16 Merlin Rockets came from north, south and west to join 6 home boats for the Brightlingsea Open Meeting, almost at the eastern extremity of Essex. Conditions were even better than last year with a good Force 3 to 5 for all the races. South South Easterly for the 3 races on Saturday and approximately Westerly for the 3 races on Sunday. On both days there were shifts well into double figures. There were complicated on Saturday by the forecast for the wind to swing during the day, making it unclear whether a change of direction was permanent or temporary. Add in a strong spring tide and there were ample opportunities for gains and losses. The courses were all two or three laps of a triangle, sausage, triangle. They were noteworthy for the superbly laid reaching legs. These were generally tight enough to make laying the gybe or leeward mark with the spinnaker up challenging, but rewarding for those who could achieve it. Those who could rode the waves and took places. Those who could not lost places. These legs gave the lie to those who say that reaches only spread out the fleet and do not /result in any place changes. I think there were more place changes on the reaches than on the oft vaunted running leg. The 3 sail reaches were awesome. What lake and river sailors dream about.
To the racing: the first race was sailed in the lightest winds of the weekend. It was won by Peter Nicholson in his grey machine, number 3775, with his guest helm, Alan Krailing. Andy Davis and Ollie Meadowcroft were second in 3824, with Caroline Croft and Livvy Bell third in 3820. I apologise for not giving you chapter and verse as to how that came about, because I was doing battle at the back and middle of the fleet after a first beat which definitely involved going the wrong way at all times.
The second race was the opposite so far as my son Arthur Henderson and I (Will Henderson) were concerned in 3726. We got a cracking start at the Committee Boat end and after pausing briefly to note that there was no recall flag, went the right way up the first beat and led around the course, though with Andy and Ollie reducing our lead throughout. My son Rob Henderson and his fiancé Alice Markham were third in 3714. A result they repeated in the third race, which was won by Andy and Ollie, with Alan and Pete in second. Again I was too far back to see much of the strategy and tactics, but Andy and Ollie were so far ahead at the finish that they were almost out of sight.
Back at the Club it was warm; the sun was out; the grass was green and it was possible for most competitors to put their boats away and head for drink and food. Unfortunately for Saturday’s most consistent finishers, namely Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley with three fourth places, a gear failure left them trying unsuccessfully to fit a replacement mast. The food was superb. Lasagne, with seconds for those which felt the need for them, followed by chocolate cake or strawberry gateau. All washed down with beer bought for the competitors by the Brightlingsea Merlin and Solo sailors.
Sunday morning was colder and windier. The fourth race was won by Arthur and me in 3727. This was after Andy and Ollie suffered an unusual case of the slows, probably caused by weed, and became over engaged with Alan and Pete in 3775, allowing us to slip through from third to first on the final beat. In the fifth race the usual suspects were at the front. It finished with Andy and Ollie in first, Rob and Alice in second and Alan and Pete in third.
Going into the final race Andy and Ollie were odds on to win the event, but with two discards allowed in the six race series, they could still be beaten by Alan and Pete or, at a stretch, by Arthur and me. Suffice it to say that they were not. The race was led for the first lap by Mary Henderson-White and Robbie Stewart in 3751. They were ground down and overtaken by Andy and Ollie on the second beat, but hung on to second place, while Andy and Ollie sailed confidently on to win the race and the event with an overall score of 5 points. Alan and Pete were third in Race 6 and were comfortably 2nd overall with 8 points. Arthur and I were third overall, with Rob and Alice fourth overall and first Gold Fleet boat. First in the Silver Fleet was 3772 sailed by Stewart Mears and Alison Hall, and first in the Bronze Fleet was 3774 sailed by Richard Coulter and Bill Nokes.
The next Craftinsure Silver Tiller is at Hampton Sailing Club on 14th June and the next Allen South East Series event is at Shoreham on the 26th and 27th July.
