Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week - Day 5

Thursday is moving day at any championships, when the leading contenders either step up for the final challenge or fall by the wayside. The conditions for the morning race contrived to provide one of the most exciting races for spectators and one of the most frustrating for competitors.

The forecast was for the breeze to switch from the East to the West during the course of the race and the weather forecasters did not disappoint.

Green v Black flights Course 3,5,1,3,1,3

Starting in a light Northeasterly and slack low tide, Olly Turner and Holly Scott, together with Si Blake and Pippa Taylor nailed the town side beach (literally) and with the grinding of polished centreboards on rock tacked onto port and away in lifting pressure to lead around Crossways. Jon Turner and Richard Parslow, buoyed by their first race win in 24 years, were well up in the hunt. The fleet then made their way to Saltstone in a painful drying breeze.

Almost an hour after the start a leading group of six re-emerged in the harbour, running line abreast in the remains of the gradient Northerly. The group contained previous race winners Jon and Richard, Olly and Holly, Taxi and Alex, The 'Chrises', Si and Pippa plus Dave and Oli Winder enjoying their best race of the week.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 5 (morning race) - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

As this group ran up to Blackstone, the front edge of the sea breeze was coming down to meet them. Timing was perfect for them to drop kites, tack around the mark and then re-hoist to run back up the harbour. With all six boats riding the front edge of the sea breeze as it moved inland, they extended a huge lead over the next boat and were still inseparable when rounding Crossways in an overlapped bunch.

The final beat to the line, with the added complexity of being in the middle of the main fleet who were just breaking clear of the doldrums, was another nail-biter and as the boats converged on the line in a flurry of tacks, pressure changes and big shifts, it was impossible to call.

With five boats fighting to finish at the race box end, Chrises Gould and Kilsby got their own left hander with pressure over on the Portlemouth shore to come flying back into the action. Taxi and Alex were put about by a starboard lapped boat and looked like their chance had gone but sailed into heading pressure to come back at speed towards the line.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 5 (morning race) - first four boats finishing very close - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

On shore it was anyone's guess who had won, but the results show that Taxi and Alex took the cannon by the tightest of margins from Dave and Oli, Jon and Richard, Si and Pippa, The Chrises and Olly and Holly.

Blue v Red flights Course 1,7,4,2,3

For the afternoon race, the sea breeze was filling the estuary but was still quite fickle. It also had a lot of southerly in it which, together with the black flag and a flood tide pushing the fleet away from the line, meant that the pin end of the line on the Portlemouth shore was the only place to be, attracting a lot of punters. Jon Gorringe parked the Ford Capri above the line with 20 seconds to go luring Simon Potts and Christian Birrell to join him on the naughty board.

Mike and Jane Calvert timed their approach to the port end park-up perfectly to flick on to port and lead the fleet away, chased by Tim Saxton and Jodie Green. These two led around Blackstone followed by Tim Fells and Fran Gifford.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 5 (afternoon race) - Caroline Croft and Beka Jones - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

On the long run to Gerston, Tim and Fran found better pressure on the right of the channel to close right up onto Mike and Jane and then split tacks to take the lead on the beat back through The Bag. Despite building a 200 meter lead by Yalton their exit from South Pool creek was messy and Mike and Jane were able to come through to retake the lead. The final loop from Mill Bay to Crossways had the leading two locked in a tight battle. Mike and Jane maintained a tight cover to come home for their first cannon and be the ninth race winner in ten races.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 5 (afternoon race) - Dave Philpott and Carloe Murcott - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

Tim and Fran were a close second to keep their title hopes alive. Tim and Jodie were a solid third for their best Salcombe result to date. Caroline Croft who has been out of action since crew Becca Jones had her head split open by a retracting pole, showed what we they have been missing with fourth. Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis took fifth and Ian Dobson and Rob Allen sixth.

Going into the final day, Taxi and Alex have a two point lead over Tim and Fran who will be first up in the morning race. Taxi and Alex will be taking on third placed Si Blake and Pippa Taylor and fourth placed Chrises Gould and Kilsby in the afternoon race with the top three still with a chance of winning the title.

Results after Day 5:

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 5 (afternoon race) - Harry Steward and Anna Rayson - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk