
|
Karen Ballentine
|
Salcombe
|
Feeling Foolish
|
9th
|
Jayseaess
|
3490
|
Nigel White
|
Chris White
|
Burghfield
|
Numinous
|
10th
|
White Riot
|
3291
|
Tom Ballentine
|
Michael Calvert
|
Salcombe
|
Design 8 (BD)
|
11th
|
Cockleshell
|
3212
|
Phil Bush
|
Jo Bush
|
Bristol Corinthian
|
Crusader
|
12th
|
Monkey Business
|
3494
|
David Moore
|
Rosie LLoyd
|
Salcombe
|
Feeling Foolish
|
13th
|
Paradism Buster
|
3524
|
David Peacock
|
Charlie Peacock
|
Trent Valley
|
Paradigm 2
|
14th
|
Silver Lining
|
3513
|
Christian Day
|
Sophie Richards
|
Leigh & Lowton
|
Feeling Foolish
|
15th
|
Red Menace
|
3003
|
Peter Ballentine
|
Torrin Blazeby
|
Salcombe
|
Bouncer (DB)
|
16th
|
Cheeky Monkey
|
3439
|
Nigel Blazeby
|
Wendy Blazeby
|
Salcombe
|
Feeling Foolish
|
17th
|
Elsie
|
3514
|
John Nixon
|
Sue Howe
|
Carsington
|
Feeling Foolish
|
18th
|
Rue Too
|
3387
|
Noel Boswijk
|
Paul Clark
|
Chichester Harbour
|
Rue Too
|
18th
|
Very Hungry Caterpillar
|
3530
|
Graham Camm
|
Zoe Ballentyne
|
Burghfield
|
Dead Cat Bounce
|
18th
|
|
3533
|
Michael Day
|
Anna Murch
|
St Catherines
|
Paradigm 2
|
18th
|
Curiosity
|
3532
|
Gavin Willis
|
|
Bristol Corinthian
|
Curiosity
|
18th
|
Battle Tactics
|
3295
|
Stuart Cartwright
|
Piers Hammond
|
Salcombe
|
Design 8
|