Merlin Rocket Open at Hayling Island Sailing Club

This was the 12th meeting in the Craftinsure Silver Tiller series. As Hayling is the National Championship venue for the Merlins this August it was a highly competitive fleet that attended. Unfortunately the wind on Saturday was just too strong for dinghy racing and the first days racing was cancelled. But a well organised social evening in the excellently appointed club bar helped ease the pain.

Sunday began a different day and the first race was dinghy sailing at its best with the eighteen knot south westerly meaning lots of surfing and exciting downwind rides. Geoff Carveth and Graham Williamson led from start to finish, in second place Andy Davis and Tom Pygall managed to hold off John Gorringe and Toby Lewis who came in third.

For the second race of the day the wind had increased and despite following Chris Martin and Ben Hendon into the first mark, heavy weather kings William Warren and Chris Robinson won, Gorringe/Lewis had worked their way up the fleet to second. Third place was taken by Simon Lytton and Jackie Lytton, newcomers to the fleet who sailed an absolute blinder.

It was at this point that the RO Roger Palmer received a BrambleMet wind reading of thirty knots plus and wisely decided to abandon racing for the rest of the day. The fleet derigged in winds gusting forty knots. It was consistency that won the day; as Gorringe and Lewis, who hadn’t left the top three throughout the competition, came first overall. Warren and Robinson took second with Davis and Pygall in third place.

Overall Results: