As reported on the Tamesis website:

Rob Wilder and Alex Jackson win Ranelagh Trophy

Rob Wilder and Alex Jackson won the Ranelagh Trophy in Wild Card (3656) over a 10 mile course on the Thames at Putney in a bitterly cold NE wind gusting up to 25 knots at the Merlin Rocket open meeting at Ranelagh SC on Sunday 26 February.  Phil Plumtree, crewed by  Ellie Bremner, in Merlin 1631, got away ahead of the pack from leeward at the close reaching start and was ahead at the upriver mark but was overtaken by Will Rainey on the downriver leg.  While the strongly gusting wind caused problems at times, with some capsizes, much of the race was sailed in more moderate conditions.  Rainey was first round the Putney mark with Wild Card second, some distance behind, but Wilder gradually closed the gap and went through into the lead as they approached the club at the end of the third round. The five round race was part of the Merlin Rocket Thames River Series.  Tamesis placings:  1 Wild Card (3656) Rob Wilder & Alex Jackson;  7 Pocket Rocket (3566) Joe McLaughlin & Bryn Evans;  8 Aloha (3635) Mike Stephens & David Jones;  9 and first vintage boat (1631) Phil Plumtree & Ellie Bremner.

(There were also 8 merlins out at Tamesis today for the winter series race. This was won by Berry Ritchie in 847.)