The Yachts and Yachting London Boat Show Pursuit Race

Stephen Denison wins the Yachts and Yachting London Boat Show Pursuit Race © Ben Duke

The Merlin Rockets win the class trophy at the Yachts and Yachting London Boat Show Pursuit Race © Ben Duke

Ben Palmer wins the U16 Trophy at the Yachts and Yachting London Boat Show Pursuit Race © Sasha Lean-Vercoe

43 boats from 27 different classes made the journey to the Prince Albert Dock, just outside the ExCeL exhibition centre for the Yachts and Yachting London Boat Show Pursuit Race. Taxing conditions with fluky winds in parts of the course tested sailors from youth to international level.

The first boat off was the returning competitor Charlie Esse in his Optimist from the starting line, with the Lt. Commander of HMS Grafton firing the cannon. The course saw a initial windward up towards the City Airport runway and a short spinnaker reach across the dock and back down West, past HMS Grafton, under the footbridge to a leeward mark and back up through the start gate.

The leaders completed six rounds with drama right to the finish. The Merlin Rocket of Joe McLaughlin & Bryn Evans, had the lead going into the final seconds of the race, only to find a hole in the wind and watch helplessly as the Solo of Steve Denison crept past and took the winners gun. There was consolation for the Merlin Rocket class with second and a fourth overall together with fellow Rocketers, Rob Wilder and Tom McLaughlin enough to take the overall class trophy which will be proudly displayed at Tamesis Club.

The first under sixteen was Ben Palmer sailing his Topper just ahead of the Mirror sailed by Edward Fitzgerald & James Walker.

Many thanks to the Hayling Island Sailing Club Race Committee team of Paul Carpenter, Adam Carpenter, Alison & Martin Stainsby and Alison Johnson for running the racing so well. Also thanks must go to Paul Botterill of Barton Marine for bringing together the event on short notice. Yachts and Yachting Managing Director, John Heyes said during the prizegiving that sponsorship of the event would continue for 2007, with the perpetual trophies awarded ensuring this will be a continuing feature of the London Boat Show.

Overall Results:

1st Solo, 4327, Stephen Denison (Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club)
2nd Merlin Rocket, 3566, Joe McLaughlin & Bryn Evans (Tamesis Club)
3rd RS200, 751, Geoff Carveth & Emma Clarke (Hayling Island Sailing Club)
4th Merlin Rocket, 3656, Rob Wilder & Tom McLaughlin (Tamesis Club)

1st Class - Merlin Rockets

1st U16, Topper, 44584, Ben Palmer (Island Barn Sailing Club)
2nd U16, Mirror, 70361, Edward Fitzgerald & James Walker (Itchenor Sailing Club)

Full Results: