THERE were 10 takers for the third race of the Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series, numbers slightly down perhaps due to the forecast strong East North Easterly breeze which never really transpired, writes David Greening.

With an ebbing tide, Race Officer Tim Fells did not have many course setting options, notably a beat into Yalton was never an option due to a lack of water, so a course of three windward leeward laps of the harbour was set.

Chris Cleaves, Tim Law, David Greening and Simon Dobson started toward the Portlemouth shore, keeping their lanes, to clear the Fairway Buoy and get into the tidal protection of the Yawl trots and draw clear of the chasing pack, with Dobson rounding the windward mark ahead of Cleaves.

The four leaders were in close company down the run to Blackstone, with Cleaves taking the lead on the beat back by the tidal gate that is Woodcot Rocks, with Greening working through to second short tacking up the Town shore.

The four closed up at the windward mark, and places changed down the run. There was a hole in the wind around the leeward mark as the wind clocked east, allowing Cleaves, Law and Dobson to pull away, and Simon Yates join the leading group.

On the final run to the Millbay mark, Cleaves had been dropped to third place by Law and Dobson, but a masterful move by Cleaves gybing out before the leeward mark, allowed him to break the overlap to round in first place.

Unfortunately for him some rope management issues whilst heading into Mill Bay with Law, allowed Dobson and Greening to tack at the mark, and head to the finish line with less adverse tide, Dobson taking the win from Law and Greening snicking past Cleaves.

Moving onto the yawls and for Salcombe Yacht Club Sailing Club Series race three, a decent fleet of nine yawls, five reds and three blues were presented with a fresh north easterly breeze and a surprising strong ebb tide, the current being pushed along by the breeze, reports Dan Bridger.

The main point of interest was Graham CS's 172 being helped by visiting superstar Andy "Taxi" Davis who had brought along Graham's new suit of HD sails. They looked very nice, and something made the boat go quickly as they finished first with a convincing lead, although had to retire as the helm is not a club member.

Behind them 170 John Burn and Ross Borne, 175 John and Katy Meadowcroft, 159 Dan and Gail Bridger and 174 Mike Knowles with Pete Morris in the red fleet boats had a good tussle up and down the estuary, eventually spreading out a bit and finishing in that order.

In the fresh conditions, and in the absence of the rocket ship 17, the older boats were unable to keep up with the newer but had a good race among themselves, this year's new combination of 74, Mark Waterhouse and Nicola Bass very narrowly beating 99 Stephen Galvin and Alan with 150 Simon Dawes with Phil Magee coming in a bit later having hit the last mark.

A good day out and a bit more relaxed than last week's open meeting mayhem.

Photography by Lucy Burn.