Take 12 crews, all familiar with the vagaries of the Salcombe estuary, mix it with near wall-to wall warm sunshine, gentle (often too gentle) breezes, and a social programme which ensures you collapse into bed every night- and you have a brilliant and exciting week of Wanderer sailing in the annual Salcombe YC Regatta.  Precede this with a week’s racing the Salcombe Town Regatta and you have a perfect recipe for total exhaustion.

Last year Chris King made the short trip from Baghdad for two weeks sailing and he and Vicky walked off with all the pies.  In the Salcombe Town Regatta this year, Chris made the same journey but they had to let go of the Betty Proctor Memorial Trophy (and carry off the runners-up Sick as a Parrot Trophy which they themselves donated some years back) giving way to British Airways’ Phil Jackson (and his full cabin of various crews).  Much of the action between the Kings, the Coxons and the Jacksons occurred during the final minutes of each of the five races when there was a frantic beat to the line.  During the races gaps which opened up were rudely closed when foul tides gave considerable grief.   (I would let you have more details of the individual five races had I not lost my file.)

At the Town Regatta Fleet Dinner on Fireworks night, the Miss Happ Trophy was bagged by the Meadowcrofts for their mistake in following the Jacksons and the Coxons up the town side of The Bag just as the wind dropped and left them stranded.

In the Yacht Club Regatta, there was a different winner on each of the first five (of six) races – Phil Jackson, Russ Sharp, Michael Warne, Roger Pannell, and Chris King who shamelessly stole his win from the Meadowcrofts in the final few metres on a fading spinnaker run up to the line.  Race leadership changed frequently in the rather shifty conditions which prevailed throughout the week and there were some very tight finishes each day.  A calamitous capsize in the fifth race by the Warnes at  the Crossways mark (at exactly the same spot they upended last year but this year there was hardly a breath of wind whereas it was blowing a hooley last year))  put paid to their winning hopes.  But these weren’t too high since they did not arrive in Salcombe until the fourth race which they promptly won following Phil Jackson’s absence (a liquid evening the night before was a significant contributor), two DSQs from teams Sharp and Hamilton and a retirement by the Kings.  Second, third and fourth places were grabbed by Robin, Philip and Jane in a hair-raising tacking match from Blackstone to the line.

The Warne’s capsize came, unfortunately, on the Day of the Fleet Dinner and, fortified by the wine generously supplied by our Fleet sponsors – Coast and Country Cottages -much was made of their tribulations.   But they are good sports...

A second win for the Kings in the final race ensured they retained the Universal 500 Silver Salver with Russ and Liz Sharp runners-up and Phil and Layla Jackson third.  At the start of the final race only three points separated five crews -the Jacksons,  Robin Gabbitas and Gill Veiron,  Roger Pannell and Carol Driver, the Meadowcrofts and the Hamiltons and this was the order which they finished overall.

But there was more to this Regatta than just a sail each morning.   On the first night, there was a Sip, Swig, and Slurp Party chez Kings deep down a hard to find lane off Batson Creek. Not only did Vicky, helped by John Talbot and Jean Whittaker, put on a delicious spread (described inadequately by Vicky as nibbles).   We were the fortunate beneficiaries of a huge and magnificently cooked, iced and decorated Wanderer Silver Jubilee fruit cake created by Gail Allen who, with husband Geoff, have sailed their Wayfarer at Salcombe  in every Regatta for the past twenty years or so and have become honorary Wanderers for the fortnight.   We ate half of it right away and then helped ourselves to the rest as an additional course in the otherwise filling Fleet Dinner held in the newly refurbished Chart Room in Salcombe Yacht Club,  This is a truly beautiful setting overlooking the estuary.  The Wanderer fleet was joined by Dave and Lyn Harsant.  Dave will be remembered by many Salcombe Wanderers as the helm of Mrs B.  He found that far too exciting and now sails a more sedate Laser Stratos.  Dave knows he will be welcomed back when he sees the error of his ways.  British Airways members Terry Baker (trying his hand bravely and single-handedly in an RS300 ) and Brian Rouse (sailing his Dayboat) and his wife also joined us.    There was also a sail-up the incoming tide to Kingsbridge for lunch at the Crabshell.   The disappointment of a rigid interpretation of the lunchhour by the restaurant was offset by the spectacle of John Talbot proving that if you step on a Wanderer’s gunwhale, it will catapult you into the briney.   So much for John and Jean’s attempt at having a quiet week’s racing.

At the Fleet Dinner we made the annual presentation of Joke Trophies as follows:

Ted’s Tankard                                     Roger Pannell

Gabbitas Goblet                               Jane Summers

Porteous Pot                                      Chris & Vicky King

Meadowcroft Midweek Medal          Mike Warne

Peter Potty                                         Phil Jackson

Sharp Practice Scissors                       Mike Hamilton

Davies Dish                                        Russ Sharp

Vice-Chairman’s Ladies Dish             Gill Veiron

Wandering Ancient Mariner Glass     Mike and Sue Warne

Wally of the Week                                   John Talbot

On the Monday afternoon. 12 members of the fleet accepted Jill Davies’ invitation to go horse riding on Dartmoor.  Amazingly, there were enough animals of different sizes to meet the differing girths of their riders.  Afterwards Jill entertained us at Higher Hannaford Farm with a BBQ and some rather coarse croquet for those whose sporting instincts had still not been fully exhausted.

A delightfully busy week which left us all in need of a total chill out far away from boats, water, and booze.

OVERALL RESULTS:

Salcombe Town Regatta:

1^st    Phil Jackson & assorted crews  W1105   British Airways Silver Wing SC

2^nd   Chris & Vicky King   W940  South Cerney SC

3^rd    Dave and Rosemary Coxon    W184    Bosham SC

4^th    Philip & Jill Meadowcroft    W1024    Salcombe YC/ Henley SC

Salcombe YC Regatta:

1^st    Chris & Vicky King  W940   South Cerney SC

2^nd    Russ & Liz Sharp   W282   Old Carthusians YC

3^rd     Phil & Layla Jackson   W1105    British ASirways Silver Wing SC

4^th     Robin Gabbitas & Gill Veiron   W973   Bosham SC]

5^th     Roger Pannell & Carol Driver    W779    Salcombe SC

6^th     Philip & Jill Meadowcroft   W1024    Salcombe YC/Henley SC

7^th     Mike & Allyson Hamilton  W992    CSS

8^th     Jane & Derek Summers   W197

9^th    Mike & Sue Warne  W189  Lyme Regis SC

10^th   John Talbot & Jean Whittaker   W602    Wilsonian SC 

Philip Meadowcroft Sept 16th 2005