Allen Merlin Rocket Inland Championship 2026 at Oxford Sailing Club

Jon Gorringe and Liam Gardner find their warp drive on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford © Matthew Bell

The Merlin Rocket fleet descended on Oxford Sailing Club for the 2026 Allen Inland Championships on the 26th and 27th September, with a forecast that promised almost everything over the course of the weekend.

As it turned out, it delivered just that: six races, six different race winners, everything from drifting conditions to big gusts, and more ups and downs than anyone really needed.

Ollie Meadowcroft and Alex Pausey engage river sailing mode on day 1 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

Saturday - searching for wind

Saturday morning greeted the fleet with a glassy millpond and very little sign of the promised breeze. Boats were nevertheless rigged and ready for a start time that had been brought forward in the hope of making the most of the forecast window of wind - only for racing to be postponed while everyone waited for something, anything, to materialise.

Eventually enough breeze arrived to get Race 1 under way. Ollie Meadowcroft and Alex Pausey made the best of the light and fickle conditions to take the first bullet of the weekend following their motto "land on the left, go left", with Tim Saxton and Holly McArthur second and Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley third.

The wind then disappeared again between races, leaving plenty of discussion around the fleet about whether that might be it for the day. However, a zephyr eventually filled in and the race team seized the opportunity to get Race 2 away.

Alex Jackson and Rebecca Videlo also showing off their river sailing prowess on day 1 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

What followed was an extremely shifty, light-wind affair, with some fairly brutal snakes and ladders that proved almost impossible to avoid. Chris and Sophie led for much of the race, before a complete shutdown effectively rolled the dice once again. Alex Jackson and Rebecca Videlo emerged from the reshuffle to take the win, with Matt and Ben Shorrock coming through into second and Tim and Holly third.

On the final lap the wind shut down almost completely and the fleet limped towards the finish line. With two races safely in the bag, the race officer sensibly called time for the day. By that point, few needed much persuading to head ashore for a pint in the sunshine.

Sunset over Farmoor Reservoir - photo © Mark Stockbridge

Sunday - a rather different Farmoor

Sunday morning was immediately more encouraging. Rustling trees and flapping sails greeted the fleet, and with a forecast of around 12-20 knots, it looked as though we were in for a cracking day on the water and a good chance of completing the remaining four races.

The race team once again got things under way extremely promptly at 10.30am - catching a few people out for the second morning running. Although there was considerably more wind, consistency was still in short supply. Some enormous shifts swept across the course and even the more numerically minded members of the fleet struggled to make much sense of their compasses.

Start line action on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

Race 3 added another ingredient: confusion over the number of laps. The leading three boats sailed through the finish line without a gun before eventually realising that, unfortunately for them, they still had another trip upwind to make.

That shuffled the pack and gave Taxi Davis and Becky Caiger, who it turns out could correctly read a course board, the opportunity they needed. They sailed a great final lap to become the weekend's third different race winner. Caroline Gould and Isobel Stewart also made the most of the opportunity to take a well-earned second, with Alex and Rebecca third.

Alex Jackson and Rebecca Videlo working the pressure on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

By Race 4 the breeze was slowly but steadily increasing. The fleet also managed its first general recall of the weekend, prompting the appearance of Flag U - the naughty flag. That brought everyone swiftly back into line. Chris and Sophie finally converted their weekend-long pace into a bullet, with Ollie and Alex close behind and the Shorrocks third. Four races completed, four different winners.

Race 5 began in around 15 knots, although the huge shifts remained and conventional tactics were still proving rather unreliable. The reaches were getting tighter and there were enormous gains, and equally enormous losses, to be made by finding the right gust downwind. Chris and Sophie looked well placed again, but some kite trouble on the final run opened the door for Tim and Holly to sneak through and secure Holly's birthday bullet. Chris and Sophie recovered impressively to hold onto second, with Alex and Rebecca third. Five races. Five different winners.

Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley picking the shifts on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

By the final race, tired legs and aching arms were beginning to make themselves known, the reaches had been tightened further and, most concerningly, supplies of Percy Pigs were running dangerously low.

The breeze was now properly up, with gusts that felt suspiciously close to 25 knots - although that may have had something to do with the fact that they seemed to arrive from approximately 30 degrees away from wherever you were expecting them.

Dave Lee and Angela Bridges holding off Andy Davis and Becky Caiger on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

There were a few swims around the course, including the Shorrocks, who were among the braver teams still daring to fly the kite on the increasingly tight reach. At the front, James Wells and Anna Aylward sailed confidently to take the final race win, holding off Alex and Rebecca through some particularly tricky downwind legs. And so the theme of the weekend was complete: six races and six different race winners.

That variety extended well beyond the results. We had everything from millpond drifting to planing conditions, huge shifts, complete shutdowns, gusts from unexpected directions and, courtesy of Allen, a suitably varied selection of excellent prizes.

Layline action on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

Consistency ultimately proved the key. Alex Jackson and Rebecca Videlo took the 2026 Merlin Rocket Allen Inland Championship on 14 points, tied with Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley but taking the title on countback. Tim Saxton and Holly McArthur completed the podium in third.

A huge thank you to Oxford Sailing Club, the race officer and race team, safety crews and all the volunteers ashore and afloat. Getting six good races completed in such challenging and changeable conditions was no mean feat. Thanks also to Allen for their continued support of the Merlin Rocket fleet and for providing the excellent prizes.

Tim Saxton and Holly McArthur hunting down Mark Stockbridge and Rupert Stock on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

Overall Results:

Tom Lonsdale and Emily Batterton taking off on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell

The leading pack working their way down the run on day 2 - Allen Merlin Rocket Inlands at Oxford - photo © Matthew Bell