Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week - Day 3

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 3 © Malcolm Mackley

Who says that light airs racing is boring? The morning race on day three was a roller coaster that went all the way to the line in a nail-biting finish.

Blue v Green flights Course 1,3,1,3,13

Conditions at the start were not auspicious with a very light and patchy breeze from the SSE leading to a rare sight; the whole fleet started on port tack. Smartest of the leading contenders were the Calverts who got a beautifully timed start in pressure in the middle of the line and led up to and around Blackstone mark.

The tricky conditions led to many new faces around the leading pack with locals AJ Squire and Laura Evans notable among them. However, normal service was soon resumed with the Calverts leading Taxi and Alex with Chrises Gould and Kilby in third. These three were engrossed in a tight battle and on the final beat continued to play the Portlemouth shore seaward of the ferry landing but headed into what looked like a big hole up to Mill Bay.

Behind them, boats started to cross to the town side where they enjoyed good pressure and a port lift up the shore to the rocks. Beyond this the new breeze coming out of North Sands gave them a right hander into Blacktone.

The teams that capitalized most were Sophie Mackley and Mary Henderson; Olly Turner and Holly; Mark Waterhouse and Mat Currell; and Scott and Simon and Ali Potts. The Calverts extricated themselves in seventh with Taxi and Alex just in the top ten and the Chrises down in thirteenth.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 3 - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

On the run down to Crossways, Olly and Holly chose the better line to round clear ahead but new breeze brought those up from behind with eight boats rounding in a bunch. Olly and Holly kept a watchful cover up Ditch End to the Ferry while those behind engaged in boat on boat combat.

In the final push for the line Olly and Holly took one too many final tacks up the shore beyond the ferry and were left struggling on port in the middle of the stream while Sophie and Mary were powering through underneath them. In the tightest of finishes, with the watching spectators screaming for their favourites, Olly and Holly took the cannon by a spinnaker shute.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 3 - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

Mike and Jane Calvert did extraordinarily well to recover up to third, Mark Waterhouse and Mat Currell sailed the race of their lives to snatch fourth ahead of Simon and Ali with Taxi and Alex sixth.

Red v Black flights Course 1,Y,6,1,3

For the afternoon race the sun was out and the wind had settled to a steadier F2-3 but with more of a Southerly direction which would favour the Portlemouth end of the line. With an adverse flood tide and a one minute black flag, the challenge was to win the pin on the beach. Executing to perfection, Richard Whitworth and Sam Mottershead were first on to port just off the sand and away down the harbour. Although there was a left hander at the top, Richard and Sam were able to cross clear ahead to take a good lead onto the run. William Warren and Mark Oakey were in second and Tony and Louise Johnson an excellent third.

Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week day 3 - photo © John Murrell / www.moor2seaeventphotography.co.uk

On the loop down Yalton creek and then around down Frogmore creek Richard and Sam maintained a good lead. On exiting from mark 6, Jon Turner and Richard Parslow who had been in fifth found a great right hander to pull up into second and take up the chase. At the top end of the beat Jon and Richard played the left hand side past Mill Bay and found another good lift to take them past Richard and Sam into the lead on the final run.

With Jon and Richard comfortably in the lead, the race was on for the final placings. Tim Fells and Fran Gifford who had been in leading bunch all around found a great line down the middle of the harbour to move up to second, followed by William and Mark. Places remained unchanged on the final leg to the line giving the legends Jon and Richard their first win for many years. No doubt Richard may have a bit to say about this!

Jon Turner & Richard Parslow roll back the years on day 3 at Sharps Doom Bar Salcombe Merlin Week - photo © David Henshall

Richard and Sam came home fourth ahead of Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey who had a great last run. Tony and Louise Johnson sailed a fantastic race to take sixth.

Six races down and we have had six different race winners, showing both the competitiveness of the fleet and that this is a very open competition.

Tim and Fran have now taken the lead at the half way stage by one point from Taxi and Alex with Simon and Ali Potts another place back. When the discard comes in it will be very tight at the top.

Results after Day 3: