DESPITE the testing forecast, 10 hardy solo sailors made it to the Salcombe Yacht Club starting area, writes David Greening.

Race Officer Kevin Anderson set a course of 17232 on a shifty Force 7 southwesterly and a flood tide. Finishing on a run from two seemed a bit weird, but that’s river-sailors for you.

Beating into the ebb tide held the fleet back, and it was Will Henderson, Chris Cleaves and David Greening who made the first tacks off of Smalls Cove. A big left-hander saw Cleaves and Greening pull away, however a short tack into Mill Bay saw Greening overpowered and resulted in a lengthy sequence of capsizes.

The front runners, led by Cleaves blasted through the harbour and enjoyed flat-out reaches across Widegates, where his pursuers comprised Henderson, James Greenhill, Bill Jago and Simon Yates.

On the beat, back through the harbour to Mill Bay, Greening overhauled Yates, and on a flat out, if not wobbly run, also hauled in Jago.

Then, on the final beat, Greenhill mashed his hand and headed for home, whilst Cleaves headed for what could have been the finish on the Salcombe shore, followed be Henderson. Cleaves turned back having passed the Watch House for reasons not clear, allowing Henderson to take the lead.

Meanwhile, Greening, sticking on the Portlemouth shore, crossed tacks with Henderson, then rounded the final Mill Bay mark alongside and headed off toward the finishing line on the run. Henderson chose a hotter angle sailing high toward the Watchhouse whilst Greening sailed a lower but shorter route to the Portlemouth shore and snuck an unlikely win by half a boat length, with Bill Jago coming in third.

Whilst this was jolly exciting, Tim Fells sat out the race having already secured the Sailing Club series from Yates, with Greening taking the final podium place.