Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller at Brightlingsea Sailing Club

Craftinsure Silver Tiller open at Brightlingsea © Piers Lambert

Craftinsure Silver Tiller open at Brightlingsea © Piers Lambert

Saturday 19th dawned bright and clear, the first sun for a few weeks! Sharing the weekend with Fireballs, GP14’s and Hornets, the Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Series joined in the fantastic sight of 70 boats leaving the club for the race area in the Colne.

With a gentle force 1-2 southerly greeting the 20 Merlins race officer Phil Rust and his team set the course and with the tide just starting to ebb had the first race away on time and, without a general recall (rare for the eager Merlin fleet!). With several shifts up the first beat keeping the fleet guessing Andy “Taxi” Davies and Tom Pygall (national champions) rounded first with a chasing pack including Dave Winder, Jon Ibbottson, local Dan Willett, and legend Jon Turner in hot pursuit. Due to the light winds and ebbing tide the reaches ended up being fairly broad and those going high (including Turner trying to defend) lost out heavily running into the gybe mark. The tidal gate then spread the fleet on the next beat and places stayed much the same until the finish, ending with Taxi followed by Dave Winder and Jon Ibbotson.

The second race again started first time, with fickle shifts up the first beat and the few opting for less tide lost to those heading into the stronger stream. At the top mark Nick Craig lead, with Willett, Ibbotson and Will Rainey in close company. Downwind Craig lost out letting Ibbotson go through to take the lead and the race win with Willett second and Craig holding onto third.

Everyone headed back to the shore and a great welcome from the home club, especially in the form of curry/bolognese washed down with a few “bevvies!” Evening entertainment followed with live action from the Champions League final not to mention James Stewart (Nick Craig’s crew and Chelsea stalwart) amusing others with his celebrations!

Sunday started with a fresher F 3-4 breeze from the north. With Sunday being the actual Silver Tiller event two more boats brought the fleet numbers to 22.

Again, away first time, the third race had a number of boats swapping the lead, with the combination of course layout and breeze making for tighter planing reaches - putting grins on many faces! At the finish Taxi lead from Nick Craig and Will Rainey.

The wind dropped slightly for the fourth race and again most of the fleet headed right into the slackening tide. Dave Winder and local Dave Charlton crewed by Ozzie (his first crewing for many years) both hit the left corner of the course, got the ideal shift and came in to the top mark in first and second. In close pursuit were Taxi, Ibbotson and Jon Turner although a swim at the bottom mark unfortunately dropped Turner from the leaders! Tactics changed as the tide turned and the left hand side of the course became the favoured option, with Dave Winder extending his lead throughout the race for a comfortable win, ahead of Taxi, and Jon Ibbotson.

The final race started with the tide now ebbing fast and again a clean start – no recalls in a Merlin Rocket Open!!!! The pack headed left but with 20 degree shifts a lot of “snakes and ladders” occurred. Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis headed the fleet with Nick Craig, Jon Ibbotson and Will Warren in close pursuit - a helpful gust stretching all four of them from the rest. With the top mark becoming an assault course as the Merlins lapped the tightly bunched GP14 fleet struggling with the tide, a swimming GP14 sailor must have been more than a little scared as the fleet bore off onto the run around him! Jon Gorringe enjoyed the sight of the shortened course flag after 3 laps, winning from Nick Craig and John Ibbotson.

Congratulations to the race team for running the 4 fleets really well with great courses throughout the weekend, and also to the organising, galley and bar teams who did tremendous work behind the scenes to make the whole event such a success.

With 4 separate winners from 5 races and 4th to 8th only split by 5 points the Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller fleet is showing its strength and depth, but the accolades this weekend must go to Taxi and Tom winning on the same points as Jon Ibbotson and Matt Gifford, courtesy of Taxi’s two wins. Nick Craig and James Stewart were third with Will Rainey and Sophie Mackley fourth.

Overall Results: