The beautiful Salcombe Yawl

 The Salcombe Yawl has a history which goes back at least 200 years to the straight-stemmed, transom-sterned, yawl rigged local fishing vessels of the late 18th-early 19th century. By 1823, it is clear that the yawl-rigged fishing-boat, had become established as a common type on the South Devon coast.

By 1853, when the earliest painting, now in the Salcombe Yacht Club, was made, the Yawl is clearly visible as the direct ancestor of the Salcombe Yawl of today as she is similar in all respects. Also about 1853, we hear of the first occasion when Salcombe yawls, then known as the Licensed Watermen's Boats class, raced together in the Salcombe Regatta. These work-boats were yawl rigged and open or quarter decked. They were between 14 ft and 18 ft long and were all owned and worked out of Salcombe, being used for fishing and as hire boats for picnic parties.

Upcoming Events:

First, the late May Bank Holiday has been moved to the end of the half-term week and made into a four-day weekend by the addition of an extra Bank Holiday marking the Queen's Jubilee.

The Yawl and Solo Open will therefore take place on Thursday 2nd June, Saturday 4th June and Sunday 5th June. Start times are in the NoR which has been published on the SYC website - www.salcombeyc.org.uk/racing/nors-sis-for-open-meetings-1

On Friday 3rd June we are holding a special All-Comers Jubilee Pursuit Race to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. The first start will be 10.30 with a target race time of 100 minutes for the slowest boat in the fleet.

There will be a BBQ at the Club afterwards so come along to celebrate the Jubilee! Book Here - www.salcombeyc.org.uk/event/662783

Second, and at the request of the SYOA, we are adding a Green Fleet start to the Yawl starts in the afternoon of Regatta Week. This is designed to appeal to those Yawl sailors who might otherwise feel a little apprehensive about entering into the fray of the Red or Blue fleets starts. It is open to both Red and Blue fleet boats but not to any boat that finished in the top half of their respective fleet in the 2021 Regatta. It will be scored on handicap using the current Portsmouth Yardstick numbers of the Red and Blue fleets, Book at www.salcombeyc.org.uk/event/salcombe-gin-syc-regatta-2020

We hope this will encourage some of the many new Yawl owners to take part in our Regatta.