Aspire Merlin Rocket Nationals at Lyme Regis Sailing Club - Day 3
by Tim Fells 21 Aug 2018 18:51 BST
19-24 August 2018
Despite a forecast which encouraged making plans for a day on the beach, almost on cue a SSW Force 3 clocked in under wall-to-wall sunshine. What was not to like?
The eager fleet lined up for race 5 full of expectation for a truly great day's racing. Maybe their enthusiasm got the better of them for after a general recall under U Flag, the Black Flag appeared, and two more general recalls occurred, with a major impact on the top teams. First to go, with Yellow Leaders jerseys shining brightly in the sun, were Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey, closely followed by Chris Jennings and Oli Wells and Nick Craig and Tobytastic. Simon and Ally Potts together with Tim Fells and Fran Gifford were also sent home for an ice cream on the beach.
At the fourth time of asking, the fleet was away with Roger Gilbert and James Stewart making the early running. However, a bit more pressure on the left brought Chris Gould and Chris Kilsby in first at the mark, followed by Taxi and Alex Warren, then Roger and James.
These places remained unchanged, despite many attacks and ripostes, until the final run to the finish. Taxi managed to push the Chris's to the left of the leeward mark meaning they had to gybe on the mark, while Taxi was coming in hot, enabling him to get above them and roll them on the final dash to the line.
Roger and James came home third ahead of the rapidly improving Mike and Jane Calvert, keeping both these teams in with a shout if Christian and Sam have further slip ups. Jon Turner and Richard Parslow continued their strong regatta with a fifth, ahead of Dave Wade and Rachel Rhodes.
Shortly after the dust had settled on the championship race, the main event of the day ensued. Over 20 crews grabbed the opportunity to give their helms a taste of their own medicine and lined up in near perfect conditions for the 2018 Crews Race. After an obligatory general recall, the fleet were away with James Ward and Steve Hall making the early running, closely pursued by Rachel Rhodes who had called on the skills of I14 World Champion crew Sam Pascoe as clearly Dave Wade should not be let anywhere near the front end of the boat. Chasing hard were Pete Gray with the ample frame of Jon Gorringe keeping the stem submerged, along with Oli Wells and Chris Jennings whose spinnaker flying can only be described as truly woeful.
As soon as the need to fly spinnakers came in to play, the wheat was separated from the chaff. Ally and Simon Potts scorched to the front of the fleet and never looked back, taking the coveted title ahead of Fran Gifford and Tim Fells.
The forecast for Wednesday looks like more of the same and with two races scheduled, it could be the main moving day of the week.
Silver Fleet report
The Silver Fleet suffered one or two black flag casualties today.
Deserving winners were Sam and Leanne Thompson who beat Richard Dee and Colin Anderson into second place. Third were flying ladies Sophie Mackley and Claire Mills. Sophie and Claire hold onto the Silver Fleet leaders jersey going into Day 4, another 2-race day. And Sophie is in 2nd position for the Amazons Cup – 1st Lady Helm overall – in hot pursuit of Gold Fleet's Caroline Croft.
Bronze Fleet report
Day 3 of the Merlin Rocket National Championships and another shake up for Bronze Fleet Mark Smyth/Julie Cronshaw and John Cooper/Beci Wigley counted amongst the eleven black flagged boats of todays race and missed out on the champagne sailing conditions Lyme Bay offered today.
Phil and Ali Ashworth got themselves into top gear and did their best to hunt down the second placed Bronze Fleet boat Paul Dean/Szymon Matyjasczuk who sailed outstandingly to finish 32nd overall. It was Ben Archer/Theo Harris who stamped their authority on the fleet, finishing 28th despite counting a 5 point tally penalty. The battle continues with Dean/Matyjaszczuk remaining series leaders going into Day 4 and another two-race day.
Results after Day 3:
Pos | Boat Name | Number | Fleet | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts |
1st | Blue My Mind | 3788 | G | Christian Birrell | Sam Brearey | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | (BFD) | 5 |
2nd | Stealth | 3722 | G | Roger Gilbert | James Stewart | 2 | 4 | -11 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
3rd | Quick Fix | 3691 | G | Mike Calvert | Jane Calvert | -12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 16 |
4th | Keyser Soze | 3684 | G | Andy Davis | Alex Warren | 5 | 5 | -26 | 13 | 1 | 24 |
5th | Bernard | 3658 | G | Chris Jennings | Oli Wells | 6 | 3 | 8 | 7 | (BFD) | 24 |
6th | Panther | 3774 | G | Jon Turner | Richard Parslow | 8 | 10 | 4 | -22 | 5 | 27 |
7th | Dory | 3739 | G | Ben McGrane | Roz McGrane | 4 | 8 | -9 | 9 | 7 | 28 |
8th | Red Mistress | 3759 | G | Sam Pascoe | Megan Pascoe | 7 | 7 | 10 | -26 | 8 | 32 |
9th | The Oldie | 3673 | G | Caroline Croft | Matt Lullham-Robinson | 11 | -30 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 33 |
10th | Peer Pressure | 3778 | G | Chris Gould | Chris Kilsby | 19 | 2 | 19 | -21 | 2 | 42 |
11th | Goon | 3795 | G | Alex Jackson | Pippa Kilsby | 15 | -23 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 43 |
12th | Metachrosis | 3736 | G | Roger Phillips | Will Crocker | 17 | 15 | 5 | 11 | -18 | 48 |
13th | Didley Squat | 3791 | G | Jon Gorringe | Peter Gray | 9 | 6 | 15 | -25 | 20 | 50 |
14th | Arwen | 3726 | G | Will Henderson | Mary Henderson | -23 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 54 |
15th | Doris | 3786 | G | David Wade | Rachel Rhodes | 26 | 11 | 13 | -40 | 6 | 56 |
16th | Robert | 3756 | S | Sophie Mackley | Claire Mills | 22 | 13 | 12 | 10 | -23 | 57 |
17th | Messy Monty | 3776 | G | Nick Craig | Toby Lewis | 3 | 14 | 28 | 16 | (BFD) | 61 |
18th | Fancy Liquor | 3764 | G | Tim Fells | Frances Gifford | 14 | 12 | 23 | 12 | (BFD) | 61 |
19th | The Bear | 3766 | G | Andy Dalby | Peter Horn | 10 | 19 | 24 | -42 | 13 | 66 |
20th | Pokin The Turtle | 3743 | G | Matt Biggs | Beka Jones | -40 | 34 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 73 |
21st | Blue Velvet | 3645 | G | Steve Hall | James Ward | 13 | 16 | 14 | -32 | 31 | 74 |
22nd | Point N Squirt | 3746 | G | Dan Willett | Pete Nicholson | -28 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 76 |
23rd | Hullabaloo | 3768 | G | Ben Palmer | Konrad Weaver | 20 | -35 | 25 | 20 | 16 | 81 |
24th | Sylvia | 3711 | S | Sam Thompson | Leanne Thompson | -25 | 25 | 21 | 15 | 21 | 82 |
25th | Roberta | 3796 | G | William Warren | Alice Rook | -33 | 28 | 27 | 18 | 15 | 88 |
26th | Filthy/Gorgeous | 3670 | G | Tim Parsons | Sarah Parsons | 24 | 27 | -41 | 17 | 25 | 93 |
27th | The Force Awakens | 3781 | G | David Winder | Oliver Winder | 27 | 18 | 39 | -43 | 10 | 94 |
28th | Three Dee | 3765 | S | Richard Dee | Colin Anderson | 18 | 29 | -36 | 31 | 22 | 100 |
29th | Bluebird | 3683 | S | Ben Jones | Helen Hilditch | 34 | -40 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 101 |
30th | Faithless | 3703 | G | Richard Whitworth | Jemima Scroggie | 21 | -45 | 30 | 41 | 19 | 111 |
31st | Why Ask | 3740 | S | Pat Blake | Jilly Blake | 29 | 31 | 22 | 35 | (BFD) | 117 |
32nd | Disciple | 3769 | S | Graham Cranford-Smith | Stephen Penfold | 30 | -41 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 117 |
33rd | General Lee | 3690 | S | Tim Harridge | Lucy Burn | 35 | 22 | 40 | -44 | 33 | 130 |
34th | Fragile | 3727 | G | Mark Stockbridge | Neil Davies | 37 | 26 | 29 | 39 | (BFD) | 131 |
35th | Strung Along | 3784 | G | Mark Barwell | Louise Johnson | -46 | 33 | 37 | 30 | 37 | 137 |
36th | Outnumbered | 3745 | B | Paul Dean | Szymon Matyjaszczuk | -48 | 37 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 137 |
37th | Mockingjay | 3777 | G | Simon Potts | Ally Potts | (DNF) | DNC | 6 | 4 | BFD | 138 |
38th | Quicksilver | 3787 | S | Chris Martin | Samuel Bailey | 42 | 24 | 49 | 24 | (BFD) | 139 |
39th | Gangsta Paradise | 3539 | S | Dan Alsop | Cameron Moss | 36 | 36 | 44 | -52 | 27 | 143 |
40th | One Love | 3767 | B | Ben Archer | Theo Harris | 31 | 39 | -47 | 45 | TAL05 | 144 |
41st | Velella | 3772 | S | John Cooper | Phil Emery | 32 | -47 | 43 | 29 | 40 | 144 |
42nd | Pocket Rocket | 3566 | S | James Wells | Anna Aylwood | 41 | 44 | 33 | (DNC) | 30 | 148 |
43rd | The Angels' Share | 3779 | S | David Lee | Sam Willis | 39 | 42 | 42 | -46 | 29 | 152 |
44th | Shmoozy Blue | 3661 | S | Graham Scroggie | Ben Scroggie | 38 | 32 | (RET) | 50 | 35 | 155 |
45th | The Black Boat | 3734 | B | Phil Ashworth | Ali Ashworth | 51 | -54 | 46 | 27 | 34 | 158 |
46th | Pointer | 3790 | S | Colin Brockbank | Sue Brough | -55 | 51 | 35 | 37 | 36 | 159 |
47th | NKS | 3732 | B | John Cooper | Becci Wigley | 43 | 38 | 32 | 47 | (BFD) | 160 |
48th | Night Fury | 3775 | G | Simon Blake | Tom Pygall | 16 | 17 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 161 |
49th | After Hours | 3585 | B | John Fildes | Charlotte Fildes | -54 | 50 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 165 |
50th | Duck and Dive | 3713 | B | Steve Harling | Eleanor Thomas | -53 | 49 | 51 | 33 | 43 | 176 |
51st | Ichthys | 3794 | B | Julian Harms | Timothy Harms | 44 | 48 | 45 | -55 | 42 | 179 |
52nd | Dark Star | 3720 | B | Fraser Earle | Katie Frost | 47 | 43 | -57 | 49 | 41 | 180 |
53rd | Narnia | 3751 | B | Huw Reynolds | Phil Scott | 45 | 53 | -61 | 48 | 46 | 192 |
54th | Cool Cookie | 3620 | B | Tom Procter | Henry Hutchison | 50 | -58 | 50 | 56 | 38 | 194 |
55th | Rocket Science 2 | 3785 | B | Robin Charles | Nick Medlicott | 52 | 46 | 48 | 54 | (BFD) | 200 |
56th | Vitesse | 3614 | B | Geoff Kimber | Helen Kimber | 49 | 52 | 52 | -53 | 50 | 203 |
57th | Urban Warrior | 3668 | B | Mark Smyth | Julie Cronshaw | 59 | 55 | 54 | 36 | (BFD) | 204 |
58th | Never Been to Salcombe | 3582 | B | Tom Daniel | Tom Murphy | -57 | 56 | 53 | 51 | 48 | 208 |
59th | Seas the Day | 3792 | B | Alistair McDonald | Liz King | 60 | 60 | 55 | (DNF) | 45 | 220 |
60th | Brambles | 3800 | B | Richard Bramley | Louise Carr | 56 | 57 | -60 | 60 | 47 | 220 |
61st | Born to be Wild | 3783 | B | Miles James | Justine Mason | (DNC) | DNC | 56 | 58 | 44 | 222 |
62nd | Snorting | 3561 | B | Joe Shaw | Sel Shah | 58 | -59 | 58 | 59 | 51 | 226 |
63rd | Wizard in Blue | 3449 | B | Carl Whitehill | Sam Whitehill | (DNC) | DNC | 59 | 57 | TAL05 | 234 |