Shepherd Neame Merlin Rocket Nationals at Whitstable

Shepherd Neame Merlin Rocket Nationals at Whitstable - Day 5

by Mark Barnes 21 Aug 2009 15:26 BST 15-21 August 2009

A full on stomping day 5 at the Shepherd Neame Merlin Rocket nationals © Nick Champion / www.championmarinephotography.co.uk

Winder Champagne Race

Day 5 of the Shepherd Neame Merlin Rocket Nationals in Whitstable Bay, will be one remembered as one of those full on stomping days. With the ebb tide running east and wind coming for the SW to WNW, the seas were the classic Whitstable short chop that would sort the Cavaliers from those that like the rock and roll of full on sailing.

The Champagne Race where the first 21 boats helms and crews get a bottle of champagne each would be the first race of the day with Race 4 to follow afterwards.

So with a steady force 4 gusting 5, 47 Merlins launched to see who would be crowned king of the windy conditions. Would 3626 (Glenn Truswell/Olly Turner) prevail or would one of the other heavy airs specialists catch them on the hop?

Now with 5 boats in the hunt, it was all to play for and in today’s conditions, no prisoners would be taken.

With rigs raked, the fleet showed that it was game on and charged up the first beat with the back enders soon starting to fall away. At the windward mark the first white knuckle ride commenced. With 3703 (Richard Whitworth/Sally Townend), 3626, 3670 (Steve Goacher/Andy Tunnicliffe), 3691 (Mike Calvert/Chris Downham) and 3684 (Andy David/Ellie Bremner) giving no quarter, the race was to go to the wire.

As the gusts came through, they took their toll on the fleet, but the front pack managed to hold on and with 3701 (Tom Stewart/Liam Dempsey) and 3661 (Graham Scroggie/Ben Scroggie) in hot pursuit, any mistakes and these two would have them.

So it was that the race progressed and several fell by the wayside, but the front group charged on relentlessly. Coming into the finish would it be 3703, 3626 or 3670. At the finish 3703 took it from 3626 and then 3670 followed by 3691 and 3684. So P&B Sails had broken the Hyde grip of the last two days. So if 3703 was to win this year, should the anthem be Mustang Sally!

As the breeze was building the fleet were sent ashore till it abated.

The Dinghy Store Race

After about an hour, 40 out of 57 Merlins launched for the second race of the day. This would prove to be more of the same but in stronger winds. With no quarter being given and the Championships entering the critical phase, this race was to prove to be the one that would set the tempo for tomorrow’s climax.

Five teams were still in the hunt and having had one big race today, it would be a case of attrition, yet trying to get the best out of all components without exceeding the limits. 3705 (Matt Biggs/Rob Kennaugh) having been black-flagged the day before would not be taking part.

One boat that was out to prove a point was 3684, without a win in this year’s championships, and only an outside chance of winning the event, who’d bet against them.

So the race got underway in a force 5 from the west. Rigs were raked as far aft as they’d go and crews hiked for all they were worth. Over the course of the race, several of the front runners 3684 (Willie Warren) and 3661 broke their masts and so would take no further part in the day’s sleigh ride.

With many capsizes and retirements, it was to prove that 3684 had broken her duck of the week and the two front runners though getting counters saw 3703 finish 3rd and 3626 getting their discard in 6th. So it was that 3712 (John Gorringe/Peter Horn) came 2nd, 4th 3691 and 5th 3662 (Dave Winder/Pippa Taylor).

Of the fleet of 57 boats, only 27 completed the last race. How many will be able to rebuild and make that final last push tomorrow in moderate conditions. I suspect it will come down to how many spare masts the fleet carry.

So with one race to go, one point separate the first two of 3626 and 3703 but 3626 has the better grand total. Will we see a match race and possibly 3684 sneak second from 3703 or will it be the Black Flag that has the last laugh? So if 3703 was to win this year, should the anthem at the prize giving be Mustang Sally in recognition that girlies crewed the two winning boats today!

No one sail loft has dominated this year and we have seen Goacher Sails, Hyde, North One Design, P&B, Rowsell and Speed Sails all represented in the top five. P&B and Speed Sails are the more prolific as less boats are carrying the other brands, but

Holt Plate in Association with North Sails

Allen Race 4

Well with the conditions experienced today, it is ironic that we have a fittings manufacturer sponsoring today’s Race 4. With big breeze and 3666’s (Dan Parsons/Hamish Kilburn) strangle hold on the series looking likely to be threatened, today would be the day where that happens. Would 3672 (John Cooper/Hilary Bradshaw) show that experience can overcome youth and survive the conditions or would something else befall either of these two teams.

So the scene was set and with only a few months in the Merlin as a team and Dan new to the boat this spring, and JC ex Chairman and merlin sailor of more years than the combined age of Hamish and Dan, all bets were off. However, 3666 were to show how nimble they were around the boat and come home with a 21st and 11th in the Championship fleet to record a 12th and 1st in the really windy race of the Holt Series to consolidate their position as winners of the Holt Plate at their first attempt, which is no mean achievement. However, in recognition of JC being a pensioner, as they say if you stop using it you’ll lose it, this is a great example of how to buck one’s age.

3712 (John Gorringe/Peter Horn) one of the front runners, showed that you can buck the trend and as one of the front runners, managed to achieve 2nd on handicap which with a handicap of 930 is impressive and were only stopped by 3666 on a handicap of 1000.

One boat that was seriously in contention for the podium was 3690 the General Lee (Andy Dalby/Fran Gifford), having scored a 3rd in Race 5, but the wheels came off and resulted in mast failure so carrying race 4 as their discard.

Second is still up for grabs and 3650 (Laurence Tosh/crew) gaining a 2nd and 4th today, have played themselves into contention for brides maids. However, if they falter 3700 (Phil Emery/Sophie Mackley) or 3672 will hang them out to dry.

The forecast is for southwesterly force 3 and sun, so the form guide for the Holt could see 2nd to 5th go to the wire.

Final report will be posted hopefully Friday evening subject to delays on the water.

Results after Day 5:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1	3626	Glen Truswell	Olly Turner	Starcross	3	1	1	-6	2	7
2	3703	Richard Whitworth	Sally Townend	Hollingworth Lake & Parkstone	2	-7	2	3	1	8
3	3684	Andy Davis	Ellie Bremer	Chase	-6	2	6	1	5	14
4	3701	Tom Stewart	Liam Dempsey	Northampton	4	3	3	-7	6	16
5	3691	Mike Calvert	Christopher Downham	Axe/Castaways	-5	5	4	4	4	17
6	3712	Jon Gorringe	Peter Horn	Parkstone	9	8	-15	2	9	28
7	3662	David Winder	Pippa Taylor	Hollingworth Lake	10	11	5	5	-15	31
8	3705	Matt Biggs	Rob Kennaugh	Blighfield	1	6	8	-59	20	35
9	3704	Chris Lewns	Tom Pygall	Whitstable	11	4	-12	8	12	35
10	3640	Simon Blake	Phil Dalby	Cookham Reach	8	10	11	-13	8	37
11	3685	William Warren	Chris Robinson	Shoreham	7	9	7	-59	17	40
12	3670	Steve Goacher	Andy Tunnicliffe	Royal Windermere	13	-27	21	9	3	46
13	3676	Pat Blake	Jill Blake	Cookham Reach	-18	17	10	10	11	48
14	3693	Will Rainey	Kelly Miller	Cookham Reach	14	-21	17	14	10	55
15	3666	Dan Parsons	Hamish Kilburn	Whitstable	19	15	14	11	-21	59
16	3659	Julian Parry	Liese Scott	Hollingworth Lake	12	14	13	-59	27	66
17	3539	Dan Alsop	Jennie King	Lyme Regis	21	12	16	18	-25	67
18	3696	Alan Warren	James Warren	Shoreham	15	-28	20	17	18	70
19	3700	Phil Emery	Sophie Mackley	Whitstable	22	-26	19	15	16	72
20	3665	Ross Jackson	Dave Reid	Shoreham	24	16	9	-59	26	75
21	3650	Laurence Tosh	TBC	Banbury	26	-34	27	12	13	78
22	3672	John Cooper	Hilary Bradshaw	Whitstable	-28	23	18	16	22	79
23	3661	Graham Scroggie	Ben Scroggie	Parkstone	25	25	23	-59	7	80
24	3620	Andy Bines	Derick Gentry	Brightlingsea	29	24	-34	21	23	97
25	3610	Richard Dee	Phil Scott	Midland	27	-45	32	25	14	98
26	3652	John Bell	Duncan Bell	Hampton	17	-39	24	20	37	98
27	3619	David Charlton	Celia Charlton	Brightlingsea	23	22	25	-59	29	99
28	3695	Matthew Winder	Callum MacKenzie	Hollingworth Lake	-35	18	28	27	33	106
29	3617	Tom Chadfield	Andy Chadfield	Blithfield	-47	44	29	19	19	111
30	3692	Rien Zilvold	Julie Nuttall	Whitstable	33	19	31	-59	30	113
31	3690	Andy Dalby	Fran Gifford	Trent Valley	20	13	22	-59	59	114
32	3707	Alex Jackson	Ben Hollis	Shoreham	16	-59	26	59	24	125
33	3698	Bob O'Toole	Suzie Bell	Parkstone	36	41	-53	24	28	129
34	3697	Richard Page	Lizzy Page	Hampton	38	-47	36	22	35	131
35	3677	David Proctor	Ed Lowe	Whitstable	30	37	46	23	-59	136
36	3688	Craig Bond	Jayne Bond	Brightlingsea	34	38	38	-59	32	142
37	3706	Kevin Anderson	Sadie Anderson	Hampton	41	40	-50	26	36	143
38	3586	Rod Porteous	Maureen Porteous	Hayling Island	31	49	30	-59	39	149
39	3673	Jane Seymour	Christopher Seymour	Shoreham	42	29	43	-59	43	157
40	3644	Steve Mitchell	Liz North	Porthpean/Whitstable	43	20	37	-59	59	159
41	3674	Mike Anslow	Chris Winters	Midland	32	33	-59	59	38	162
42	3595	Richard Davis	Olivia Bell	Whitstable	44	43	45	-59	31	163
43	3543	Chris Martin	Tom Holland	Blithfield	39	32	35	-59	59	165
44	3687	Alan Jackson	Lorna Laval	Maylandsea Bay	37	36	40	-59	59	172
45	3686	Paul Aldridge	Melissa Sorrell	Brightlingsea	40	42	33	-59	59	174
46	3584	Jack Kilburn	Paul Smith	Whitstable	45	30	44	-59	59	178
47	3625	Richard Bramley	Joanna Marlow	Shoreham	51	56	48	-59	34	189
48	3564	Charles Devenport	Elaine Aldis	Thorpe Bay	-59	31	41	59	59	190
49	3632	Marcus Robb	Graham Webb	Cookham Reach	52	54	49	-59	40	195
50	3386	Andy Hay	Caroline Hay	RYA	46	50	42	-59	59	197
51	3634	Ben Archer	Chris O'Toole	Parkstone	48	35	56	-59	59	198
52	2997	Jonathan Steward	Nick Yannakoyorgos		50	52	55	-59	41	198
53	3583	Nolan Forwood	Will Lowes	Whitstable	-59	46	39	59	59	203
54	3606	Mike Partridge	Claire Davis	Hayling Island	-59	51	54	59	42	206
55	3566	Jon Wood	Heather Wood	Earlswood Lakes	49	48	52	-59	59	208
56	3604	Stuart Gurney	Donna Rouse	Thames	-59	53	47	59	59	218
57	3600	Robert Heath	Mike Hendy	Hampton	53	55	51	-59	59	218
58	3569	Tomos Bowen-Perkins	TBA	Hampton	-59	59	59	59	59	236