Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week - Day 1

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 1 © Malcolm Mackley

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 1 © Malcolm Mackley

After a Saturday spent moving boats and trolleys to Mill Bay beach and a pretty fruity practice sail. the first morning of the hugely popular Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week dawned sunny but with a light to non-existent breeze from the NW. With signs of a southwesterly appearing, race officer David Greening sent the fleet on a course out to Blackstone against the flood tide.

Red v Greed flights Course 1,7,1,4

The vast majority of the fleet decided that the Portlemouth shore was the place to be and with the wind dropping very light it was an extremely difficult startline to cross. Only one boat could win the start and that was Andrew Harris and James Warren who popped onto port on the beach and were clear away, leading up past Mill Bay as the breeze began to strengthen and then away around Blackstone.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 1 - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

Giving chase were Alex Jackson and Chris Downham who by Blackstone on the second round had worked their way into the lead and looked like they were headed to the first bullet of the week. However, defending champions Taxi and Alex Warren were on the charge and by the time they were running down to Yalton it was squeaky bum time for Alex and Chris who seemed to be concerned about possible weed on the rudder. Suitably distracted, Taxi and Alex slipped through to leeward to take the lead.

On the final beat back to the line Taxi and Alex consolidated their lead to take the first cannon shot of the week and start their defense in style. Alex and Chris were comfortably second with Si Blake and Pippa Taylor rounding out the podium.

Behind this leading three there was a very tight multi boat battle all around the track. Chris Gould and Chris Kilby came through to take fourth from Will and Arthur Henderson. Tim Fells and Fran Gifford just got the better of Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey to take sixth.

Blue v Black flights Course 1,4,6,5,7,1,3

For the start of the afternoon race, it was wall to wall sunshine and a gusty southwester, perfect Salcombe conditions. With the start on the top of the tide, the race officer set a classic tour of the estuary visiting all of the creeks.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 1 - photo © Malcolm Mackley

Picking a nice line up the middle of the harbour to be the first to hook into the right hander off Mill Bay, Simon and Ali Potts led around Blackstone and stretched away in a gust to have a 100m lead coming back through the town. Mat Biggs and Ben Hollis rounded second but were soon passed by the flying Calverts on the run down to Yalton.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 1 - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

The next few legs of the course failed to separate the leaders with Simon and Ali just hanging onto the lead on the final run to crossways. All was still to play for and on the final approach to the line the leaders split tacks with Mat and Ben on port getting the cannon at the town end of the line by a boat length from Simon and Ali. The Calverts were just behind in third ahead of Chris Jennings and Pete Horn who had been solid in fourth all race. Steve Crook and Sally Townend took fifth with Will Warren and Mark Oakey in sixth.

It was a great first day for all the competitors and spectators with sunshine and breeze.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 1 - photo © Malcolm Mackley

Results after Day 1: