Rooster Merlin Rocket National Championships

Rooster Merlin Rocket National Championships - Day 4

by Tim Fells 15 Aug 2013 08:08 BST 11-16 August 2013

2013 Rooster Merlin Rocket Nationals at Tenby © Alistair Mackay

Rooster Merlin Rocket Nationals at Tenby day 4 © Alistair Mackay

Competitors woke to a wet morning with persistent drizzle and mist covering the bay. After an hour's postponement the conditions improved and the course was set up to a South Westerly Force three but with sizeable shifts under the low cloud.

At the second time of asking the fleet got away from a line that was heavily biased to the pin end. Those who got away cleanly and managed to tack on to port were in good shape. Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis were the best of the pin end starters and led the fleet in from the left to round first from Simon Potts/DJ Edwards and Tim Fells/Chris Downham.

The breeze had now built to a healthy Force 4 to give good planning reaches and increasing rake on the beats. As the race progressed, the leading teams ground their way into the front bunch. Taxi/Tom Pygall pulled into second pursued by Roger Gilbert/James Stewart and the hard charging Nick Craig/Alan Roberts.

Although the course was predominantly biased to the right, there were sufficient shifts, particularly in the final third of the beat, to allow for the chasers to attack. Jon and Toby defended their lead impressively to take their second gun of the week with Roger/James just getting the better of Taxi/Tom with Nick/Alan in fourth. Tim and Chris withstood the challenge of overnight leaders Ben and Roz McGrane to take fifth.

Results after Day 4:

Pos	Boat Name	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Fleet	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1	Stealth	3722	Roger Gilbert	James Stewart	Gold	3	2	4	2	11
2	TBA	3749	Nick Craig	Alan Roberts	Gold	7	1	1	4	13
3	Dory	3739	Ben McGrane	Roz McGrane	Gold	2	3	2	6	13
4	Didley Pokey	3754	Jon Gorringe	Toby Lewis	Gold	1	4	9	1	15
5	Faithless	3703	Richard Whitworth	Sara Bines	Gold	5	7	12	11	35
6	Appetite for Destruction	3753	Simon Potts	D J Edwards	Gold	6	13	10	7	36
7	Wheres Wooster?	3745	Steve Cockerill	Sarah Cockerill	Gold	9	9	5	18	41
8	Fragile	3727	Tim Fells	Chris Downham	Gold	4	18	19	5	46
9	Bernard	3658	Chris Jennings	Oli Wells	Gold	10	15	8	14	47
10	Wild Card	3656	Olly Turner	Alex Warren	Gold	13	14	15	9	51
11	The Clone Wars	3735	David Winder	Pippa Taylor	Gold	8	21	7	16	52
12	Monkey Business	3707	Alex Jackson	Sam Pascoe	Gold	14	19	16	15	64
13	Point N Squirt	3746	Dan Willett	Pete Nicholson	Gold	11	16	25	17	69
14	Keyser Soze	3684	Andy Davis	Tom Pygall	Gold	DNC	5	3	3	77
15	Pokin' the Turtle	3743	Matt Biggs	John Hackett	Gold	15	26	18	19	78
16	Hot Totty	3676	Tim Harrison	Fran Gifford	Gold	20	12	27	20	79
17	Needlemakers	3610	Richard Dee	Chris Gould	Gold	17	22	20	25	84
18	Gansta Paradise	3539	Dan Alsop	Sarah Warren	Gold	18	17	31	21	87
19	Who Dares Wins	3688	Ben Hollis	Caroline Croft	Silver	19	28	17	27	91
20	Shabazzle	3729	Jon Turner	Richard Parslow	Gold	BFD	11	6	10	93
21	The Dark Side	3733	Tom Stewart	Phil Dalby	Gold	BFD	8	11	8	93
22	Robert	3756	William Warren	Chris Robinson	Gold	12	24	13	47	96
23	Tiger Tiger	3696	Alan Warren	Will Carroll	Gold	22	20	21	39	102
24		3732	Dave Wade	Ben Rayner	Gold	BFD	10	14	13	103
25	Rong Number	3573	Simon Bond	Mark Bailey	Silver	16	30	26	31	103
26	The Black Boat	3734	David Hayes	Jonny Ratcliffe	Gold	BFD	6	22	12	106
27	Carbon Footprint	3716	Steve Leney	Gill Leney	Gold	27	35	23	23	108
28	Puff the Magic Dragon	3641	Mark Waterhouse	Nikki Bass	Silver	24	29	34	22	109
28	Ministry of Pleasure	3634	Ben Archer	Rebecca Jones	Silver	36	39	54	52	181
29	Moist	3643	Tim Harridge	Andrea Ralph	Silver	23	27	40	33	123
30	Mayhem	3731	Andy Jones	Maddie Jones	Silver	28	37	32	26	123
31	The Black Pearl	3685	Mark Oakey	Jamie Pidduck	Silver	35	32	29	30	126
32	Mylo Xyloto	3744	Chris Martin	Nick Copsey	Silver	21	40	41	28	130
33	Chill Out	3633	Dave Bursey	Frances Bursey	Silver	31	36	33	38	138
34	Out of the Blue 2	3557	Rory Mackenzie	Calum Mackenzie	Silver	29	47	28	35	139
35	Paradigm Shift	3710	Jon Ibbotson	Sophie Mackley	Gold	BFD	23	24	29	142
36	Brazilian	3700	Phil Emery	Karen Emery	Silver	41	34	46	24	145
37	Headcase 3650	3650	Rob Kennaugh	Abi Spurr	Silver	25	25	30	DNF	146
38	Sea Wolf	3711	David Lee	Juliet Pealing	Silver	32	44	43	32	151
39	White Sauce Er Er	3675	Mike Fenwick	Penny Fenwick	Gold	33	38	37	44	152
40	Why Ask	3740	Patrick Blake	Jilly Blake	Gold	42	42	35	34	153
41	Blue Velvet	3645	Paul Jenkins	Peter Jenkins	Silver	38	31	36	55	160
42	Strings Attached	3751	Mark Barwell	Louise Johnson	Silver	34	52	38	36	160
43	Nemo	3692	Steve Mitchell	Julie Nuttall	Silver	39	41	42	40	162
44	Artemis	3653	Andy Chapman	Melissa Chapman	Silver	30	48	48	42	168
45	Bola Bola	3672	John Cooper	Hilary Bradshaw	Silver	26	51	52	41	170
46	Fluff 'N' Stuff	3719	Jeremy Deacon	Phil Scott	Silver	48	43	51	37	179
47	Painkiller	3718	David Mitchell	Ellie Davies	Gold	44	45	45	45	179
49	Salmon en Croute	3702	Duncan Salmon	Harriet Salmon	Gold	BFD	33	39	49	187
50	Armed Forces	3442	Mark Stockbridge	Matt Greenfield	Silver	43	46	50	51	190
51	Duck & Dive	3713	Steve Harling	Eleanor Thonas	Silver	40	59	47	53	199
52	Back to The Future	3583	Colin Anderson	Sean Anderson	Silver	49	49	44	58	200
53	Jupiter	3651	Colin Brockbank	Oliver Lythgoe	Silver	37	50	49	DNF	202
54	Nearly All Over	3617	Tom Chadfield	Karen Beston	Silver	50	53	53	48	204
55	Heaven Scent	3511	Andrew Mills	James Warren	Silver	47	55	58	46	206
56	Smart Cookie	3559	Laurence Tosh	Joe Tosh	Silver	51	58	55	43	207
57	Trigger Happy	3628	Robin Charles	Dan Newman	Silver	45	57	56	54	212
58	Wild Knight	3632	Marcus Robb	Graham Webb	Silver	52	61	57	56	226
59	Holy Grail	3574	John Donoghue	Luke Tucker	Silver	53	60	59	59	231
60	Bluebird	3683	Ben Jones	Helen Hilditch	Silver	46	54	DNC	50	232
61	Light Fantastic	3555	Ian Mackenzie	Angela Mackenzie	Silver	54	DNF	60	DNC	246
62	Time Zulu	3569	Duncan Bell	Alice Markham	Silver	DNF	56	DNS	57	254
63	Point Break	3625	Richard Bramley	TBA	Silver	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	264
63	Zeno	3654	Julian Parry	TBA	Gold	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	264
63	Slippery when Wet	3693	Will Rainey		Gold	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	264