All aboard for seaborne adventure

Salcombe Yacht Club’s sailing coordinator of ten years, Jayne Morris, tells LYDIA PALESCHI about what makes the place so special for sailing

- LYDIA PALESCHI

Located in the Area of Outstanding National Beauty for South Devon, Salcombe has long been one of Britain’s favourite tourist destinations.

Sitting on the east side of the Kingsbridge Estuary, the entrance of which is guarded by towering outcrops of rock, the town’s elevated position gifts it with jaw-dropping panoramic views of the South West at its finest. The rolling countryside, carpeted with verdant vegetation, tumbles down to the water’s edge, it’s banks interspersed with a variety of soft sanded beaches and pretty coves.

Take a short trip up one of its creeks and you are greeted by oystercatchers flying low over the water, egrets in the trees and perhaps even the sighting of a seal; a magnificent experience nothing short of something out of a Daphne De Maurier novel.

Until around 100 years ago, Salcombe earned its living from the sea and today retains its links to the water as a well-known hub for sailing. In 2020, Salcombe Yacht Club celebrates its 125th anniversary.

Salcombe’s regattas

As we begin our conversation, self-confessed sailing addict Jayne Morris reminisces on her first sailing experience at a watersports girl guide weekend: “I felt the boat tilt and go forwards as the wind was caught in the sails. I thought it was the most exciting thing I had ever done and from there ignited a lifelong passion.”