Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week 2025 at Salcombe Yacht Club - Runners and Riders
by Phil McCrakin 16 Jun 11:59 BST
29 June - 4 July 2025
Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Salcombe Yacht Club Week © Lucy Burn
Strap In, It's Nearly That Time Again
With Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week just around the corner and the sacred PDF of doom (AKA the flights list) finally released, the WhatsApp groups are already ablaze. Sails are being tweaked, excuses rehearsed, and Salcombe Harbour is bracing for impact.
Who's in your flight? Who's sailing when? And more importantly, will the title be decided in the sunshine on Friday morning, or from the green with an ice cream in hand, nervously watching your rivals get the breeze you didn't?
Rumours are already flying faster than a Salcombe ebb tide, and every armchair tactician is suddenly back in full swing. But enough speculation, it's time to get stuck into it. Here are your Runners and Riders, flight by glorious flight, plus our highly questionable predictions on who might end up sniffing silver.
Red - am/am/pm/pm/pm/am
Yikes - that's a tough fleet. Top of the list (because of their sail number) is Tim Saxton and Holly MacArthur, no strangers to Salcombe and with a race win last year they can certainly cope under pressure. If the kids let them have their sleep and they don't get carried away building dams or sandcastles on Mill Bay, this will be a team to watch.
Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey may be National Champions, but Salcombe Week has eluded them, some may say they are always the bridesmaid - this year will the tides turn? Christian and Izzi recently married (congratulations!) with the ceremony in Salcombe, was there a special wish that day to turn his fortunes on the result this July?
Ignore Will and Arthur Henderson at your peril. Consistency is key and this team is ready to spoil their party with their talent and their local knowledge. They squeezed into the top ten in 2024 with every result in single digits. What will 2025 hold?
Green - am/pm/am/pm/am/pm
Yikes - that's a tough fleet. Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley are putting together a very tidy 2025 season so far (we don't want to curse anyone!). Familiar with coming home first in a series, they secured 5th place overall in 2024 with consistent performances, including a race win. They are a strong contender for the overall win.
Caroline Gould and Livvy Bell are just warming up. With Caroline nursing a torn ACL. Don't be fooled by their lack of time on the water. They are rested and ready to do battle to challenge her sixth overall in 2024.
Alex Jackson pairing up with Alex Warren will be looking to go better than his unlucky 13th in 2024. Both Salcombe Week winning crews they know the waters, they know the boat and they are putting the training in. Surely a team to challenge the podium?
Blue - pm/am/am/am/pm/pm
Yikes - that's a tough fleet. Mike and Jane Calvert will be on the start line in their new boat. Known for their precision and preparation, you can be sure they've spent the time optimising her. With their proven track record all eyes will be on them to see how quickly they unlock its full potential.
Also, in blue, we have Tim Fells and Frances Gifford (10th in 2024). Both local to Salcombe and former winners of the week, they are not to be ruled out. They will be getting plenty of time on the water in Salcombe, but is the practice in the right boat? Let's not forget James Goss and Chris White (11th in 2024), they will be hot on their transom looking to better their result.
Black - pm/pm/pm/am/am/am
Yikes - that's a tough fleet. Tom Gillard won the week in 2024 sailing with Ollie Meadowcroft. He's back with Rachael Gray in the front. They are no strangers and have one the week twice before together, can they make it hat trick?
Tom Stewart and Rob Allen paired up in 2023 and since then are moving forward in the fleet. In 2024 they finished 19th but with two scores in single digits they will be looking for more of those this July.
George Yeoman and Mark Oakey have been putting the hours in away from the circuit. Last year they finished eighth overall, putting in 1,2,2 within their scoreline and will be looking to their bag of talent to find some consistency this year in their whole series.
Gold, Silver and Bronze Fleets
There are many races within races happening in Salcombe and it would be rude of us to not include the hotly contested Gold, Silver and Bronze Fleets.
In Gold, we have Matt and Hannah Greenfield, 14th in 2024, their life is not going to made easy by Tom Ballantine and Maddie Anderson, another pairing in the fleet with local knowledge on their side, they finished 15th overall in 2024. Plus, you can never rule out William Warren and Andy Prince, a relatively new pairing, as a former Salcombe Week winner William knows where he needs to put the boat, they have been training over the winter, let's hope too many don't get in his way.
Chris Haworth and Stuart Aston sailed away with the silver fleet in 2024 in their restored Shadowfax, the very boat Chris came third and then at National Championships in 1985 and 1986 with Nigel Howarth and Pete Richards. They are back, and tussling for top position will be Andy Harris and Sara Warren who finished second Silver in 2024 and John Bell sailing with Suzi Bell in third.
Our 2024 Bronze fleet winners are back; Mark McKeever and Alex Homer will be looking to defend their title. But hot on their transom will be Class Chairman Stuart Jenkins and Nicola Scaddan, they are putting the time in on the circuits in their various boats, which boat will they pick, something tells me it might depend on the forecast? Let's not forget Rob Hatley and Lucy Hatley. Rob finished third in 2024 sailing with his son Joe, the last time Rob and his wife Lucy sailed in Salcombe was back in 2002.
Rob has been helping the class transition to Sailing Club Manager; will his volunteer work be rewarded on the water?
And if you believe ChatGPT, just for a bit of fun AI thinks the Helly Hansen Salcombe Week Champions will be... Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray (let's hope we haven't cursed their week!).
Save the date - 29th June to 4th July, tune into the action on the Merlin Rocket Facebook and Instagram, plus the coverage on Y&Y.
On behalf of all the competitors thank you to the sponsors Helly Hansen, Craftinsure, Creation Covers, and CF by L and L.
Have you got FOMO? Rumour has it there is space for more entries. Don't delay, enter today! www.salcombeyc.org.uk/event/1050919