Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe Yacht Club

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe Yacht Club - Day 3

by Tim Fells 7 Jul 2015 21:19 BST 5-10 July 2015

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 3 © Louise Johnson

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 3 © Malcolm Mackley

The forecast for Tuesday was for a moderate Southwesterly building as the day progressed. There was a big swell rolling into the estuary and breaking surf on Mill Bay.

Blue v Green flights Course 1,4,2,6,5,7

With a slack tide the fleet lined up early and although the start was not recalled, there were a number of boats over. Tim Fells and Oli Wells sailed another excellent first beat to lead at Blackstone and extend a 200m lead as they ran through the town only to see their number on the board of death.

Olly Turner and Hamish Kilburn rounded second but then dismounted on a gybe, but recovered amazingly to be challenging in the leading bunch at Yalton. Paul and Julie Rayson were showing their knowledge of the estuary to take the lead with Matt Biggs and John Hackett battling with Dave Hayes and Jonny Ratcliffe.

By the time the leaders headed into The Bag, Matt and John had taken the lead and defended to the line with Sam and Megan Pascoe coming through to second and Jon Gorringe and Nikki bass staging a strong recovery to take third ahead of Olly and Hamish.

Red v Black flights Course 1,3,1,7,1,5

Conditions for the afternoon race were exactly what the spectators were after; a F5-6 SW and not a lot of water. Conditions down through the start/finish line were particularly tough with very strong gusts raking the course. A lot of the fleet seemed reluctant to leave the beach and quite a few failed to make it down to the start line before the one minute black flag limit. A key casualty was Monday's race winner Simon Potts who had 'fallen asleep' with crew Ally Martin on the beach and was 5 seconds late to the line.

The fleet got away cleanly and after a full on beat it was Tom Stewart and Phil Dalby who rounded Blackstone first only to ditch it on the bear away gybe. Taxi and Alex Warren rounded second and took the lead from Richard Whitworth and Sam Mottershead on the run back through the town.

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 3 - photo © Louise Johnson

The transit past the ferry was spectacular with multiple capsizes, some extraordinary saves and some demolished kit. Alan Warren lost his mast just off the club and in a scene from the Merlin archives was rescued by Spud Rowsell, who no doubt claimed salvage rights!

Alan Warren & Bill Carroll lose their mast on day 3 at Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe - photo © Ellie Sharps

Taxi and Alex were looking totally in control but were caught by Chris Jennings and Pete Horn who blasted the second run and then benefited from their own gust to take the lead in the The Bag. Despite the challenging conditions, positions remained the same to the line with Chris and Pete becoming the sixth race winner in six races. Richard and Sam chased Taxi and Alex home in third. Tom and Phil recovered well from their early spill to take fourth ahead of Dave Winder and Pippa Taylor.

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 3 - photo © Louise Johnson

Only 21 boats completed the course, four masts and a number of rudders were lost and one boat ended up on the rocks. Quite a race!

Results after Day 3:

Pos	Sail No	Helm/Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	3684	Andy Davis/Alex Warren	1		2			2	5
2	3703	Richard Whitworth/Sam Mottershead	5		1			3	9
3	3743	Matt Biggs/John Hackett		2	7		1		10
4	3754	Jon Gorringe/Nikki Bass	2			5	3		10
5	3656	Olly Turner/Hamish Kilburn	4			2	4		10
6	3759	Sam Pascoe/Megan Pascoe	3			6	2		11
7	3733	Tom Stewart/Phil Dalby	10		3			4	17
8	3658	Chris Jennings/Pete Horn		5		12		1	18
9	3774	Jon Turner/Richard Parslow		6	5		7		18
10	3691	Mike Calvert/Ian Garwood		4		4		13	21
11	3707	Alex Jackson/Fran Gifford	12		6			6	24
12	3611	Jen Dodds/Chris Dodds	6		10			8	24
13	3685	Sophie Mackley/James Warren	8		8			9	25
14	3710	Jon Ibbotson/Chris Kilsby		8		11		7	26
15	3770	David Hayes/Jonny Ratcliffe		3	17		10		30
16	3752	Will Rainey/Andy Douglas	7		12			11	30
17	3679	Nick Heginbotham/Becky Jones		11		7		12	30
18	3645	Steve Hall/Ally Hall		7		10		16	33
19	3766	Andy Dalby/Andrea Downham	14			8	16		38
20	3715	Paul Rayson/Julie Rayson	20			9	9		38
21	3564	Rob Kennaugh/Abi Spurr		10	15		13		38
22	3690	Tim Harridge/Lucy Burn	11			26	8		45
23	3702	Duncan Salmon/Harriet Salmon	15			22	11		48
24	3675	Mike Fenwick/Penny Fenwick		17	11		22		50
25	3727	Mark Stockbridge/Peter Ballantine	17			24	12		53
26	3583	Colin Anderson/Ben Eaves	27		18			10	55
27	3769	Graham Cranford‑smith/Fiona Cranford‑smith		19	24		15		58
28	3666	Jon Meadowcroft/Katy Meadowcroft	16			28	18		62
29	3615	Stuart Bates/Andrew Milton		16	20		28		64
30	3719	Jeremy Deacon/Jack Barratt	19		34			15	68
31	3730	Paul Hollis/Liese Scott		23	26		19		68
32	3735	Dave Winder/Pippa Taylor		61		3		5	69
33	3726	Liam Dempsey/Philippa Daniels		22	27		20		69
34	3165	Dave Croft/Abigail Croft		29		23		18	70
35	3705	Geoff Wright/Carole Murcott		21	25		24		70
36	3753	Simon Potts/Ally Martin		9		1		61	71
37	3764	Tim Fells/Oli Wells		1	9		61		71
38	3731	Andy Jones/Jilly Blake		12	33		26		71
39	3718	Mark Elkington/Dan Bridger	33			15	23		71
40	3657	Anthony Lofts/Sophie Penwarden	22			25	25		72
41	3575	Richard Cooke/Charlotte Cotter		26	22		29		77
42	3712	Ian Sharps/Ellie Sharps		61	13		5		79
43	3643	Rien Zilvold	24			29	27		80
44	3722	Roger Gilbert/Jane Gilbert	61			14	6		81
45	3751	Tony Johnson/Louise Johnson		15	32		34		81
46	3725	AJ Squire/Mary Henderson	9		61			14	84
47	3539	Dan Alsop/Jennie King	13		14			61	88
48	3688	Ben Hollis/Sean Anderson		61	19		14		94
49	3578	Godfrey Clarke/Andy Currell	28			49	17		94
50	3678	Steve Crook/Jo Marlow		14		20		61	95
51	3544	David Downs/Barry Mourant		32		43		20	95
52	3709	Tom Lonsdale/Alice Markham		18		17		61	96
53	3647	Hywel Bowen Perkins/Lucy Penwarden		28	28		40		96
54	3771	Laurie Smart/Richard Pausey		31	29		38		98
55	3641	Mark Waterhouse/Matt Currell		20		18		61	99
56	3744	Chris Martin/Jo Tosh	18		21			61	100
57	3598	Rob Smith/Andrew Smith		33	35		33		101
58	3682	Jon Steward/Harry Steward	29			44	32		105
59	3740	Patrick Blake/Anna Blake		13		33		61	107
60	3339	Tim Male/Rebecca Male	25			21	61		107
61	3671	Piers Lambert/Andy Bines	23		23			61	107
62	3676	Charles Anderson/Annie Ridley	32			40	35		107
63	3547	Peter Male/Christine Male	37		51			21	109
64	3594	Robin Clifton Dey/Michael Clifton Dey	36			32	42		110
65	3650	Paul Englemann/Adam Wickenden	41			41	31		113
66	3665	Ross Jackson/Mark Oakey		61		36		17	114
67	3706	Kevin Anderson/Sadie Anderson		38	39		37		114
68	3627	Alex Jones/Jack Deung		24		30		61	115
69	3772	Phil Emery/Karen Emery	61			35	21		117
70	3755	Peter Jackson/John Pammaton	45			37	36		118
71	3768	Rob Cage/Hatty Cage		61	30		30		121
72	3663	Chris Haworth/Joanne Haworth		34		27		61	122
73	3652	John Bell/Olivia Bell	26		36			61	123
74	3714	Alan Markham/Sue Markham		25		38		61	124
75	3673	Chris Gould/Caroline Croft		61	4		61		126
76	3704	Jemma Hughes/Russell Hall	35		31			61	127
77	3511	Andrew Mills/Lora Stock		36		31		61	128
78	3625	Richard Bramley/Tony Cheal		37	47		44		128
79	3497	Jan Holland/Alex Homer	61		49			19	129
80	3674	Mike Anslow/George Crabtree	34			34	61		129
81	3683	Ben Jones/Helen Hilditch		27		45		61	133
82	3773	Alan Warren/Bill Carroll		61		13		61	135
83	3599	Ken Duffell/Brian Corking	42			48	45		135
84	3651	Colin Brockbank/Martin Hughes		61		16		61	138
85	3716	Steve Leney/Gill Leney		61	16		61		138
86	3561	Keiron O Farrell/Fionn O Farrell		30		47		61	138
87	3606	John Adams/Joe Woods		35		42		61	138
88	3697	Richard Page/Lizzy Dalby	40		37			61	138
89	3602	Anthony Rickaby/Marion Read	30		48			61	139
90	3414	Ian Laing/Andrew Hunt		40	54		46		140
91	3687	Matt Greenfield/Hannah Greenfield		61		19		61	141
92	3600	Stuart Jenkins/Imogen Jenkins		61	41		39		141
93	3762	Malcolm Hyams/Dan Barrett		61	38		43		142
94	3565	Paul Keeling/Michelle Keeling	21			61	61		143
95	3371	Paul Dean/Nicki Della Porta	43		40			61	144
96	3734	Phil Ashworth/Ali Ashworth	38		46			61	145
97	3479	Rupert Fletcher/Paul Samieson	48			51	48		147
98	3543	Kim Magness/Etienne Magness	47			53	50		150
99	3672	John Cooper/Hilary Bradshaw	31			61	61		153
100	3589	John Hollands/Ellen Cooper		39	53		61		153
101	3555	Ian Mackenzie/Luke Tucker	44		50			61	155
102	3586	Kieron Mason/George Mason	46		52			61	159
103	3569	Nigel Cooper/Lucy Cooper	49			61	49		159
104	3767	Ben Archer/Olivia Bellini		61		39		61	161
105	3648	Antonia Wright/Jamie Wright	39		61			61	161
106	3636	Mike Jennings/Hannah Jennings	61			61	41		163
107	2805	Stephen Kemmer/Nicki Erskine Tulloch		61	55		47		163
108	3485	Dennis Fisher	61		42			61	164
109	3530	Mike Colles/Amanda Lake	61		43			61	165
110	3680	Steve Watson/Matt Percival Stein	61		44			61	166
111	3567	Martin Smith/Karen Beston	61		45			61	167
112	3692	Steve Mitchell/Julie Nuttall		61		46		61	168
113	3456	Martin Evans/Chris Evans		61		50		61	172
114	2604	Jeremy Stein/Sarah Percival	61			52	61		174
115	3581	Brendan O Connell/Janet O Connell		61		61		61	183
116	3717	John Green/Joe Shaw		61		61		61	183
117	3621	Tristam Squire/Shelia Squire		61		61		61	183
118	3482	Henry Mason	61		61			61	183
119	1692	Patrick Rayner/Claire Grant	61		61			61	183
120	3291	Dave Philpott/Jenny Philpot		61	61		61		183