Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller at Whitstable Yacht Club

by John Cooper & Andy Dalby 26 Jun 2012 14:28 BST 23-24 June 2012

Andy and Phil Dalby win the Whitstable Silver Tiller © Steve Storey

With 45 knots of breeze blowing across Whitstable Bay on the Friday and with more to come forecast, it wasn’t surprising there was a reduced entry of 24 boats for Whitstable Yacht Club’s annual Silver Tiller meeting.

Despite having to run the racing from a RIB, following the sad loss of the club committee boat in a storm, Jon Silk and his race team were determined to get two races in on Saturday. A rather nervous fleet launched into a solid Force 5, gusting 6. With Salcombe Week only two weeks away boat and body damage was to be avoided and several crews elected to stay ashore.

Andy Dalby takes up the story and tells it from his point of view...

RACE 1:

Dave Hayes forgot his mainsail so went back to get it! Some people will go to amazing lengths for a 3DL (new technology sail)
Tough to work out which way the wind was going to veer. The fleet were initially driven left which didn’t pay. Unusually at Whitstable, those that went right gained but playing the shifts seemed to be the key. Andy “Taxi” Davis rounded first followed by Tom Stewart and then us. Judith Massey was in the mix with Will Rainey and Dave Winder. The first reach was tight with the tide – not all could hold kites.
There was significant carnage at the first and subsequently every gybe mark - the chop made gybing difficult as the main was powered up through the gybe!
On the second reach Taxi had spinnaker problems and dropped places. Tom Stewart lost it and spun out for a big swim but we (Andy & Phil Dalby) managed to keep it together to the end of the race to take the win. Sailing deep on the runs with the tide was advantageous.

In between races:

Dave Hayes arrived with mainsail.
I fell out of the boat – long swim trying to get back in within the 5 minutes.

RACE 2:

Off the start it paid off for those who went left out of the tide – but the wind was still shifting.
Tom Stewart rounded first – can’t remember the rest just concentrating on the blast down the reach and then…
Carnage at the gybe mark again – Casualties included Dave Hayes, Dave Winder and us.
Taxi’s main halyard failed on second beat.
Tom Stewart pulled out a comfortable lead with William Warren, Will Rainey and Judith Massey in pursuit.
Dave Winder and the Dalby’s recover to pull back into the race crossing each other up the final beat. Dave Winder does very well to get up into 3rd with a snapped and trailing spinnaker pole.
On final run Will Rainey has spinnaker issues which allow the Dalby's through to fourth.

One competitor summed up conditions succinctly – “chuffing windy”. Most people had at least one swim and the relatively light damage (one spreader bracket, one spinnaker pole, a deck sheave and lots of burgees) speaks volumes for the robust construction of the modern Merlin and its rig.

Sunday morning dawned with more of the same and a postponement was signaled. However with over 30 knots being recorded on the harbour wall racing was called off for the day. So the winners of the Holden Cup for the Craftinsure Whitstable open meeting were Andy and Phil Dalby, their first ever Silver Tiller win. Dave Winder and Pippa Taylor were second overall with William Warren and Chris Robinson third.

The “Man of the Match” award must go to Joe Tosh, aged just 13 years and a day. Crewing for his dad in “Cool Cookie”, he completed both races. Well done Joe!

The Silver Tiller series results so far are updated after each event on the MROA website. After 12 events, the leaders are Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis in MR3712.

Overall Results for Whitstable:

Pos	Sail No	Name	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	Pts
1	3690	General Lee	Andy Dalby	Phil Dalby	HSC	1	4	5
2	3735	The Clone Wars	David Winder	Pippa Taylor	Hollingworth Lake SC	2	3	5
3	3685	The Black Pearl	William Warren	Chris Robinson	Shoreham SC	6	2	8
4	3733	The Dark Side	Tom Stewart	Steve Hall	Northampton SC	8	1	9
5	3693	Slippery When Wet	Will Rainey	Sophie Mackley	Shoreham SC	5	5	10
6	3728	Volski Queen	Judith Massey	Oli Wells	Hayling Island SC	4	9	13
7	3658	Batto	Chris Jennings	Liese Scott	Burchfield	7	8	15
8	3732		Dave Wade	Ben Rayner	Northampton SC	11	7	18
9	3555	Light Fantastic	Tim Harridge	James Warren	Hampton SC	9	11	20
10	3559	Smart Cookie	Lawrence Tosh	Joe Tosh	Upper Thames SC	12	14	26
11	3484	Lounge Lizard	Neal Gibson	Keith Maley	Redoubt SC	13	13	26
12	3684	Keyser Soze	Andy Davis	Tom Pygall	Blighfield SC/WYC	3	DNF	28
13	3734		Dave Hayes	Jonny Radcliffe	Hayling Island	DNC	6	31
14	3736		Geoff Carveth	Graham Williamson	HISC	OCS	10	35
15	3676	Hot Totty	Simon Blake	Alex Jackson	Shoreham SC	10	DNF	35
16	3692	Nemo	Rien Zivold	Steve Grey	WYC	DNF	12	37
17=	3645	Blue Velvet	Jeremy Deacon	Joanne Deacon	Cookham Reach SC	DNF	DNC	50
17=	3672	Bola Bola	John Cooper	Hilary Bradshaw	WYC	DNC	DNC	50
17=	3740	Why Ask	Pat Blake	Jill Blake	Cookham Reach SC	DNC	DNC	50
17=	3687		Allan Jackson	Alice Brotchie		DNC	DNC	50
17=	3700	Brazilian	Phil Emery	Karen Emery	WYC	DNF	DNC	50
17=	3618	Easy Rider	Andy Kerr	Gareth Hall	Bewl Valley SC	DNC	DNC	50
17=	3604	Aunt Fanny	Stuart Gurney	Philippa Daniels	Bognor Yacht Club	DNC	DNC	50
17=	3731	Mayhem	Andy Jones	Madie Jones	Parkstone SC	DNF	DNC	50