Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Rocket Week at Salcombe Yacht Club - Day 2

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week day 2 © Margaret Mackley

Monday dawned cloudy with a F3 blowing down the harbour under a WSW gradient.

Red v Blue flights. Course 1,4,1,6,5,7

The fleet lined up for the start with an hour of flood tide remaining, holding everyone back from the line so that we all got clean away. While a lot of boats went for the Portlemouth end of the line, Tim Fells and Oli Wells started by the race box and played the town side to come out with a clear lead at Blackstone ahead of Steve Crook and Sally Townend

On the long run to Yalton, Ian and Ellie Sharps came flying through to take the lead with a pack of five boats on their tail. On the return long beat back to Blackstone, with the top six trading places all the way, Si Blake and Pippa Taylor worked the shifts expertly to take the lead from Tim and Oli, who again made a strong recovery playing the town side.

The next long offwind to Frogmore again saw Ian and Ellie move up to second, but Si and Pippa were extending all the time. They came home comfortably in the lead with Taxi and Alex Warren getting the better of Ian and Ellie through The Bag. Tim and Oli took fourth ahead of Chris Jennings and Pete Horn who got the better of Steve and Sally. Race one winners William Warren and Mark Oakey took seventh.

Green v Black flights. Course 1,3,1,7,1,3,2,3

With the ebb tide underneath them, the fleet was pushing the line with two boats caught OCS. Olly Turner and Sam Mottershead were flying in the lead but were pulled out on the board of doom as they rounded Blackstone for the second time, leaving Simon Potts and Ali Martin in a strong lead.

Behind them there was a fantastic battle for the minor places featuring Caroline Croft and Beka Jones, Chris Gould and Chris Kilsby, Roger and Jane Gilbert, and Will and Mary Henderson. Places continued to change on every small shift and gust as the sun came out and the wind settled in the South West at 10-15 knots to give perfect sailing conditions.

After the truncated race on Sunday PM, PRO David Greening felt he should let the race run its full course in such benign conditions.

Simon and Ali did not put a foot wrong, even when the chasing pack switched to the town side on the run and looked to be making gains. They remained fast and assured to come home ahead of the Chrises, with Will and Mary taking the final podium position. Roger and Jane battled to fourth ahead of the fast charging Jon Gorringe and Ben George, who jumped up the fleet to take fifth on the last beat. Steve Hall and Charlie Roome were also climbing to take sixth.

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week day 2 - photo © Margaret Mackley

Overall Taxi and Alex share the lead with Simon and Ali, both with a 1,2. Chris Gould and Chris Kilsby are a point back with a pair of second places.

Results after day 2:

Sharps Doom Bar Merlin Week day 2 - photo © Tim Fells