Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe Yacht Club

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe Yacht Club - Day 5

by Tim Fells 9 Jul 2015 18:45 BST 5-10 July 2015

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 5 © Malcolm Mackley

Thursday at Salcombe Merlin week was moving day. With at least ten boats still in with a shout for the title it was a day for aggressive tactics from the challengers and conservatism for the leaders.

Green v Black flights Course 1,3,1,3,2,3

The morning NW gradient was dying fast and a SW sea breeze making an appearance but only within the town section of the harbour. With the tide still in flood it was a day for hitting the banks, but which one?

The smart money was on the Portlemouth shore where a lot of the leading contenders started. Unfortunately for Dave Winder, Chris Jennings and Roger Gilbert they were a little too eager and paid the penalty of an OCS. For Dave this ended his quest for a fifth title and we can expect him in the bar early to wash away the pain.

Simon Potts and Ally Martin won the battle of the east side but were beaten to the mark by the town side pioneers. Mark Waterhouse and Matt Currell led round and were followed by 79.5 year old, Alan 'Balls of Steel' Warren with Bill Carroll. Also featuring in the leading pack were Alex Jones and Jack Deung, along with John Cooper and Chris Downham.

Mark and Matt defended expertly for most of the race but were unable to keep Simon and Ally back who took their second bullet of the week. Alan and Bill, showing that once you've got it, you never lose it, came home third with Duncan and Harriet Salmon racing up through the fleet into fourth.

Of the other title contenders, Olly Turner and Hamish Kilburn came home sixth while John Gorringe and Nikki Bass were a disappointing 17th which is a counter for them.

Blue v Red flights Course 1(s), N, O, 6, 7, 2,3

The afternoon race was likely to be pivotal for the overall standings with the top three boats out on the track. The wind had settled into a F2-3 SW sea breeze giving beautiful Salcombe conditions.

The fleet got away cleanly and enjoyed a rapid beat to Blackstone with the tide underneath them. Tim and Oli again showed mastery of the first beat to round in the lead but missed out on a big right hander on the leg to N that brought Ian and Ellie Sharps with Chris Gould and Caroline Croft through in the lead. This pair then enjoyed their own personal gust to break clear ahead and take up a match race on their own for the rest of the race.

Leading the chasing pack, Richard Whitworth and Sam Mottershead pulled through to third on the long run through the town with Matt Biggs and John Hackett snapping at their heels. By Frogmore Tim and Oli had reclaimed third but then fell back through the Bag to see their title challenge end.

At the line Chris and Caroline won their match race to take out their first Salcombe race win. Ian and Ellie who are still finding out where the marks are and asking for directions, came home second. In a key result for the overall title Richard and Sam took third ahead of Matt and John.

Further back, Taxi and Alex who had started the week on fire came home in eighth which was a counter and now are unable to take the title.

So with two flight races to go the title will be decided between Richard and Sam who are on eight points and Matt and John who are on ten. Richard and Sam will have first shot at the title in the morning race. A South-Easter is forecast which is notoriously one of the worst directions at Salcombe so it could be a nail-biter of a finish to the week.

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week at Salcombe day 5 - photo © Malcolm Mackley

Results after day 5:

Posn	No.	Helm/Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	Pts
1	3703	Richard Whitworth/Sam Mottershead	[5]		1			3		1		3	8
2	3743	Matt Biggs/John Hackett		2	[7]		1		3			4	10
3	3753	Simon Potts/Ally Martin		9		1		[61]	2		1		13
4	3684	Andy Davis/Alex Warren	1		2			2		[8]		8	13
5	3656	Olly Turner/Hamish Kilburn	4			2	4			[7]	6		16
6	3764	Tim Fells/Oli Wells		1	9		[61]		1			6	17
7	3759	Sam Pascoe/Megan Pascoe	3			6	2			6	[9]		17
8	3733	Tom Stewart/Phil Dalby	10		3			4		3		[10]	20
9	3658	Chris Jennings/Pete Horn		5		12		1	4		[61]		22
10	3611	Jen Dodds/Chris Dodds	6		10			8		2		[14]	26
11	3691	Mike Calvert/Ian Garwood		4		4		[13]	11		7		26
12	3754	Jon Gorringe/Nikki Bass	2			5	3			[18]	17		27
13	3774	Jon Turner/Richard Parslow		6	5		7		[17]			9	27
14	3707	Alex Jackson/Fran Gifford	12		6			6		4		[16]	28
15	3712	Ian Sharps/Ellie Sharps		[61]	13		5		9			2	29
16	3685	Sophie Mackley/James Warren	8		8			9		5		[11]	30
17	3710	Jon Ibbotson/Chris Kilsby		8		11		7	6		[20]		32
18	3770	David Hayes/Jonny Ratcliffe		3	17		10		[61]			5	35
19	3679	Nick Heginbotham/Becky Jones		11		7		12	8		[21]		38
20	3752	Will Rainey/Andy Douglas	7		12			11		11		[61]	41
21	3702	Duncan Salmon/Harriet Salmon	15			[22]	11			15	4		45
22	3715	Paul Rayson/Julie Rayson	[20]			9	9			10	18		46
23	3645	Steve Hall/Ally Hall		7		10		16	14		[23]		47
24	3564	Rob Kennaugh/Abi Spurr		10	15		13		[15]			13	51
25	3766	Andy Dalby/Andrea Downham	14			8	[16]			16	15		53
26	3539	Dan Alsop/Jennie King	13		14			[61]		21		7	55
27	3678	Steve Crook/Jo Marlow		14		20		[61]	13		11		58
28	3725	AJ Squire/Mary Henderson	9		[61]			14		19		19	61
29	3727	Mark Stockbridge/Peter Ballantine	17			[24]	12			20	12		61
30	3690	Tim Harridge/Lucy Burn	11			[26]	8			22	22		63
31	3675	Mike Fenwick/Penny Fenwick		17	11		[22]		18			18	64
32	3641	Mark Waterhouse/Matt Currell		20		18		[61]	26		2		66
33	3666	Jon Meadowcroft/Katy Meadowcroft	16			[28]	18			17	19		70
34	3735	Dave Winder/Pippa Taylor		[61]		3		5	5		61		74
35	3719	Jeremy Deacon/Jack Barratt	19		[34]			15		14		26	74
36	3627	Alex Jones/Jack Deung		24		30		[61]	16		5		75
37	3165	Dave Croft/Abigail Croft		[29]		23		18	24		10		75
38	3744	Chris Martin/Jo Tosh	18		21			[61]		9		29	77
39	3673	Chris Gould/Caroline Croft		[61]	4		61		12			1	78
40	3769	Graham Cranford‑smith/Fiona Cranford‑smith		19	24		15		[39]			20	78
41	3583	Colin Anderson/Ben Eaves	27		18			10		28		[30]	83
42	3688	Ben Hollis/Sean Anderson		[61]	19		14		27			23	83
43	3726	Liam Dempsey/Philippa Daniels		22	[27]		20		22			21	85
44	3718	Mark Elkington/Dan Bridger	[33]			15	23			24	26		88
45	3751	Tony Johnson/Louise Johnson		15	32		[34]		20			22	89
46	3652	John Bell/Olivia Bell	26		36			[61]		13		15	90
47	3339	Tim Male/Rebecca Male	25			21	[61]			32	14		92
48	3615	Stuart Bates/Andrew Milton		16	20		28		[32]			28	92
49	3730	Paul Hollis/Liese Scott		23	26		19		[29]			24	92
50	3722	Roger Gilbert/Jane Gilbert	[61]			14	6			12	61		93
51	3709	Tom Lonsdale/Alice Markham		18		17		[61]	21		37		93
52	3657	Anthony Lofts/Sophie Penwarden	22			25	25			23	[30]		95
53	3773	Alan Warren/Bill Carroll		[61]		13		61	19		3		96
54	3716	Steve Leney/Gill Leney		[61]	16		61		10			12	99
55	3687	Matt Greenfield/Hannah Greenfield		61		19		[61]	7		13		100
56	3665	Ross Jackson/Mark Oakey		[61]		36		17	23		25		101
57	3705	Geoff Wright/Carole Murcott		21	25		24		[35]			32	102
58	3731	Andy Jones/Jilly Blake		12	33		26		[38]			33	104
59	3575	Richard Cooke/Charlotte Cotter		26	22		29		[33]			31	108
60	3643	Rien Zilvold	24			29	27			29	[43]		109
61	3578	Godfrey Clarke/Andy Currell	28			[49]	17			36	31		112
62	3771	Laurie Smart/Richard Pausey		31	29		[38]		34			25	119
63	3647	Hywel Bowen Perkins/Lucy Penwarden		28	28		40		[41]			27	123
64	3671	Piers Lambert/Andy Bines	23		23			61		[61]		17	124
65	3672	John Cooper/Hilary Bradshaw	31			[61]	61			25	8		125
66	3768	Rob Cage/Hatty Cage		[61]	30		30		25			40	125
67	3714	Alan Markham/Sue Markham		25		38		[61]	37		27		127
68	3651	Colin Brockbank/Martin Hughes		[61]		16		61	28		24		129
69	3676	Charles Anderson/Annie Ridley	32			[40]	35			30	33		130
70	3683	Ben Jones/Helen Hilditch		27		45		[61]	30		29		131
71	3772	Phil Emery/Karen Emery	[61]			35	21			61	16		133
72	3663	Chris Haworth/Joanne Haworth		34		27		[61]	36		36		133
73	3650	Paul Englemann/Adam Wickenden	41			[41]	31			27	35		134
74	3598	Rob Smith/Andrew Smith		33	35		33		[40]			34	135
75	3565	Paul Keeling/Michelle Keeling	21			[61]	61			26	28		136
76	3682	Jon Steward/Harry Steward	29			44	32			33	[61]		138
77	3544	David Downs/Barry Mourant		32		43		20	44		[48]		139
78	3755	Peter Jackson/John Pammaton	[45]			37	36			35	34		142
79	3704	Jemma Hughes/Russell Hall	35		31			[61]		38		39	143
80	3706	Kevin Anderson/Sadie Anderson		38	39		37		[61]			35	149
81	3594	Robin Clifton Dey/Michael Clifton Dey	36			32	42			41	[44]		151
82	3547	Peter Male/Christine Male	37		51			21		[61]		44	153
83	3511	Andrew Mills/Lora Stock		36		31		[61]	49		38		154
84	3600	Stuart Jenkins/Imogen Jenkins		[61]	41		39		42			43	165
85	3740	Patrick Blake/Anna Blake		13		33		61	61		[61]		168
86	3648	Antonia Wright/Jamie Wright	39		[61]			61		31		37	168
87	3674	Mike Anslow/George Crabtree	34			34	[61]			61	40		169
88	3606	John Adams/Joe Woods		35		42		[61]	45		47		169
89	3561	Keiron O Farrell/Fionn O Farrell		30		47		[61]	61		32		170
90	3762	Malcolm Hyams/Dan Barrett		[61]	38		43		46			45	172
91	3697	Richard Page/Lizzy Dalby	40		37			[61]		61		36	174
92	3599	Ken Duffell/Brian Corking	42			[48]	45			46	42		175
93	3734	Phil Ashworth/Ali Ashworth	38		46			[61]		42		50	176
94	3497	Jan Holland/Alex Homer	61		49			19		[61]		49	178
95	3692	Steve Mitchell/Julie Nuttall		61		46		[61]	31		41		179
96	3589	John Hollands/Ellen Cooper		39	53		[61]		47			42	181
97	3625	Richard Bramley/Tony Cheal		37	47		44		[61]			54	182
98	3602	Anthony Rickaby/Marion Read	30		48			61		[61]		47	186
99	3567	Martin Smith/Karen Beston	61		45			[61]		34		46	186
100	3586	Kieron Mason/George Mason	46		52			[61]		37		51	186
101	3555	Ian Mackenzie/Luke Tucker	44		50			[61]		40		52	186
102	3636	Mike Jennings/Hannah Jennings	61			[61]	41			39	46		187
103	3371	Paul Dean/Nicki Della Porta	43		40			[61]		61		48	192
104	3414	Ian Laing/Andrew Hunt		40	54		46		[61]			56	196
105	3479	Rupert Fletcher/Paul Samieson	48			51	48			[61]	49		196
106	3456	Martin Evans/Chris Evans		61		50		[61]	43		45		199
107	3767	Ben Archer/Olivia Bellini		[61]		39		61	61		39		200
108	3485	Dennis Fisher	61		42			[61]		61		38	202
109	3543	Kim Magness/Etienne Magness	47			53	50			[61]	52		202
110	2805	Stephen Kemmer/Nicki Erskine Tulloch		[61]	55		47		48			53	203
111	3530	Mike Colles/Amanda Lake	61		43			[61]		43		57	204
112	2604	Jeremy Stein/Sarah Percival	61			52	[61]			44	50		207
113	3569	Nigel Cooper/Lucy Cooper	49			61	49			[61]	51		210
114	3482	Henry Mason	61		[61]			61		45		55	222
115	3291	Dave Philpott/Jenny Philpot		61	[61]		61		61			41	224
116	3680	Steve Watson/Matt Percival Stein	61		44			[61]		61		61	227
117	3717	John Green/Joe Shaw		[61]		61		61	61		53		236
118	1692	Patrick Rayner/Claire Grant	61		61			61		[61]		61	244
119	3621	Tristam Squire/Shelia Squire		[61]		61		61	61		61		244
120	3581	Brendan O Connell/Janet O Connell		[61]		61		61	61		61		244