Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week - Day 2
by Tim Fells 5 Jul 2021 18:10 BST
4-9 July 2021
In contrast to the first morning rain, competitors at Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week were greeted by a morning of sunshine though precious little wind.
RACE 3: RED v BLUE Flights, COURSE 1,3,1,3
With the start of the flood tide holding the fleet back and what little wind there was seeming to be on the Portlemouth shore, most of the fleet favoured that end of the line. However, it was those who took the gamble of the town side who prospered with less tide and a lifting port tack up the shore. Local legend Will Henderson and son Arthur read the conditions best to lead up to the Fort and cross over to Blackstone in the lead. Christian Birrell and Ali Potts were the only team to do well up the Portlemouth shore and rounded in second followed by Joe Mclaughlin and Sean Roberts performing well.
On the patchy run to Crossways, Will and Arthur's lead was eroded and Roger and Jane Gilbert came up into third place.
Having initially played the Fisherman's beach side on the next beat, all the leaders crossed back over to the town side at the Ferry. Christian and Ali benefited from some lifting port pressure to close in on Will and Arthur and in a tacking duel put a penalty on them. This also allowed Roger and Jane to pull through into second.
The final run closed up the leaders and Christian and Ali chose to take the Batson side up to the line. Although Roger and Jane made gains on the Fisherman's side, the tidal gain in the final 100 meters up from The Ferry brought Christian and Ali home clear ahead for their first bullet. Roger and Jane were a comfortable second ahead of the Hendersons.
Tim Fells and Fran Gifford got the better of a race long battle with Mark Waterhouse and Mat Currel to take fourth and fifth with Alex Jackson and Chris Kilsby recovering superbly from two 720 penalty turns to take sixth.
RACE 4: GREEN v BLACK Flights, Course 1,7,2,5
Conditions were much the same for the start of the afternoon race but with the wind swinging round to the SE and building as the race progressed. Once again, the Portlemouth shore was a popular end due to the line bias but with more wind on the town side, those who started there and got onto port early had some pressure to take them away into an early lead.
At Blackstone the leaders came from the town side with Simon Potts and Holly McArthur leading around from Richard Whitworth and Jemima Scroggie ahead of Mike and Jane Calvert. Tom Gillard and Aaron Holman were the only team to take the Portlemouth shore route to be near the leaders and rounded fourth.
The run was a minefield with those who got low close to the town shore picking up a little breeze. Tom and Aaron moved into the lead but then the Calverts came through and picked up the new SE breeze to reach down through the harbour and extend away in increasing breeze down to Gerston.
From there on positions didn't change for the remainder of the long race. Mike and Jane took their first bullet of the week from Tom and Aaron who move into the overall lead with a 1,2. Ian Dobson and Charlotte Fildes brought the 'Rockatross' home in third ahead of Simon and Holly who added a fourth to take second overall.
Big climbers for the second day were Taxi Davis and Pippa Kilsby who were well back at the start and kept moving up the leader board to take fifth. Steve Crook and Sally Townend sailed a really strong race to keep their Hollingworth counterparts (Winder and Whitworth) at bay to take sixth.
All eyes are now on the forecast for Tuesday which looks like being top end after the main storm passes through overnight.
Results after day 2:
Pos | Sail No | Hull Colour | Flight | Boat name | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 |
1st | 3759 | Red | Black | Red Mistress | Thomas Gillard | Aaron Holman | Sheffield Viking SC | | 1 | | 2 |
2nd | 3802 | Grey | Black | Khalessi | Simon Potts | Holly McArthur | Burghfield Sailing Club | | 2 | | 4 |
3rd | 3722 | Grey | Red | Stealth | Roger Gilbert | Jane Gilbert | Frensham Pond Sailing Club | 4 | | 2 | |
4th | 3691 | Blue | Black | Quick Fix | Mike Calvert | Jane Calvert | Axe Sailing Club | | 6 | | 1 |
5th | 3788 | Blue | Blue | Blue my mind | Christian Birrell | Ali Potts | Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy | | 7 | 1 | |
6th | 3735 | White/Grey | Green | Attack of the Clones | Andy Davis | Pippa Kilsby | South Staffs Sailing Club | 3 | | | 5 |
7th | 3726 | Blue/White | Blue | Arwen | Will Henderson | Arthur Henderson | Salcombe Yacht Club | | 5 | 3 | |
8th | 3703 | Black/White | Green | Faithless | Richard Whitworth | Jemima Scroggie | Parkstone Yacht Club | 1 | | | 8 |
9th | 3804 | Blue | Green | Rockatross | Ian Dobson** | Charlotte Fildes | RYA | 7 | | | 3 |
10th | 3795 | Blue/Orange | Blue | Goon | Alex Jackson | Mary Henderson | Shoreham Sailing Club | | 4 | 6 | |
11th | 3678 | Black | Black | Nora | Steve Crook | Sally Townend | Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club | | 8 | | 6 |
12th | 3807 | Blue | Green | Baloo | Tim Saxton | Mary Henderson | Itchenor Sailing Club | 5 | | | 11 |
13th | 3803 | White/Black | Blue | Black Swan | Chris Gould | Caroline Croft | Lymington Town Sailing Club | | 3 | 14 | |
14th | 3611 | Grey | Red | The Phantom Menace | Jenny Dodds | Chris Dodds | Nottingham Sailing Club | 8 | | 11 | |
15th | 3676 | Blue/White | Green | Hot Totty | Antony Gifford | Jo Gifford | Royal Tay Yacht Club | 6 | | | 14 |
16th | 3716 | Yellow | Red | Carbon Footprint | Steve Leney | Gill Leney | Blithfield Sailing Club | 14 | | 7 | |
17th | 3641 | BlueWhite | Blue | Puff the magic dragon | Mark Waterhouse | Mat Currel | Parkstone Yacht Club | | 17 | 5 | |
18th | 3812 | TBC | Red | Maumahara | Peter Ballantine | Rob Allen | Salcombe Yacht Club | 9 | | 13 | |
19th | 3645 | Blue | Green | Blue Velvet | Steve Hall | Alison Hall | Royal Corinthian Yacht Club | 12 | | | 10 |
20th | 3801 | Grey | Black | Pokey | Matt Biggs | Beka Jones | Blithfield Sailing Club | | 14 | | 9 |
21st | 3709 | Blue/White | Green | Wild at heart | Rob Henderson | Alice Markham | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 15 | | | 12 |
22nd | 3687 | Yellow | Green | Mellow Yellow | Matt Greenfield | Hannah Greenfield | Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club | 10 | | | 18 |
23rd | 3679 | Green/White | Blue | Daddy's Boat | Nicholas Heginbotham | Will Smith | Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club | | 11 | 17 | |
24th | 3702 | Blue/Pink | Green | Salmon en croute | Duncan Salmon | Harriet Salmon | Salcombe Yacht Club | 13 | | | 15 |
25th | 3764 | Blue | Red | Fancy Liquor | Tim Fells | Frances Gifford | Salcombe Yacht Club | SCP | | 4 | |
26th | 3696 | White | Green | Tiger Tiger | Alex Warren | Jonty Freeman | Shoreham Sailing Club | 16 | | | 13 |
27th | 3749 | White | Black | Stanley | Colin Anderson | Sean Anderson | Blithfield Sailing Club | | 9 | | 21 |
28th | 3665 | Blue | Blue | Still not over | Ross Jackson | Dave Reid | Shoreham Sailing Club | | 18 | 12 | |
29th | 3724 | Blue | Red | Sublime | Joe Mclaughlin | Sean Roberts | Tamesis Club | 25 | | 8 | |
30th | 3799 | Grey/White | Blue | Simply Scrumptious | Paul Rayson | Christian Hill | Salcombe Yacht Club | | 10 | 23 | |
31st | 3598 | Black/White | Red | Bar Humbug | Robert Smith | Luke Moors | Salcombe Yacht Club | 20 | | 15 | |
32nd | 3652 | Purple | Green | Time and tide | John Bell | Suzi Bell | Hampton Sailing Club | 19 | | | 16 |
33rd | 3705 | Blue | Red | Two pints of lager | Geoff Wright | Katie Nkugwa | Blithfield Sailing Club | 17 | | 18 | |
34th | 3796 | Blue/White | Red | ROBERTA | William Warren | Megan Pascoe | Shoreham Sailing Club | 28 | | 9 | |
35th | 3787 | Red/White | Green | Quicksilver | Chris Martin | Samuel Bailey | Midland Sailing Club | 11 | | | 26 |
36th | 3659 | Mint | Red | Zeno | Julian Parry | John Burn | Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club | 21 | | 16 | |
37th | 3690 | Orange | Black | General Lee | Tim Harridge | Lucy Harridge | Hampton Sailing Club | | 13 | | 25 |
38th | 3746 | White/Grey | Black | Point 'n' squirt | James Wells | | Starcross Sailing Club | | 12 | | 27 |
39th | 3658 | White | Blue | Bernard | Chris Jennings | Rich Cornes | Burghfield Sailing Club | | 16 | 24 | |
40th | 3784 | Blue | Green | Strung along | Tony Johnson | Lou Johnson | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 24 | | | 19 |
41st | 3683 | Blue | Green | Blue Bird | Alex Haymen | Chloe George | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 29 | | | 17 |
42nd | 3769 | Grey | Black | The Mighty Disciple | Graham Cranford Smith | Fiona Cranford Smith | Salcombe Yacht Club | | 23 | | 23 |
43rd | 3715 | Black | Blue | Truly Scrumptious | Richard Cooke | Russell Hall | Wembley Sailing Club | | 15 | 34 | |
44th | 3622 | Green | Red | The Edge | Christian Hamilton | Jacintha Hamilton‑Love | Datchet Sailing Clab | 22 | | 27 | |
45th | 3756 | Blue | Green | ROBERT (Loan authority received.) | Sophie Mackley | James Ward | Shoreham Sailing Club | 32 | | | 22 |
46th | 3731 | Grey/Yellow | Blue | Mayhem | Andy Jones | | Burghfield Sailing Club | | 19 | 38 | |
47th | 3773 | White | Black | Number 34. | Alan K Warren | William Carroll | Shoreham Sailing Club | | 21 | | 36 |
48th | 3563 | TBC | Black | | David Hall | Claire Mills | Blackwater Sailing Club | | 22 | | 35 |
49th | 3714 | Blue | Red | Kevin | Alan Markham | Sue Markham | Upper Thames Sailing Club | 35 | | 22 | |
50th | 3745 | Grey | Black | Outnumbered | Paul Dean | Hannah Burt | Wembley Sailing Club | | 25 | | 33 |
51st | 3740 | Blue | Red | Why Ask | Patrick Blake | Jilly Blake | Cookham Reach Sailing Club | 23 | | 36 | |
52nd | 3607 | Black/White | Blue | Fifth Element | Steve Conroy | Anna Rayson | Fishers Green Sailing Club | | 33 | 26 | |
53rd | 3707 | Black | Red | Superfast Jellyfish | Phil Dalby** | Oliver Jenkins | Cookham Reach Sailing Club/RYC | 30 | | 29 | |
54th | 3725 | Blue | Black | Island Girl | Andrew Squire | Liz North | Salcombe Yacht Club | | 26 | | 34 |
55th | 3692 | Blue | Black | Nemo | Andy Dalby* | Julie Nuttall | Thames Sailing Club | | 31 | | 29 |
56th | 3794 | Grey/Orange | Red | Icthys | Julian Harms | Timothy Harms | Midland Sailing Club | 18 | | 43 | |
57th | 3569 | Purple | Green | Time Zulu | Ben Lulham | Samantha Lulham | Rutland Water Sailing Club | 31 | | | 32 |
58th | 3730 | Blue | Black | Blood sweat and beers | Paul Hollis | Michelle Evans | Blithfield Sailing Club | | 20 | | 44 |
59th | 3710 | BlueWhite | Black | Paradigm Shift | Jon Ibbotson | Isobel Stewart | Burghfield Sailing Club | | 36 | | 28 |
60th | 3748 | Grey | Red | White Tiger | Nigel Brooke | Lou Hosken | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 36 | | 28 | |
61st | 3813 | Blue | Red | Pacemaker | Steve Harling | Sam Wills | Starcross Sailing Club | 46 | | 19 | |
62nd | 3753 | White | Red | Appetite for destruction | Andy Bines | Rebecca Bines | Brightlingsea Sailing Club | 40 | | 25 | |
63rd | 3697 | Purple | Black | Too dark and stormy | Richard Page | Lucy Cooper | Hampton Sailing Club | | 24 | | 42 |
64th | 2663 | Blue | Red | Tyrannosaurus Rex | Chris Howarth | Michael Hamilton | Blackpool and Fleetwood Sailing Club | 26 | | 40 | |
65th | 3657 | Blue | Black | Revolution | Anthony Lofts | Francesca Rolin | Salcombe Yacht Club | | 28 | | 38 |
66th | 3805 | White | Black | Nermal | David Winder | Liv Bell | Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club | | (DNF) | DNC | 7 |
67th | 3704 | Grey/White | Black | Factory maid | Jemma Horwood | Nikki Bass | Thames Sailing Club | | 29 | | 40 |
68th | 3789 | Blue/Grey | Green | Off‑piste | Nick Scroggie | Edward Scroggie | Parkstone Yacht Club | 39 | | | 30 |
69th | 3648 | Blue | Blue | Bang Tidy | Antonia Wright | Jamie Wright | Shoreham Sailing Club | | 32 | 37 | |
70th | 3675 | White | Blue | White Sauce er er (Loan authority receiv | David Croft | Rosemary Croft | RYA | | 35 | 35 | |
71st | 3790 | Blue | Blue | Pointer | Colin Brockbank | Vana Vlastaki | Wembley Sailing Club | | (DNF) | 10 | DNC |
72nd | 3757 | Blue | Green | Space Hopper | Tim Parsons | Alan Ritchie | Lyme Regis Sailing Club | 34 | | | 37 |
73rd | 3761 | Grey | Blue | Beast Quest | David Bursey | Frances Bursey | Parkstone Yacht Club | | 30 | 42 | |
74th | 3547 | Blue | Black | Moondance Assasin | Peter Male | Tim Male | Blithfield Sailing Club | | 34 | | 41 |
75th | 3602 | Green/White | Green | Ambience | Martin Evans | Chris Evans | Cookham Reach Sailing Club | 27 | | | 50 |
76th | 3698 | Mint | Red | Twinkle Toes | David Downs | Emily Taylor | Tata Steel Sailing Club | 33 | | 44 | |
77th | 3647 | Blue | Black | Liquid dreams | Hywel Bowen Perkins | TBC | Salcombe Yacht Club | | 39 | | 39 |
78th | 3751 | Blue | Green | Narnia | Phil Emery | Phoebe Payne | Whitstable Yacht Club | 48 | | | 31 |
79th | 3463 | Pink | Red | Smoke on the water | Jonathan Cowper | TBC | Hunts Sailing Club | 47 | | 33 | |
80th | 3539 | Grey | Black | Gansta Paradise | Dan Alsop | TBC | Lyme Regis Sailing Club | | (DNF) | DNC | 20 |
81st | 3747 | Grey | Blue | Ned (Loan authority received.) | Jason Andrews | Sandy Ramus | Eastbourne Sailing Club | | (WAY) | 20 | DNC |
82nd | 3797 | Dark Blue | Red | Fata Morgan | Mark Elkington | Sarah Roberts | Starcross Sailing Club | (DNF) | | 21 | DNC |
83rd | 3485 | White | Blue | Ashling | Barry Dunning | Jerry Rook | Royal Lymington Yacht Club | | 38 | 45 | |
84th | 3706 | Grey | Red | Monkey Puzzle | Kevin Anderson | Sadie Anderson | Salcombe Yacht Club | 38 | | 46 | |
85th | 3734 | Black | Red | The Black Boat | Philip Ashworth | Alison Ashworth | Weymouth Sailing Club | 43 | | 41 | |
86th | 3727 | Grey | Green | Fragile | Mark Stockbridge | James Gifford | Burghfield Sailing Club | (BFD) | | DNC | 24 |
87th | 3511 | Red | Blue | Heaven Sent | Andrew Mills | Ellie Mills | Hampton Sailing Club | | 37 | 48 | |
88th | 3625 | TBC | Black | Point Break | Andrew Harris | Sarah Warren | Tamesis Club | | 27 | | BFD |
89th | 3548 | Blue | Red | Firestarter | Kevin Rose | Tim Williams | Upper Thames Sailing Club | 42 | | 47 | |
90th | 3644 | Red | Green | Marleen | Jon Bloice | Philippa Bloice | Whitstable Yacht Club | 45 | | | 45 |
91st | 3767 | Black | Blue | One Love | Ben Archer | Olivia Bellini | Parkstone Yacht Club | | | 30 | DNC |
92nd | 3589 | Red/White | Green | Fat bottom girl | John Hollands | Alexandra Parker | Hampton Sailing Club | 37 | | | 54 |
93rd | 3806 | Blue | Blue | Blue Tit | Ben Jones | Helen Hilditch | Shoreham Sailing Club | | | 31 | DNC |
94th | 3567 | Turquoise | Blue | Fat Boy Slim | Martin Smith | Karen Beston | Blithfield Sailing Club | | 40 | 52 | |
95th | 3583 | Blue | Green | Back to the future | Ben Eaves | Oliie Maclean | Redditch Sailing Club | 44 | | | 48 |
96th | 3578 | White | Blue | White Rabbit | Godfrey Clark | Tim Williams | Fishers Green Sailing Club | | | 32 | DNC |
97th | 3672 | White | Green | Bola Bola | John Cooper | Hilary Bradshaw | Whitstable Yacht Club | 41 | | | 52 |
98th | 3771 | Blue | Red | Skip (Loan authority received). | Laurie Smart | Alex Pausey | Upper Thames Sailing Club | | | 39 | DNC |
99th | 3770 | Black | Black | Shiny | Jon Steward | Annabel Steward | Fishers Green Sailing Club | | (DNF) | DNC | 43 |
100th | 3621 | Blue | Black | Raunchy | Tristram Squire | Peter Slack | Salcombe Yacht Club | | (DNF) | DNC | 46 |
101st | 3673 | White | Green | The Oldie | Eddy Atkins | Jack Norton | Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club | (WAY) | | DNC | 47 |
102nd | 3750 | Grey | Black | Indiscretion | Neal Lillywhite | Freya Lillywhite | Burghfield Sailing Club | | (DNF) | DNC | 49 |
103rd | 2604 | Red | Blue | Satisfaction | Jeremy Stein | Sarah Percival | Upper Thames Sailing Club | | | 49 | DNC |
104th | 3587 | White | Blue | Mistral | Henry Mason | Jack Tosh | Blithfield Sailing Club | | (DNF) | 50 | DNC |
105th | 1097 | Varnished | Black | Flinkidink | Stuart Jenkins | Imogen Jenkins | Hampton Sailing Club | | (DNF) | DNC | 51 |
106th | 3561 | White | Blue | Snorting | Joe Shaw | Patricia Hickey | Wembley Sailing Club | | | 51 | DNC |
107th | 3530 | Yellow | Green | Sir Topaz | Mike Colles | Nigel Denchfield | Midland Sailing Club | (DNF) | | DNC | 53 |
108th | 3586 | Grey | Blue | Shadowplay | Kieron Mason | George Mason | Blithfield Sailing Club | | (DNF) | 53 | DNC |
109th | 3650 | Lilac | Red | Head Case | Gareth Griffiths | Krysti Galpin | Lymington Town Sailing Club | (DNF) | | 54 | DNC |
110th | 3599 | Red | Blue | Harry | Nigel Cooper | Annabel Cooper | Hampton Sailing Club | | (DNF) | 55 | DNC |
111th | 3800 | Blue | Blue | Brambles | Richard Bramley | Tony Cheal | Shoreham Sailing Club | | (DNF) | 56 | DNC |
112th | 3502 | Blue/White | Green | Shindig | Scott Smith | Christopher Smith | Upper Thames Sailing Club | | | DNC | DNC |
112th | 3333 | White | Green | Precious | John Adams | Zoe Adams | Tamesis Club | | | DNC | DSQ |
112th | 3341 | White | Black | Avalanche | John Heath | Nicola Scaddon | Hampton Sailing Club | | (DNF) | DNC | DNF |
112th | 3368 | Red | Red | Debutant | Ian Laing | Andrew Hunt | Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club | (DNF) | | DNC | DNC |
112th | 3654 | Black | Red | Tales of Acapulco | Geoffrey Cox | TBC | Parkstone Yacht Club | (DNF) | | DNC | DNC |