The Harbour Board met recently for the first time since May’s elections. Although the independent members of the Board remain unchanged, the councillors come and go.
Fortunately none of this interrupted the important business of agreeing to let the contract for the replacement pontoons at Whitestrand and Normandy. This work will be done over the winter and the new, considerably enhanced, facilities should be ready for the 2012 season, all of which is very welcome.
A reader has (gently) reminded me that dinghies haven’t featured much in these columns, which he thought was odd, considering how ideal a harbour Salcombe is for dinghy sailing. He is right on both counts. In fact, the harbour has been trying to encourage dinghy sailing and dinghy events, with some success. First, on a mundane but nevertheless important point, this year the harbour dues for sailing dinghies without an engine was standardised and reduced: I am sure dinghy sailors were pleased about that. But, secondly, it is important to remember just how many major dinghy events are held here. For instance, May sees Yawl, National 12 and Solo Open meetings; there are Merlin Rockets in July; the Yacht Club and Town regattas in August; the Wanderer rally in September; and further National 12 and Solo Open meetings in October. In addition, Salcombe Yacht Club has regular yawl and other dinghy races (that will get me a haircut: aficionados don’t bracket Salcombe Yawls with dinghies), sailing dinghies (and yawls!) can be hired from Salcombe and South Sands, and the ICC can still be seen with its flotilla of small dinghies, bringing on the next generation.
My correspondent asked me to mention that power boats should always give way to sailing boats, and he is quite right. However, I stumbled a bit over his final request, that rowing boats should give way to sailing boats – which is correct as a technical point; but it is not easy for a rowing boat to keep out of the way of a sailing dinghy which can be so much faster. However at least a rowing boat can stop dead, although it may still be in the way: legal but not necessarily helpful.
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