Vintage Merlin Rocket Open at Fishers Green Sailing Club
by Godfrey Clark 12 May 2016 12:30 BST
7 May 2016
Vintage Merlins at Fishers Green © Bill Brockbank
Fishers Green SC held its annual Merlin open meeting on 7th May, counting for the De-May Vintage series. The event attracted visitors from Upper Thames, Banbury and Thamesis sailing clubs. With a forecast of a good easterly breeze building later, the fleet enjoyed a good long upwind leg towards the clubhouse, followed by two reaches to complete a simple triangular course.
The home boats would figure strongly with most of the competing boats being re-built from varying degrees of neglect.
Passion, having been rescued from the dinghy graveyard at Wembley, and now racing again, led the first race by an increasing margin sailed this year by Godfrey/Nick. With her original ally spars, dacron sails and short spinnaker pole kit, her De-May handicap was favourable in the stiffening breeze.
In contrast was the family team of Jon/Annabel Steward, sailing their extensively restored Proctor Mk9 which is showing how fast a 60 year old design can go with fully carbonised contemporary rig. She was first home in the second race after Passion had to take a penalty at the windward mark and could not quite catch up. However, the extent of her upgrades carried too great a time penalty to win on handicap.
The last race was the most blustery with Passion wiping out while hoisting her kite and others struggling in the gusts. Last year's winner, Hamlet, had a good race in the hands of Richard & Chris but the immaculately presented Proctor 12 design of Richard/Alex Pausey had done enough on her corrected times to earn the last of the prizes.
Overall Results: (top three)
1st 3314 Passion, Godfrey Clark/Nick Yannakoyorgos (Fishers Green SC)
2nd 1742 Nutshell, Jon/Annabel Steward (Fishers Green SC)
3rd 2040 Robin Hood, Richard Pausey/Alex Pausey (Upper Thames SC)