Aspire 72nd Merlin Rocket Championship at Pwllheli - Overall
by Chris Martin 18 Aug 2017 16:16 BST
12-18 August 2017
Dinghytec Friday of the Aspire Merlin Rocket national championships had been the subject of much debate for a number of days. The forecast had been moderating more and more and what looked like a short weather window to get a race in turned out to be eminently sailable though we were all glad to be a race up on schedule. Being a one race day we could have a longer race which many in the class still enjoy and provides variety.
A general recall after a large wind-shift and a pushier than they ha ve been fleet led to a general recall and restart under black flag. Port was absolutely the place to be as the breeze swung left shortly after the start. Tim Saxton and Jodie Green rounded first with Andy Davis and Alex Warren in hot pursuit.
The overall prize may have been decided but the Silver and Bronze fleet trophies were still vulnerable. Chris Martin and Oliver Maclean needed to do something special to wrest the prize from Mark Barwell and Louise Johnson. A 4th round the windward mark put them in a position to do just that with only the small matter of holding off an assortment of world, national and former Endeavour Champions! A swim at the last leeward put the final nail in their claim for the Silver title, but Chris and Oliver took the Silver prize for the day.
Bronze fleet was also up for grabs with a gear failure putting Back to the Future out of the race as of last night. Phil and Ali Ashworth were the closest challengers, but they to had a mountain to climb to take t he title from Ben Eaves and Sean Anderson – they didn't do enough and had to settle for 2nd.
Nick Craig and Alan Roberts won their protest last night to cement the overall win. Andy Davis and Alex Warren took the bullet in today's race to take second ahead of Chris Gould and Chris Kilsby who were in second overnight.
So, we have had a fantastic week at a fantastic facility put together and run by very professional people from the club, MROA and race management side.
A huge thank you to Ian and Angela Mackenzie who did the vast majority of the groundwork to run this week. Also a massive thank you to Peter Saxton and his team who have raised the bar considerably in terms of our race management expectations. Another big thank you to Neil Williams and his team at Plas Heli who truly could not have done more for us.
Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Merlin Rocket nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here
Pos | Boat Name | Sail No | Fleet | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts |
1st | Messy Monty | 3776 | Gold | Nick Craig | Alan Roberts | Frensham Pond | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -4 | -12 | 2 | 10 |
2nd | Keyser Soze | 3684 | Gold | Andy Davies | Alex Warren | Bartley | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -12 | 1 | 1 | (RET [39]) | 1 | 13 |
3rd | Peer Pressure | 3778 | Gold | Chris Gould | Chris Kilsby | Midland | -15 | -6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 22 |
4th | Mockingjay | 3777 | Gold | Simon Potts | Pippa Taylor | Burghfield | -10 | -9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 36 |
5th | Red Mistress | 3759 | Gold | Sam Pascoe | Megan Pascoe | Castle Cove | 2 | (ARB [18]) | 4 | 9 | 3 | 8 | -10 | 5 | 8 | 39 |
6th | Shiny | 3770 | Gold | David Hayes | Jonny Ratcliffe | Hayling Island | -14 | 5 | -11 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 40 |
7th | Bernard | 3658 | Gold | Chris Jennings | Pete Horn | Burghfield | -22 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 6 | -12 | 3 | 11 | 42 |
8th | Robert | 3756 | Gold | Will Warren | Mark Oakey | Shoreham | 9 | 11 | -14 | 7 | -13 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 46 |
9th | Wild At Heart | 3709 | Gold | Tom Gillard | Tom Lonsdale | Sheffield Viking | 8 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | -11 | 11 | 8 | (DNC [39]) | 51 |
10th | Bazinga | 3758 | Gold | Tim Saxton | Jodie Green | Grafham Water | 17 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 8 | (DNS [39]) | (DNS [39]) | 4 | 4 | 62 |
11th | Panther | 3774 | Gold | Jon Turner | Richard Parslow | Lyme Regis | 7 | 12 | -17 | -16 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 69 |
12th | | 3786 | Gold | Dave Wade | Rachel Rhodes / Keri Harris | Northampton | 12 | -17 | 12 | 10 | (DNF [39]) | 13 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 71 |
13th | Quick Fix | 3691 | Gold | Mike Calvert | Jane Calvert | Axe | 5 | -15 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | -25 | 15 | 12 | 72 |
14th | Oakey Dokey | 3712 | Gold | Ian Sharps | Ellie Sharps | Burghfield | 6 | 10 | -16 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 14 | (DNC [39]) | 13 | 75 |
15th | The Oldie | 3673 | Gold | Caroline Croft | Matt Lullham-Robinson | Bartley | 3 | 13 | 10 | -17 | 15 | 15 | -22 | 13 | 9 | 78 |
16th | The Force Awakens | 3781 | Gold | Dave Winder | Oliver Winder | Hollingworth | -20 | 14 | 18 | 12 | (DNF [39]) | 16 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 94 |
17th | Point N Squirt | 3746 | Gold | Dan Willett | Pete Nicholson | Brightlingsea | 21 | 16 | 13 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 13 | (DNC [39]) | (DNC [39]) | 112 |
18th | Strung Along | 3784 | Silver | Mark Barwell | Louise Johnson | Lymington Town | -29 | -18 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 112 |
19th | Quicksilver | 3787 | Silver | Chris Martin | Oliver Maclean | Midland | 11 | -22 | -23 | 22 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 119 |
20th | The Angels Share | 3779 | Silver | Dave Lee | Juliet Pealing | Starcross | 19 | -24 | 20 | -26 | 14 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 128 |
21st | Why Ask | 3740 | Silver | Patrick Blake | Jilly Blake | Cookham Reach | 16 | -21 | -22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 129 |
22nd | Pointer | 3790 | Silver | Colin Brockbank | Martin Hughes | Wembley | -30 | 23 | 19 | 18 | (DNC [39]) | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 134 |
23rd | Arbuckle | 3760 | Silver | Mark Reddington | Colin Staite | Bartley | 23 | -28 | -24 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 148 |
24th | Three Dee | 3765 | Silver | Richard Dee | Justin Healey | Midland | 28 | 20 | 25 | 21 | (DNC [39]) | 24 | 28 | 20 | (DNS [39]) | 166 |
25th | Back to the Future | 3583 | Bronze | Ben Eaves | Sean Anderson | Redditch | 26 | 25 | 26 | 24 | (DNS [39]) | 22 | 21 | 22 | (DNC [39]) | 166 |
26th | Flaming Fast | 3339 | Silver | Tim Male | Rebecca Male | Blithfield | 18 | 26 | 27 | (BFD [39]) | (DNC [39]) | 26 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 167 |
27th | The Black Boat | 3734 | Bronze | Phil Ashworth | Alison Ashworth | Weymouth | 25 | -29 | -30 | 25 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 177 |
28th | Dark N Stormy | 3619 | Bronze | Guy Browne | Andy Hunter | Trent Valley | 33 | -34 | -35 | 28 | 21 | 30 | 31 | 25 | 25 | 193 |
29th | Duck and Dive | 3713 | Bronze | Steve Harling | Eleanor Thomas | Starcross | 24 | 30 | -31 | 27 | (DNC [39]) | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 194 |
30th | Smoked Salmon | 3518 | Bronze | Julian Harms | Timothy Harms | Midland | (DNS [39]) | 27 | 28 | 29 | (DNC [39]) | 25 | 26 | RET [39] | 22 | 196 |
31st | Light Fantastic | 3555 | Silver | James Cokayne | William Gould / Angus Kirk | NSSA | 36 | 31 | 29 | (DNS [39]) | (DNC [39]) | 28 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 198 |
32nd | Point Break | 3625 | Bronze | Richard Bramley | John Donoghue | Shoreham | 27 | 32 | -34 | 30 | (UFD [39]) | 31 | 30 | 26 | 27 | 203 |
33rd | Sylvia | 3711 | Silver | Sam Thompson | Keri Harris | RNSA | 13 | 19 | 21 | (DSQ [39]) | (DNF [39]) | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | 209 |
34th | Never Been to Salcombe | 3582 | Bronze | George Colcomb | Angus Kirk | NSSA | 34 | 35 | 33 | 31 | (DNS [39]) | (DNC [39]) | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | 29 | 240 |
35th | Out of the Blue 2 | 3557 | Bronze | April Whiteley | Hazel Newport | NSSA | 31 | 33 | 32 | 32 | (RET [39]) | (DNF [39]) | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | 245 |
36th | Wizard in Blue | 3449 | Bronze | Carl Whitehill | Samuel Whitehill | RYA | 32 | (DNC [39]) | 36 | (RET [39]) | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | 263 |
37th | Born to be Willd | 3783 | Bronze | Miles James | Colin Simmonds | Pwllheli | 35 | (DNF [39]) | (DNS [39]) | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | 269 |
38th | Loosed Cannon | 3655 | Bronze | Karen Hiles | John Hodge | Shoreham | 37 | (DNC [39]) | (DNC [39]) | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | DNC [39] | 271 |
Further details at merlinrocketchamps.com