The Merlin Rocket class is making its first ever visit to the legendary Mounts Bay Sailing Club for their 76th championships. The event has attracted the usual high quality fleet with the title expected to fought out between Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray, comprehensive winners at the Scorpions last week, two times champions Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey and defending champions Stu Bithell and Tom Pygall. Stu however is starting the week with two discards as he is currently blasting around Plymouth Sounds on the Swiss SailGP boat.
After weeks of hot, sunny weather, the first morning was breezy and wet leading most of the fleet to dress up for a big day on the water. However, as the fleet assembled south of St Michael’s Mount, the sun came out and the breeze started to drop. Both races were run in patchy breeze fluctuating between 5 and 15 knots but slowing dropping and veering. Possibly the threat of a first ever Merlin Champs gate start if the fleet misbehaves led to two clean starts.
In race one those who got right found better pressure and it was Ed Chapman and Chris Kilsby, who had broken their mast practicing on Saturday, who led around the top mark from Tom and Rach. Christian and Sam were down the fleet and in recovery mode.
Tom and Rach extended with Jon Gorringe and Pete Gray climbing up to take second ahead of Ed and Chris. Ian and Chris Martin sailed a consistently strong race for fourth but were subsequently pinged under the U flag. Tim Fells and Fran Gifford got the better of Mike and Jane Calvert for fourth and fifth. Christian and Sam kept their climb going to take sixth.
At the start of race two, the majority of the fleet were lined up at the committee boat but there was a big port shift down at the pin. Tim and Fran together with Tom and Rach port tacked across the fleet with everyone heading right towards new pressure. Christian and Sam were first into it and joined the leading two at the top mark.
Tim and Fran led at the bottom gate but those who got to the left picked up a good shift to come through with Christian and Sam leading from Simon Potts and Lottie Fildes. Christian and Sam extended out a healthy lead and on the final run Tom and Rach came through to take second from Simon and Lottie with Tim and Fran fourth, again just ahead of Mike and Jane. Ian and Chris Martin rounded out what should have been a solid day in sixth.
The forecast for the next few days is for a good breeze and it will be interesting to see if Stu and Tom can sail a clean regatta to retain their title.
Report by Tim Fells
Rank | SailNo | HelmName | CrewName | Fleet | Club | R1 | R2 | Total | Nett |
1st | 3759 | Thomas Gillard | Rachel Gray | Platinum | Staunton Harold Sailing Club | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
2nd | 3788 | Christian Birrell | Sam Brearey | Platinum | Parkstone Yacht Club | 6 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
3rd | 3764 | Tim Fells | Frances Gifford | Platinum | Salcombe Yacht Club | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
4th | 3691 | Mike Calvert | Jane Calvert | Platinum | Axe Yacht Club | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 |
5th | 3802 | Simon Potts | Charlotte Fildes | Platinum | Burghfield Sailing Club | 10 | 3 | 13 | 13 |
6th | 3782 | Ed Chapman | Chris Kilsby | Gold | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 3 | 13 | 16 | 16 |
7th | 3803 | Caroline Croft | Faye Chatterton | Platinum | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 9 | 10 | 19 | 19 |
8th | 2137 | James Goss | Chris White | Gold | South Staffs Sailing Club | 13 | 7 | 20 | 20 |
9th | 3780 | Sarah Richards | Nigel Wakefield | Gold | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 17 | 11 | 28 | 28 |
10th | 3758 | David Hayes | Jonny Ratcliffe | Platinum | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 14 | 14 | 28 | 28 |
11th | 3807 | Tim Saxton | Mary Henderson | Platinum | Itchenor SC & Brightlingsea SC | 20 | 9 | 29 | 29 |
12th | 3799 | Paul Rayson | Christian Hill | Gold | Fishers Green SC & SalcombeYC | 11 | 20 | 31 | 31 |
13th | 3735 | Andy Davis | Jack Holden | Platinum | South Staffs Sailing Club | 8 | 24 | 32 | 32 |
14th | 3791 | Jon Gorringe | Pete Grey | Platinum | Parkstone Yacht Club | 2 | 31 | 33 | 33 |
15th | 3796 | William Warren | Megan Pascoe | Gold | Shoreham Sailing Club | 18 | 16 | 34 | 34 |
16th | 3778 | David Lenz | Vicky Lenz | Platinum | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 12 | 25 | 37 | 37 |
17th | 3809 | John Turner | Richard Parslow | Platinum | Lyme Regis Sailing Club | 31 | 8 | 39 | 39 |
18th | 3746 | James Wells | Anna Aylward | Gold | RYA | 16 | 23 | 39 | 39 |
19th | 3676 | Antony Gifford | Jo Gifford | Platinum | Royal Tay Yacht Club | 22 | 17 | 39 | 39 |
20th | 3726 | Will Henderson | Rupert White | Platinum | Salcombe Yacht Club | 30 | 12 | 42 | 42 |
21st | 3801 | Matthew Biggs | Beka Jones | Platinum | Bartley Sailing Club | 28 | 15 | 43 | 43 |
22nd | 3787 | Chris Martin | John Tailby | Gold | Midland Sailing Club | 7 | 40 | 47 | 47 |
23rd | 3716 | Steven Leney | Gill Leney | Gold | Blithfield Sailing Club | 26 | 21 | 47 | 47 |
24th | 3683 | Arthur Handerson | Livvy Bell | Gold | Salcombe Yacht Club | 15 | 33 | 48 | 48 |
25th | 3775 | Chris Jennings | Pete Nicholson | Platinum | Burghfield Sailing Club | 19 | 30 | 49 | 49 |
26th | 3696 | Alexander Warren | Jonty Freemansh | Gold | Shoreham Sailing Club | 21 | 28 | 49 | 49 |
27th | 3757 | Tim Parsons | Andrew Service | Gold | Lyme Regis Sailing Club | 24 | 29 | 53 | 53 |
28th | 3815 | Mark Barwell | Louise Johnson | Silver | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 37 | 18 | 55 | 55 |
29th | 3666 | John Meadowcroft | Dan Meadowcroft | Platinum | Upper Thames Sailing Club | 33 | 22 | 55 | 55 |
30th | 3690 | Tim Harridge | Rory Gifford | Silver | Hampton Sailing Club | 32 | 27 | 59 | 59 |
31st | 3740 | Pat Blake | Jilly Blake | Gold | Lymington Town Sailing Club | 34 | 26 | 60 | 60 |
32nd | 3749 | Colin Anderson | Sean Anderson | Silver | Blithfield Sailing Club | 23 | 38 | 61 | 61 |
33rd | 3806 | Ben Jones | Helen Hilditch | Silver | Shoreham Sailing Club | 47 | 19 | 66 | 66 |
34th | 3816 | Phil Emery | Phoebe Paine | Silver | Whitstable Yacht Club | 25 | 43 | 68 | 68 |
35th | 3756 | Sophie Mackley | James Ward | Gold | Shoreham Sailing Club | 35 | 34 | 69 | 69 |
36th | 3684 | Tom Low | Hannah Burt | Silver | Queen Mary Sailing Club | 29 | 41 | 70 | 70 |
37th | 3719 | Ian Martin | Chris Martin | Platinum | Burghfield Sailing Club | 66.0 UFD | 6 | 72 | 72 |
38th | 3793 | James Goodfellow | Rick Cornes | Platinum | Burghfield Sailing Club | 27 | 45 | 72 | 72 |
39th | 3732 | Ben Hollis | George Bender | Silver | Blithfield Sailing Club | 40 | 36 | 76 | 76 |
40th | 3695 | Peter Slack | Immy Brown | Bronze | RYA | 43 | 35 | 78 | 78 |
41st | 3656 | Charlotte Gough | Dave Gough | Gold | Starcross Yacht Club | 36 | 42 | 78 | 78 |
42nd | 3772 | Dan Heaton | Tom Gurney | Silver | Mountbatten Sailing Club | 41 | 39 | 80 | 80 |
43rd | 3813 | Steve Harling | Eleanor Thomas | Bronze | Starcross Yacht Club | 48 | 37 | 85 | 85 |
44th | 3790 | Colin Brockbank | Sue Brough | Silver | Wembley Sailing Club | 39 | 47 | 86 | 86 |
45th | 3794 | Julian Harms | Timothy Harms | Bronze | Midlands Sailing Club | 38 | 50 | 88 | 88 |
46th | 3817 | Geoff Kimber | Helen Kimber | Bronze | Stone Sailing Club | 42 | 48 | 90 | 90 |
47th | 3779 | David Lee | Kirsten Glen | Silver | Starcross Yacht Club | 46 | 44 | 90 | 90 |
48th | 3727 | Mark Stockbridge | James Gifford | Silver | Upper Thames Sailing Club | 61 | 32 | 93 | 93 |
49th | 3766 | Andy Dalby | Aimee Dalby | Bronze | Burghfield Sailing Club | 50 | 46 | 96 | 96 |
50th | 3767 | Ben Archer | Olivia Bellini | Silver | Parkstone Yacht Club | 44 | 53 | 97 | 97 |
51st | 3682 | Ross Borne | John Burn | Silver | Salcombe Yacht Club | 45 | 52 | 97 | 97 |
52nd | 3662 | Nigel Hudson | Freya Hudson | Bronze | Bartley Sailing Club | 49 | 49 | 98 | 98 |
53rd | 3785 | Robin Charles | Oscar Simmons | Bronze | Starcross Yacht Club | 51 | 51 | 102 | 102 |
54th | 3770 | Jon Steward | Annabel Steward | Bronze | Fishers Green Sailing Club | 52 | 54 | 106 | 106 |
55th | 3742 | Howard Eeles | Bradley Eeles | Bronze | Bartley Sailing Club | 53 | 57 | 110 | 110 |
56th | 3619 | Guy Browne | Andy Hunter | Bronze | Trent Valley Sailing Club | 54 | 56 | 110 | 110 |
57th | 3800 | Richard Bramley | Calum Tait | Bronze | Shoreham Sailing Club | 56 | 55 | 111 | 111 |
58th | 3561 | Joe Shaw | Julie Cronshaw | Bronze | Wembley Sailing Club | 57 | 58 | 115 | 115 |
59th | 3750 | Neal Lillywhite | Freya Lillywhite | Gold | Burghfield SC & Salcombe YC | 58 | 62 | 120 | 120 |
60th | 3574 | Marc Candelas | John Donoghue | Bronze | Upper Thames Sailing Club | 59 | 61 | 120 | 120 |
61st | 3586 | Kieron Mason | Belinda Mason | Bronze | Blithfield Sailing Club | 60 | 60 | 120 | 120 |
62nd | 3567 | Martin Smith | Karen Beston | Bronze | Blithfield Sailing Club | 55 | 66.0 DNC | 121 | 121 |
63rd | 3449 | Carl Whitehill | Dani Whitehill | Bronze | RYA | 66.0 DNC | 59 | 125 | 125 |
64th | 3811 | Stu Bithell | Tom Pygall | Platinum | Parkstone Yacht Club | 66.0 DNC | 66.0 DNC | 132 | 132 |
64th | 3792 | Alistair Mcdonald | Lydia Bourne | Bronze | Berwick Sailing Club & YDSC | 66.0 DNC | 66.0 DNC | 132 | 132 |