Aspire Merlin Rocket Nationals at Lyme Regis Sailing Club
by Tim Fells 17 Aug 2018 19:33 BST
19-24 August 2018
2012 Merlin Rocket nationals at Lyme Regis © Mike Rice /
www.fotoboat.com
For a class that is well into its seventh decade, the Merlin Rocket continues to be at the forefront of UK dinghy racing.
Sunday 19th August will see over 60 teams line up for the first race of the ASPIRE Merlin National Championships at Lyme Regis and the fleet once again is crammed with talent. Anyone who can make it into the top twenty by the close of the nine race series on Friday 24th, will have sailed exceptionally well.
The leading contenders for the title are likely to come from an elite group of sailors who have delivered consistently in major events. With a forecast for light to moderate winds, racing is expected to be incredibly tight and it will be those teams who can keep their noses clean who will prevail.
Defending his title, Nick Craig has drafted in long term super-crew Tobytastic Lewis and we expect them to be the team to beat. Although conditions will not give Nick the opportunity to show his big breeze muscle, he rarely puts a foot wrong and will be expected to deliver consistent top end results.
Nick's old sparring partner Roger Gilbert will again be teamed up with James Stewart, a formidable partnership who took the title in 2016. Another team who are rarely out of position on the track, we would expect them to be in contention to the death.
Andy 'Taxi' Davis and Alex Warren continue to be the team to beat on the Merlin Silver Tiller circuit and having pushed Nick all the way to the 2017 title, are sure to be another of the elite front runners.
Ben and Roz McGrane are yet to win the Merlin title but are so consistent at the front of the fleet. Roz's 'Uber-Hiking' is the stuff of legend and motherhood has done nothing to curb her will to win. Combined with Ben's razor-sharp race craft they will surely be another team expected to challenge for the title.
Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey have spent a couple of years honing their Merlin skills having moved in from the Fireballs where they were a dominant partnership. There is no doubt that they have the skills and drive to be serious contenders for a first Merlin major.
Homegrown Merlin talent, Chris Gould and Chris Kilsby, are a young team on the verge of greatness. Fast and technically strong, they have been adding top end race management skills to their armoury and are now primed for a shot at a big title.
A very interesting team to watch will be Simon Blake with the super competitive Tom Pygall. Simon, having recently won Salcombe Merlin Weekand has the one off Jo Richards design 'Superfast Jellyfish' which has recently undergone some radical weight reduction to now be on class minimum. There is every possibility that Simon and Tom may have the winning boat speed Joker to play and certainly have the skills to deliver.
Alongside, these formidable teams, and with the forecast favouring the lighter speedsters, we would add Mike and Jane Calvert to the front runners. Having modified their Canterbury Tales over the winter, they may have found that extra edge to add to their already prodigious light airs speed.
Of course, these teams represent just the tip of a highly talented iceberg of proven winners. With a vast array of National and World champions in the fleet any one of a number of other teams could step up and grab the title. Pick one of any of the following; Sam and Megan Pascoe; Simon and Ally Potts; Will and Mary Henderson; Tim Fells and Fran Gifford; Chris Jennings and Oli Wells; Roger Philips and Will Crocker; William Warren and Alice Rook; Caroline Croft and Mat Lulham-Robinson; Jon Turner and Richard Parslow; David and Oliver Winder; Matt Biggs and Beka Jones; Steve Hall and James Ward; Ben Palmer and Konrad Weaver; Dave Wade and Rachel Rhodes; Jon Gorringe and Pete Gray; Richard Whitworth and Jemima Scroggie.
As ever, there will be strong competition throughout the fleet with the coveted Silver Fleet and Bronze Fleet titles each being contested by around 15 boats. Previous winners have been promoted to the next level so opening the door for first timers.
The team at Lyme Regis have put in a huge amount of work together with our irrepressible championships organiser Ian Mackenzie to deliver a fantastic event both on and off the water. ASPIRE, the financial services provider are back as our title sponsor so a big thanks to them, as well as Magic Marine, Winder Boats, HD Sails and many others who we will mention in our daily reports.