Shepherd Neame Merlin Rocket Nationals - Final report and results

by Mark Barnes on 23 Aug 2009
Shepherd Neame Merlin Rocket Nationals Day 6 report.

Hyde Race Day

Day 6 of the Shepherd Neame Merlin Rocket Nationals in Whitstable Bay, had a corker of a breeze, 18 – 20 knots from the west, ebb tide running east and short chop. The racing was to go down to the wire and as they say, it’s not over till its over.

With one point separating 3626 (Glenn Truswell/Olly Turner) and 3703 (Richard Whitworth/Sally Townend), it was going to a case of what tactics would be used at the start and up the first beat. This one was to go to the wire and would not be over till its over. With the wind coming for the west, the seas were the classic Whitstable short chop with easterly ebb tide.

So with a steady force 4 gusting 5, the fleet launched to see who would be crowned king. With rigs raked, the fleet showed that it was game on and charged up the first beat with 3703 leading both the race and championship, led from 3684 (Andy Davis/Ellie Bremner) and 3662 (David Winder/Pippa Taylor) with 3626 in a close fifth.

Downwind 3703 dominated till close to the leeward mark the stuffed the bow in and capsized. Recovering to 23rd at the next windward mark, they had their work cut out to retrieve the situation especially as 3626 was now in fourth.
3684 now led from 3626, 3701 (Tom Stewart/Liam Dempsey and 3662 who broke their boom during the next round.

Over the next rounds the Pirates 3685 (Willie Warren/Chris Robinson) moved into second passing 3626 with 3703 fast closing but would it be enough to see them catch and pass 3626. As the race was closing out, the Fat Lady was getting ready to sing but could 3626 hold on or would 3703 pass them and put one boat between themselves and 3626. Alas it was not to be. 3703 gave a master class on how to retrieve the situation by recovering to 6th on the water, but it was not enough. With 3684 coming home first and bringing the racing to an end, 3685 followed in second with 3626, 3712 (John Gorringe/Peter Horn) and 3704 (Chris Lewns/Tom Pygall) close astern.

3626 was crowned the national champions, having sailed in a varied set of breezes and putting an exemplary series together, but being pushed all the way by 3703. The race management was faultless and all competitors went away with a prize thanks to the generosity of the sponsors.

Holt Plate in Association with North One Design
Chipstow Race Day

By no means a side show, though 3666 (Dan Parsons/Hamish Kilburn) had won the Holt Plate with a day to spare and so take home the coveted first prize token from Chipstow Boats, the dynamics of the minor podium places was to close to call.

So gong into the last race, who would rise to occasion and who would capitulate. With two local boats in the hunt there was to be an interesting side show.

From the start, 3700 (Phil Emery/Sophie Mackey) were to get the bit between their teeth and make a last charge to secure 2nd from 3650 (Laurence Tosh/Crew) who slipped to third overall.

So to the prize giving and every competitor was to leave with a prize, a first for the Merlin Nationals and made possible due to the generosity of the race day and main sponsors.

Next year’s Nationals are in August in Penzance with big seas and hopefully similar conditions to this year.

The big question is, will Glenn/Olly, though buying an International 14 for next year, be back to defend the title they have spent so long trying to win. One that many will be hoping is a yes.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]

 

Whitstable Yacht Club

Class:	Merlin Nationals 2009
Series:	Merlin Nationals 2009

Overall results

Place	Sail No	Flags	Helm	Crew	Club	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Gr Pts	Nt Pts
						16Aug	17Aug	18Aug	19Aug	20Aug	21Aug
1	3626		Glen Truswell	Olly Turner	Starcross	3	1	1	(6)	2	3	16	10
2	3703	AM	Richard Whitworth	Sally Townend	Hollingworth Lake & Parkstone	2	(7)	2	3	1	6	21	14
3	3684	KM	Andy Davis	Ellie Bremer	Chase	(6)	2	6	1	5	1	21	15
4	3691	A	Mike Calvert	Christopher Downham	Axe/Castaways	5	5	4	4	4	(7)	29	22
5	3701		Tom Stewart	Liam Dempsey	Northampton	4	3	3	7	6	(9)	32	23
6	3712		Jon Gorringe	Peter Horn	Parkstone	9	8	(15)	2	9	4	47	32
7	3704	A	Chris Lewns	Tom Pygall	Whitstable	11	4	(12)	8	12	5	52	40
8	3685		William Warren	Chris Robinson	Shoreham	7	9	7	(59)	17	2	101	42
9	3640		Simon Blake	Phil Dalby	Cookham Reach	8	10	11	(13)	8	8	58	45
10	3662	M	David Winder	Pippa Taylor	Hollingworth Lake	10	11	5	5	15	(59)	105	46
11	3705		Matt Biggs	Rob Kennaugh	Blighfield	1	6	8	(59)	20	15	109	50
12	3670	D	Steve Goacher	Andy Tunnicliffe	Royal Windermere	13	(27)	21	9	3	10	83	56
13	3676	ADMN	Pat Blake	Jill Blake	Cookham Reach	(18)	17	10	10	11	12	78	60
14	3693	DM	Will Rainey	Kelly Miller	Cookham Reach	14	(21)	17	14	10	11	87	66
15	3666	K	Dan Parsons	Hamish Kilburn	Whitstable	19	15	14	11	(21)	13	93	72
16	3700	AM	Phil Emery	Sophie Mackley	Whitstable	22	(26)	19	15	16	17	115	89
17	3696	DHN	Alan Warren	James Warren	Shoreham	15	(28)	20	17	18	21	119	91
18	3539	CDMO	Dan Alsop	Jennie King	Lyme Regis	21	12	16	18	25	(26)	118	92
19	3665		Ross Jackson	Dave Reid	Shoreham	24	16	9	(59)	26	18	152	93
20	3661	DN	Graham Scroggie	Ben Scroggie	Parkstone	25	25	23	(59)	7	14	153	94
21	3650	A	Laurence Tosh	TBC	Banbury	26	(34)	27	12	13	24	136	102
22	3672	CDM	John Cooper	Hilary Bradshaw	Whitstable	28	23	18	16	22	(59)	166	107
23	3610	CD	Richard Dee	Phil Scott	Midland	27	(45)	32	25	14	20	163	118
24	3652	DN	John Bell	Duncan Bell	Hampton	17	(39)	24	20	37	23	160	121
25	3619	ACMN	David Charlton	Celia Charlton	Brightlingsea	23	22	25	(59)	29	22	180	121
26	3620	AC	Andy Bines	Derick Gentry	Brightlingsea	29	24	(34)	21	23	27	158	124
27	3659	AM	Julian Parry	Liese Scott	Hollingworth Lake	12	14	13	(59)	27	59	184	125
28	3690	M	Andy Dalby	Fran Gifford	Trent Valley	20	13	22	(59)	59	19	192	133
29	3695		Matthew Winder	Callum MacKenzie	Hollingworth Lake	(35)	18	28	27	33	29	170	135
30	3692		Rien Zilvold	Julie Nuttall	Whitstable	33	19	31	(59)	30	25	197	138
31	3617	AN	Tom Chadfield	Andy Chadfield	Blithfield	(47)	44	29	19	19	28	186	139
32	3707		Alex Jackson	Ben Hollis	Shoreham	16	(59)	26	59	24	16	200	141
33	3688	AN	Craig Bond	Jayne Bond	Brightlingsea	34	38	38	(59)	32	31	232	173
34	3677	D	David Proctor	Ed Lowe	Whitstable	30	37	46	23	(59)	41	236	177
35	3697	AMN	Richard Page	Lizzy Page	Hampton	38	47	36	22	35	(59)	237	178
36	3706	MO	Kevin Anderson	Sadie Anderson	Hampton	41	40	(50)	26	36	35	228	178
37	3644		Steve Mitchell	Liz North	Porthpean/Whitstable	43	20	37	(59)	43	38	240	181
38	3698	AM	Bob O'Toole	Suzie Bell	Parkstone	36	41	53	24	28	(59)	241	182
39	3586	ACMN	Rod Porteous	Maureen Porteous	Hayling Island	31	49	30	(59)	39	37	245	186
40	3674	D	Mike Anslow	Chris Winters	Midland	32	33	(59)	59	38	30	251	192
41	3673	MN	Jane Seymour	Christopher Seymour	Shoreham	42	29	43	(59)	44	36	253	194
42	3595	DM	Richard Davis	Olivia Bell	Whitstable	44	43	45	(59)	31	40	262	203
43	3686	ABM	Paul Aldridge	Melissa Sorrell	Brightlingsea	40	42	33	(59)	59	32	265	206
44	3543	BCHKO	Chris Martin	Tom Holland	Blithfield	39	32	35	(59)	59	59	283	224
45	3687	ABM	Alan Jackson	Lorna Laval	Maylandsea Bay	37	36	40	(59)	59	59	290	231
46	3634		Ben Archer	Chris O'Toole	Parkstone	48	35	56	(59)	59	34	291	232
47	3625		Richard Bramley	Joanna Marlow	Shoreham	51	56	48	(59)	34	43	291	232
48	3632		Marcus Robb	Graham Webb	Cookham Reach	52	54	49	(59)	40	39	293	234
49	3583		Nolan Forwood	Will Lowes	Whitstable	(59)	46	39	59	59	33	295	236
50	3584	K	Jack Kilburn	Paul Smith	Whitstable	45	30	44	(59)	59	59	296	237
51	3386	MO	Andy Hay	Caroline Hay	RYA	46	50	42	(59)	59	42	298	239
52	3564	ABM	Charles Devenport	Elaine Aldis	Thorpe Bay	(59)	31	41	59	59	59	308	249
53	3606	AB	Mike Partridge	Claire Davis	Hayling Island	(59)	51	54	59	42	45	310	251
54	3566	MN	Jon Wood	Heather Wood	Earlswood Lakes	49	48	52	(59)	59	44	311	252
55	2997	H	Jonathan Steward	Nick Yannakoyorgos		50	52	55	(59)	41	59	316	257
56	3600	CDH	Robert Heath	Mike Hendy	Hampton	53	55	51	(59)	59	46	323	264
57	3604	ACDM	Stuart Gurney	Donna Rouse	Thames	(59)	53	47	59	59	59	336	277
58	3569		Tomos Bowen-Perkins	TBA	Hampton	(59)	59	59	59	59	59	354	295

Whitstable Yacht Club

Class:	MERLIN HOLT PLATE
Series:	Merlin HOLT PLATE 2009

Overall results

Place	Sail No	Flags	Helm	Crew	Club	Hcap	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Gr Pts	Nt Pts
							16Aug	17Aug	18Aug	19Aug	20Aug	21Aug
1	3666	K	Dan Parsons	Hamish Kilburn	Whitstable	1000	1	2	2	1	(12)	1	19	7
2	3700	AM	Phil Emery	Sophie Mackley	Whitstable	1000	2	(11)	4	9	4	3	33	22
3	3650	A	Laurence Tosh	TBC	Banbury	1005	5	(21)	6	4	2	6	44	23
4	3672	CDM	John Cooper	Hilary Bradshaw	Whitstable	1005	6	8	3	6	14	(59)	96	37
5	3690	M	Andy Dalby	Fran Gifford	Trent Valley	980	8	10	7	(59)	3	10	97	38
6	3610	CD	Richard Dee	Phil Scott	Midland	1015	3	(30)	14	25	1	2	75	45
7	3619	ACMN	David Charlton	Celia Charlton	Brightlingsea	1000	4	7	5	(59)	25	4	104	45
8	3692		Rien Zilvold	Julie Nuttall	Whitstable	1010	12	1	16	(59)	24	5	117	58
9	3620	AC	Andy Bines	Derick Gentry	Brightlingsea	1005	7	9	(29)	17	19	7	88	59
10	3665		Ross Jackson	Dave Reid	Shoreham	980	18	14	1	(59)	23	9	124	65
11	3693	DM	Will Rainey	Kelly Miller	Cookham Reach	950	19	(42)	28	12	8	18	127	85
12	3617	AN	Tom Chadfield	Andy Chadfield	Blithfield	1000	(41.5)	39	17	14	5	12	128.5	87
13	3695		Matthew Winder	Callum MacKenzie	Hollingworth Lake	1000	27	5	9	27	(33)	19.5	120.5	87.5
14	3640		Simon Blake	Phil Dalby	Cookham Reach	930	29	(41)	18	15	6	25	134	93
15	3703	AM	Richard Whitworth	Sally Townend	Hollingworth Lake & Parkstone	900	36	(48)	15	5	7	35	146	98
16	3595	DM	Richard Davis	Olivia Bell	Whitstable	1030	16	19	21	(59)	22	21	158	99
17	3626		Glen Truswell	Olly Turner	Starcross	900	37.5	(43)	11	11	9	32	143.5	100.5
18	3704	A	Chris Lewns	Tom Pygall	Whitstable	930	(33)	28.5	26	8	17	23	135.5	102.5
19	3706	MO	Kevin Anderson	Sadie Anderson	Hampton	1025	15	15	(46)	24	36	14	150	104
20	3712		Jon Gorringe	Peter Horn	Parkstone	930	31	36	(43)	2	15	22	149	106
21	3686	ABM	Paul Aldridge	Melissa Sorrell	Brightlingsea	1020	20	22	10	(59)	59	8	178	119
22	3691	A	Mike Calvert	Christopher Downham	Axe/Castaways	900	41.5	(46)	25	7	11	36	166.5	120.5
23	3673	MN	Jane Seymour	Christopher Seymour	Shoreham	1020	25	4	30	(59)	45	17	180	121
24	3586	ACMN	Rod Porteous	Maureen Porteous	Hayling Island	1010	10	38	12	(59)	40	24	183	124
25	3688	AN	Craig Bond	Jayne Bond	Brightlingsea	1010	21	26	33	(59)	28	16	183	124
26	3701		Tom Stewart	Liam Dempsey	Northampton	900	40	(45)	19	13	16	37	170	125
27	3684	KM	Andy Davis	Ellie Bremer	Chase	900	(44)	44	37	3	13	29	170	126
28	3677	D	David Proctor	Ed Lowe	Whitstable	1010	9	25	47	20	(59)	28	188	129
29	3697	AMN	Richard Page	Lizzy Page	Hampton	1015	22	31	24	19	35	(59)	190	131
30	3674	D	Mike Anslow	Chris Winters	Midland	1010	11	16	(59)	59	39	13	197	138
31	3386	MO	Andy Hay	Caroline Hay	RYA	1034	17	24	13	(59)	59	26	198	139
32	3539	CDMO	Dan Alsop	Jennie King	Lyme Regis	950	(35)	32	23	21	29	34	174	139
33	3698	AM	Bob O'Toole	Suzie Bell	Parkstone	1010	24	28.5	50	22	20	(59)	203.5	144.5
34	3644		Steve Mitchell	Liz North	Porthpean/Whitstable	1005	37.5	3	35	(59)	44	27	205.5	146.5
35	3659	AM	Julian Parry	Liese Scott	Hollingworth Lake	950	14	35	8	(59)	32	59	207	148
36	3662	M	David Winder	Pippa Taylor	Hollingworth Lake	900	47	50	31	10	26	(59)	223	164
37	3670	D	Steve Goacher	Andy Tunnicliffe	Royal Windermere	900	48	(54)	54	16	10	39	221	167
38	3632		Marcus Robb	Graham Webb	Cookham Reach	1030	43	37	36	(59)	38	19.5	232.5	173.5
39	3543	BCHKO	Chris Martin	Tom Holland	Blithfield	1015	23	13	20	(59)	59	59	233	174
40	3634		Ben Archer	Chris O'Toole	Parkstone	1020	32	17	52	(59)	59	15	234	175
41	3583		Nolan Forwood	Will Lowes	Whitstable	1020	(59)	27	22	59	59	11	237	178
42	3687	ABM	Alan Jackson	Lorna Laval	Maylandsea Bay	1020	13	20	27	(59)	59	59	237	178
43	3676	ADMN	Pat Blake	Jill Blake	Cookham Reach	900	(52)	52	48	18	21	40	231	179
44	2997	H	Jonathan Steward	Nick Yannakoyorgos		1044	26	18	44	(59)	41	59	247	188
45	3566	MN	Jon Wood	Heather Wood	Earlswood Lakes	1030	28	23	42	(59)	59	38	249	190
46	3584	K	Jack Kilburn	Paul Smith	Whitstable	1015	30	6	38	(59)	59	59	251	192
47	3685		William Warren	Chris Robinson	Shoreham	900	46	49	39	(59)	27	31	251	192
48	3696	DHN	Alan Warren	James Warren	Shoreham	900	50	(55)	53	23	30	43	254	199
49	3625		Richard Bramley	Joanna Marlow	Shoreham	1025	45	51	40	(59)	31	33	259	200
50	3705		Matt Biggs	Rob Kennaugh	Blighfield	900	34	47	45	(59)	34	42	261	202
51	3707		Alex Jackson	Ben Hollis	Shoreham	930	39	(59)	51	59	37	30	275	216
52	3661	DN	Graham Scroggie	Ben Scroggie	Parkstone	900	53	53	55	(59)	18	41	279	220
53	3652	DN	John Bell	Duncan Bell	Hampton	900	51	(56)	56	26	43	44	276	220
54	3564	ABM	Charles Devenport	Elaine Aldis	Thorpe Bay	1015	(59)	12	32	59	59	59	280	221
55	3606	AB	Mike Partridge	Claire Davis	Hayling Island	1020	(59)	34	49	59	42	45	288	229
56	3600	CDH	Robert Heath	Mike Hendy	Hampton	1030	49	40	41	(59)	59	46	294	235
57	3604	ACDM	Stuart Gurney	Donna Rouse	Thames	1025	(59)	33	34	59	59	59	303	244