Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe Yacht Club

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe Yacht Club - Day 4

by Tim Fells 8 Jul 2015 20:42 BST 5-10 July 2015

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 4 © Malcolm Mackley

Following the excitement of Tuesday, the Merlin fleet woke to a stiff breeze from the WSW, forecast to veer to the NW.

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

Starting an hour before high water, the decision was whether to play the town or Portlemouth shore. Initially, the Portlemouth shore paid with Dave Winder and Pippa Taylor back to their best, escaping from the crowds to take the lead up past Mill Bay. However, they started to run out of breeze and were shocked to see Tim Fells and Oli Wells, who had played the town side, reaching in above them on new pressure to round Blackstone with a clear lead.

From this point Tim and Oli extended to build a large lead, successfully negotiating the very tricky loop around Mill Bay mark which caused many challenges in the chasing pack. Simon Potts and Ali Martin broke free to take a comfortable second ahead of Matt Biggs and John Hackett who are building a strong series. Chris Jennings and Peter Horn followed up their race win with a fourth.

Green v Red flights Course Y,3,5,7,3,7,2

Although the breeze was still blowing a good F4 in the rest of the harbour, the start line was a dead zone with occasional zephyrs and the odd vertical down draught making it a complete minefield. Added to this was a strong ebb tide and the obligatory black flag making it almost impossible to hold a position near the line. This race was going to be all about the start.

Smartest tack in the box was Sophie Mackley who got her towel on the sunbed early, standing in the water with her crew James Warren holding their boat a metre behind the line. On the gun they stepped in the boat and were able to sneak away towards the good breeze at the ferry landing.

Also judging the start with precision were Alex Jackson and Fran Gifford and also Richard Whitworth and Sam Mottershead who managed to keep station close to the line and get away at the gun. Most of the rest of the fleet were sitting in no wind and drifting backwards on the tide out to sea.

Once free of the clutches of the dead zone, proper battle commenced and those leading teams who had got trapped, started to claw their way back towards the front. On the final loop round the Mill Bay mark Tom Stewart and Phil Dalby had taken the lead but were cruelly treated by the mysteries of the wind. Richard and Sam brought a gust up from behind and were able to round first and hold their lead to the finish.

Making a last minute dash for stardom, Jen and Chris Dodds came from fourth to take second, pushing Tom and Phil into third. Alex and Fran held on well for fourth with early leaders Sophie and James in fifth.

Of the front runners, Taxi and Alex pulled through from well back to take eighth. Overall, these results have closed the fight for the title up with one point covering the top three and then one point covering the next six boats. With a forecast of less breeze from less than favourable directions, there is a long way to go in this very competitive week.

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 4 - photo © Malcolm Mackley

Results after day 4:

Posn	No.	Helm/Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	3703	Richard Whitworth/Sam Mottershead	[5]		1			3		1	5
2	3684	Andy Davis/Alex Warren	1		2			2		[8]	5
3	3743	Matt Biggs/John Hackett		2	[7]		1		3		6
4	3658	Chris Jennings/Pete Horn		5		[12]		1	4		10
5	3754	Jon Gorringe/Nikki Bass	2			5	3			[18]	10
6	3656	Olly Turner/Hamish Kilburn	4			2	4			[7]	10
7	3733	Tom Stewart/Phil Dalby	[10]		3			4		3	10
8	3764	Tim Fells/Oli Wells		1	9		[61]		1		11
9	3759	Sam Pascoe/Megan Pascoe	3			[6]	2			6	11
10	3753	Simon Potts/Ally Martin		9		1		[61]	2		12
11	3735	Dave Winder/Pippa Taylor		[61]		3		5	5		13
12	3611	Jen Dodds/Chris Dodds	6		[10]			8		2	16
13	3707	Alex Jackson/Fran Gifford	[12]		6			6		4	16
14	3774	Jon Turner/Richard Parslow		6	5		7		[17]		18
15	3691	Mike Calvert/Ian Garwood		4		4		[13]	11		19
16	3685	Sophie Mackley/James Warren	8		8			[9]		5	21
17	3710	Jon Ibbotson/Chris Kilsby		8		[11]		7	6		21
18	3679	Nick Heginbotham/Becky Jones		11		7		[12]	8		26
19	3712	Ian Sharps/Ellie Sharps		[61]	13		5		9		27
20	3715	Paul Rayson/Julie Rayson	[20]			9	9			10	28
21	3752	Will Rainey/Andy Douglas	7		[12]			11		11	29
22	3770	David Hayes/Jonny Ratcliffe		3	17		10		[61]		30
23	3645	Steve Hall/Ally Hall		7		10		[16]	14		31
24	3722	Roger Gilbert/Jane Gilbert	[61]			14	6			12	32
25	3766	Andy Dalby/Andrea Downham	14			8	[16]			16	38
26	3564	Rob Kennaugh/Abi Spurr		10	15		13		[15]		38
27	3690	Tim Harridge/Lucy Burn	11			[26]	8			22	41
28	3702	Duncan Salmon/Harriet Salmon	15			[22]	11			15	41
29	3725	AJ Squire/Mary Henderson	9		[61]			14		19	42
30	3675	Mike Fenwick/Penny Fenwick		17	11		[22]		18		46
31	3678	Steve Crook/Jo Marlow		14		20		[61]	13		47
32	3744	Chris Martin/Jo Tosh	18		21			[61]		9	48
33	3539	Dan Alsop/Jennie King	13		14			[61]		21	48
34	3719	Jeremy Deacon/Jack Barratt	19		[34]			15		14	48
35	3727	Mark Stockbridge/Peter Ballantine	17			[24]	12			20	49
36	3666	Jon Meadowcroft/Katy Meadowcroft	16			[28]	18			17	51
37	3583	Colin Anderson/Ben Eaves	27		18			10		[28]	55
38	3709	Tom Lonsdale/Alice Markham		18		17		[61]	21		56
39	3769	Graham Cranford‑smith/Fiona Cranford‑smith		19	24		15		[39]		58
40	3688	Ben Hollis/Sean Anderson		[61]	19		14		27		60
41	3718	Mark Elkington/Dan Bridger	[33]			15	23			24	62
42	3615	Stuart Bates/Andrew Milton		16	20		28		[32]		64
43	3641	Mark Waterhouse/Matt Currell		20		18		[61]	26		64
44	3726	Liam Dempsey/Philippa Daniels		22	[27]		20		22		64
45	3165	Dave Croft/Abigail Croft		[29]		23		18	24		65
46	3751	Tony Johnson/Louise Johnson		15	32		[34]		20		67
47	3730	Paul Hollis/Liese Scott		23	26		19		[29]		68
48	3627	Alex Jones/Jack Deung		24		30		[61]	16		70
49	3705	Geoff Wright/Carole Murcott		21	25		24		[35]		70
50	3657	Anthony Lofts/Sophie Penwarden	22			[25]	25			23	70
51	3731	Andy Jones/Jilly Blake		12	33		26		[38]		71
52	3652	John Bell/Olivia Bell	26		36			[61]		13	75
53	3665	Ross Jackson/Mark Oakey		[61]		36		17	23		76
54	3673	Chris Gould/Caroline Croft		61	4		[61]		12		77
55	3575	Richard Cooke/Charlotte Cotter		26	22		29		[33]		77
56	3339	Tim Male/Rebecca Male	25			21	[61]			32	78
57	3643	Rien Zilvold	24			[29]	27			29	80
58	3578	Godfrey Clarke/Andy Currell	28			[49]	17			36	81
59	3768	Rob Cage/Hatty Cage		[61]	30		30		25		85
60	3687	Matt Greenfield/Hannah Greenfield		[61]		19		61	7		87
61	3716	Steve Leney/Gill Leney		61	16		[61]		10		87
62	3773	Alan Warren/Bill Carroll		[61]		13		61	19		93
63	3771	Laurie Smart/Richard Pausey		31	29		[38]		34		94
64	3682	Jon Steward/Harry Steward	29			[44]	32			33	94
65	3544	David Downs/Barry Mourant		32		43		20	[44]		95
66	3647	Hywel Bowen Perkins/Lucy Penwarden		28	28		40		[41]		96
67	3663	Chris Haworth/Joanne Haworth		34		27		[61]	36		97
68	3676	Charles Anderson/Annie Ridley	32			[40]	35			30	97
69	3650	Paul Englemann/Adam Wickenden	41			[41]	31			27	99
70	3714	Alan Markham/Sue Markham		25		38		[61]	37		100
71	3598	Rob Smith/Andrew Smith		33	35		33		[40]		101
72	3683	Ben Jones/Helen Hilditch		27		45		[61]	30		102
73	3704	Jemma Hughes/Russell Hall	35		31			[61]		38	104
74	3651	Colin Brockbank/Martin Hughes		[61]		16		61	28		105
75	3740	Patrick Blake/Anna Blake		13		33		61	[61]		107
76	3671	Piers Lambert/Andy Bines	23		23			61		[61]	107
77	3565	Paul Keeling/Michelle Keeling	21			[61]	61			26	108
78	3755	Peter Jackson/John Pammaton	[45]			37	36			35	108
79	3547	Peter Male/Christine Male	37		51			21		[61]	109
80	3594	Robin Clifton Dey/Michael Clifton Dey	36			32	[42]			41	109
81	3706	Kevin Anderson/Sadie Anderson		38	39		37		[61]		114
82	3511	Andrew Mills/Lora Stock		36		31		[61]	49		116
83	3772	Phil Emery/Karen Emery	[61]			35	21			61	117
84	3672	John Cooper/Hilary Bradshaw	31			[61]	61			25	117
85	3606	John Adams/Joe Woods		35		42		[61]	45		122
86	3600	Stuart Jenkins/Imogen Jenkins		[61]	41		39		42		122
87	3734	Phil Ashworth/Ali Ashworth	38		46			[61]		42	126
88	3762	Malcolm Hyams/Dan Barrett		[61]	38		43		46		127
89	3625	Richard Bramley/Tony Cheal		37	47		44		[61]		128
90	3497	Jan Holland/Alex Homer	[61]		49			19		61	129
91	3674	Mike Anslow/George Crabtree	34			34	[61]			61	129
92	3648	Antonia Wright/Jamie Wright	39		61			[61]		31	131
93	3599	Ken Duffell/Brian Corking	42			[48]	45			46	133
94	3555	Ian Mackenzie/Luke Tucker	44		50			[61]		40	134
95	3586	Kieron Mason/George Mason	46		52			[61]		37	135
96	3561	Keiron O Farrell/Fionn O Farrell		30		47		61	[61]		138
97	3692	Steve Mitchell/Julie Nuttall		[61]		46		61	31		138
98	3697	Richard Page/Lizzy Dalby	40		37			61		[61]	138
99	3602	Anthony Rickaby/Marion Read	30		48			61		[61]	139
100	3589	John Hollands/Ellen Cooper		39	53		[61]		47		139
101	3567	Martin Smith/Karen Beston	[61]		45			61		34	140
102	3414	Ian Laing/Andrew Hunt		40	54		46		[61]		140
103	3636	Mike Jennings/Hannah Jennings	61			[61]	41			39	141
104	3371	Paul Dean/Nicki Della Porta	43		40			61		[61]	144
105	3530	Mike Colles/Amanda Lake	[61]		43			61		43	147
106	3479	Rupert Fletcher/Paul Samieson	48			51	48			[61]	147
107	2805	Stephen Kemmer/Nicki Erskine Tulloch		[61]	55		47		48		150
108	3543	Kim Magness/Etienne Magness	47			53	50			[61]	150
109	3456	Martin Evans/Chris Evans		[61]		50		61	43		154
110	2604	Jeremy Stein/Sarah Percival	61			52	[61]			44	157
111	3569	Nigel Cooper/Lucy Cooper	49			[61]	49			61	159
112	3767	Ben Archer/Olivia Bellini		[61]		39		61	61		161
113	3485	Dennis Fisher	61		42			61		[61]	164
114	3680	Steve Watson/Matt Percival Stein	61		44			61		[61]	166
115	3482	Henry Mason	61		61			[61]		45	167
116	1692	Patrick Rayner/Claire Grant	61		61			61		[61]	183
117	3717	John Green/Joe Shaw		[61]		61		61	61		183
118	3581	Brendan O Connell/Janet O Connell		[61]		61		61	61		183
119	3621	Tristam Squire/Shelia Squire		[61]		61		61	61		183
120	3291	Dave Philpott/Jenny Philpot		[61]	61		61		61		183