Please select your home edition
Edition
Craftinsure 2023 LEADERBOARD

Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller at Wembley Sailing Club

by Paul Dean 1 Oct 2012 14:03 BST 23 September 2012

Sunday 23rd September saw 21 Merlin Rockets assemble at Wembley Sailing Club for the 2012 Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Open Meeting sponsored by Craftinsure. It has been fifty years since Wembley Sailing Club (situated on the Welsh Harp Reservoir) hosted its first Silver Tiller Open and this particular event proved to be quite a memorable anniversary!

Race 1 began in a gusty F2 as the skies opened and the rain poured, which built up to F3 gusts that caught some out and caused a few capsizes! Dave Winder & Pippa Taylor made the early running opening up a lead from John Turner & Richard Parslow in second and this is how it remained to the finish with Matt Biggs & John Hackett finishing third.

Race 2 was away at the second attempt but now under black flag and Dave Winder and Pippa Taylor immediately led. The wind had died by now to a F1 and with the accompanying heavy showers it seemed unlikely that the forecast F3 with F6 gusts was going to materialise. The race for second was much closer with any one of Matt Biggs & John Hackett, Paul Hollis & Ben Hendon, Duncan & Harriet Salmon and John Turner & Richard Parslow being in contention the whole way round the course. Towards the end of the race and with the wind starting to build, Winder & Taylor consolidated their lead to take the win with Hollis & Hendon second, Biggs & Hackett third, Turner & Parslow fourth, and Duncan & Harriet Salmon finishing fifth.

During the gap to the start of the third race, the wind continued to increase and the fleet were now presented with a F3 gusting up to F6 and yet more rain. These conditions were going to cause even the very best to go for a swim and so it proved! Andy Davis & Tom Pygall revelling in the extreme conditions led all the way from just after the start. Matt Biggs & Ben Hendon were an early capsize casualty on lap 1, but then managed to recover and sail through the fleet to take a fine second place whilst avoiding the many capsized boats caught out by the sledgehammer like gusts. Jon Gorringe & Nicki Bass also enjoyed the trickier conditions to finish third. Jon Turner & Richard Parslow meanwhile had succumbed to a huge gust and wind shift at the gybe mark and wiped out at very high speed! Duncan & Harriet Salmon arriving shortly afterwards and finding Turner & Parslow capsized right in their path had nowhere to go and heroically pressed the capsize button in an effort to save both boats from destruction. Now with yet another boat joining the mix, a three way raft ensured some unfortunate rigging damage and three inevitable retirements. Elsewhere in the fleet a broken mast and a full on pitch pole were the casualties as the gusts became ever stronger right up until the final lap when a passing squall made it supremely difficult for those stalwart crews still sailing.

The fleet tired but in true Merlin rocket tradition – unbeaten - then retired to the clubhouse for a very welcome meal of hot chilli & potatoes followed by prize giving, with prizes generously donated by Rooster Sailing. Dave Winder & Pippa Taylor won overall honours from Matt Biggs and John Hackett second, Paul Hollis and Ben Hendon were third, Jon Turner & Richard Parslow finished fourth and retained the Century Cup trophy for the first helm and crew with a combined age of over 100 years old! Elsewhere, Alan & Alice Markham won the prize for the first boat over 10 years old.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3Pts
1st3732David WinderPippa TaylorHollingworth Lakes11(DNF)2
2nd3722Matt BiggsJohn HackettBlithfield‑3325
3rd3730Paul HollisBen HendonBlithfield‑5246
4th3729John TurnerRichard ParslowLyme Regis24(DNF)6
5th3684Andy DavisTom PyghallBlithfield(DNF)718
6th3712Jon GorringeNicki BassParkstone YC(OCS)639
7th3740Pat BlakeJill BlakeCookham Reach4‑9610
8th3702Duncan SalmonHarriet SalmonWembley75(DNF)12
9th3643Tim HarridgeBug HarridgeHampton9‑11514
10th3658Chris JenninesNix Middleton‑StewartBurghfield68(DNF)14
11th3682Jon StewardHarry StewardWembley8‑15816
12th3651Colin BrockbankMatilda HewittWembley10‑12717
13th3594Alan MarkhamAlice MarkhamUpper Thames1110‑1221
14th3556Alex JonesMaria GrayCookham Reach‑1614923
15th3371Paul DeanRenata SapazinskaiteWembley13‑171124
16th3681Douglas MaxwellDavid EvansWembley15‑161025
17th3559Lawrence ToshJoe ToshUpper Thames1213(DNF)25
18th3502John GreenWilliam AndersonWembley1718(DNF)35
19th3535Julian BradleyThe Cyborg (Steve)Wembley14(DNF)DNF36
20th3606Mike StephensRichard MourantTamesis(DNF)DNSDNF44
20th3637Russell HallMarion ReadWembley(DNF)DNSDNF44

Related Articles

Salcombe Merlin Rocket Week overall
Tom Gillard and Rachel Gray take the trophy The final day of Helly Hansen Salcombe Merlin Week dawned to another day of blue skies with a light Southwester forming in the harbour and forecast to increase. The overall result was still up for grabs with both leading protagonists in the morning race. Posted on 4 Jul
Salcombe Merlin Rocket Week Day 5
Wall to wall sunshine for the 102 teams The fifth morning dawned with wall to wall sunshine and a 5 knot SW sea breeze popped in at the surprisingly early time of 8.30, promising a good day's racing for the 102 teams. Posted on 3 Jul
Salcombe Merlin Rocket Week Day 4
Random gusts from every direction, including vertical Past the halfway stage and the weather served up another wind direction for the fourth day of Helly Hansen Salcombe Merlin Week. Posted on 2 Jul
Salcombe Merlin Rocket Week Day 3
South-Westerly establishes itself after a windless dawn The third day dawned with light cloud and absolutely no wind in the harbour. As often happens at Salcombe, by the time the fleet started to launch a South-Westerly had started to establish itself and by the 10.30 start time there was 4-5 knots. Posted on 1 Jul
Salcombe Merlin Rocket Week Day 2
First start gets away on the top of the tide With the rest of the UK cooking in 30+ degrees, Salcombe has been veiled in sea mist for the last few days. Monday was the day when this was meant to clear but competitors woke to find the race track still shrouded in mist. Posted on 30 Jun
Salcombe Merlin Rocket Week Day 1
Over 200 of the UK's top dinghy racers are in the picturesque South Devon Ria The ever popular Salcombe Merlin Week, sponsored by Helly Hansen, Craftinsure and Creation Covers, has again attracted over 200 of the UK's top dinghy racers to the picturesque South Devon Ria. Posted on 29 Jun
Delivery to Salcombe Week - Final Call!
Devon's calling, and P&B are answering This weekend finds members of our Sail Loft team at Salcombe Yacht Club, for Merlin Salcombe Week. We'll be making the most of the conditions, the surroundings and the chance to catch up with other sailors who share our passion for competitive sailing. Posted on 26 Jun
Merlin Rockets in the Upriver Race at Ranelagh
A simple windward-leeward 6 times then head for home; what could be simpler? Ranelagh Sailing Club Upriver Race on Sunday in glorious sunshine with the forecast of decent breeze and the promise of bacon rolls and tea on arrival and lunch afterwards was all the encouragement nine vintage/classic Merlin Rockets needed. Posted on 25 Jun
Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hampton
On arrival competitors and the duty team were provided with bacon rolls Following on from the Silver Tiller at Queen Mary Reservoir on Saturday, the double-header continued on Sunday at Hampton Sailing Club on the River Thames, with an entry of twelve boats including visitors from Midland, Parkstone and Plymouth. Posted on 18 Jun
Merlin Rockets at Queen Mary
Double black diamond descent in the Craftinsure Silver Tiller Series A keen fleet of Merlin Rocket crews descended upon the Queen Mary reservoir on Saturday 14th June for another episode of the exciting event in the ever hotly contested Craftinsure Silver Tiller series. Posted on 17 Jun