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Merlin Rocket National Championship sponsored by Aspire at Tenby Sailing Club - Day 4

by Anna Aylward 14 Aug 20:22 PDT 11-16 August 2024

After a marathon six hours on the water, strap yourselves in for a marathon report from Day 4 of the Merlin Rocket Aspire National Championships at Tenby Sailing Club.

With Day 3 ending in a few sailors retreating to lick their wounds and nurse their boats back to full health - one sailor even travelling as far as England to get a bit of space from their boat - the sun rose on Day 4. Three races were scheduled to get ahead of a dodgy forecast for Thursday and Friday, with glorious sunshine and a pleasant breeze to accompany us. The sea monsters of the previous day had been vanquished although alleged sightings of a Kraken and a Welsh Dragon on the racecourse have yet to be independently verified.

Race 1 got away cleanly with Ben Saxton and Matt Rainback making it to the windward mark first. After some tussling down the run and a shiftier wind than previous days, Stuart Bithell and Tom Pygall had made it to the front by the second rounding of the windward mark, followed by Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey.

To those of us racing mid-fleet the order at front then appeared to remain that way for the rest of the race with Stu and Tom taking another bullet and keeping things very close at the top of the standings. There was a course alteration after two laps to move the windward mark and spreader further to the left, making it a lot easier to round.

Further back in the fleet, the author of this report was racing against their housemates, despite agreeing to spread out throughout the fleet to catch a flavour of the full race. The first gold boat was William Warren and Charlotte Fildes in a great 8th place, first silver boat was Sam and Leanne Thompson in 30th place, and first bronze boat was Phil Hardisty and Teddy Dunn in 29th place.

In the first break between races our onboard refreshment trolley had a selection of raspberry Lucozade, Robinson's finest squash, and fresh Welsh tap water bottled at the source. The main course was ham and cheese sandwiches, but vegan options were also available.

There was a short delay while the race team set up for the Champagne race (aka as the Ranelagh Trophy) generously sponsored by Allspars. The wind was moving round to the west so the whole course had to shift and we were set up for a longer four laps of racing. This break was also an opportunity for one to take a short nap, as a Merlin Rocket at sea is a notoriously comfortable berth, which doubled up as a chance to get rid of a dodgy sunglasses tan by closing one's eyes and tanning the eyelids.

It's amazing how motivating alcoholic prizes can be, as the fleet shot off to the windward mark in a patchy and shifty breeze, with Mike and Jane Calvert rounding in first place, closely followed by Matt Biggs and Beka Jones, Maddy Anderson and Tom Ballantine, and Colin and Sean Anderson in a stunning fourth place. Mike and Jane had taken some time in the break between races to pull some strings on their boat and found the speedy setting as they flew through the race to take their first bullet of the week. Matt and Beka followed to finish second, both looking to finish well clear of the rest of the fleet.

A number of the sailors were caught out in the shiftier conditions, but on the final lap the breeze shifted round to the west some more and finally filled in to provide the champagne conditions worthy of the champagne race. The most efficient sailors of the day were Sophie Mackley and George Bender coming in 21st place to secure their champagne, while Rupert and Mary Henderson-White were the plucky sailors in 22nd place.

After a short break, this time refreshments were provided by KitKat and Nakd, and a brief AP while the start line was reset, we embarked on our third race of the day. It wouldn't be a Merlin Rocket event if there wasn't a general recall every now and then so the fleet duly pushed the line and the flag went up.

We gathered ourselves and regrouped behind the start line, now sporting a black flag, and this time we were away. Simon Potts and Emma Clarke were first to the windward mark, followed by Nick and Kate Craig and James Goodfellow and Rick Cornes. Nick and Kate had had to drop their entire rig early in the day to reaffix their jib sheave to the mast so it was great to see them up and running. Simon and Emma accelerated down the run and pulled out a thoroughly convincing lead for the rest of the race to take their first bullet of the week.

Further back in the race, James Wells and Anna Aylward decided to provide some entertainment and challenge Clive Eplett and Megan Pascoe to a gybing duel to the finish. James and Anna came out on top, but we were all winners with the boat handling practice.

After all that excitement, several helms handed the reins over to their crews to captain them back to the beach at speed. Some say it was to get that all-important practice in anticipation of a cut-throat crews race, others say it was to give those poor helms a rest, but by the look of some of those tacks we don't think it was very relaxing.

All in all, what an excellent day, with two new race winners, a bucketload of sunshine, and three protests to get through before the fancy dress night. Stay tuned for the hotly contested fancy dress prizes announced tomorrow, this year's theme: boat names.

At the end of today there is no change in the overall leaders, with Christian and Sam extending their lead by a few points. The gold fleet leaders remain the same as Alex Warren and Jonty Freeman, silver is still Phil Emery and Phoebe Paine having another splendid day alongside bronze fleet leaders, with also no change, as Jon Steward and Christian Hill.

Thanks as always to our sponsors Aspire Financial Advisers, Allspars, Becky Bettesworth, CF by L and L, GK Engineering and In The Welsh Wind.

Results after Day 4:

PosSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8Pts
1st3788Christian BirrellSam BreareyParkstone YC213122-8415
2nd3826Stuart BithellTom PygallParkstone YC1523117-1120
3rd3824Andy DavisOllie MeadowcroftSouth Staffs SC32-82342622
4th3804Ben SaxtonMatt RainbackRYA(BFD)3444514337
5th3809Arran HolmanHayden SewellHollowell512156-1313749
6th3807Tim SaxtonHolly McArthurItchenor SC10679-233.0 RDG61859
7th3719Ian MartinChris MartinBurghfield SC645101512-171264
8th3791Jon GorringeMatt CurrellParkstone YC4111465(DNC)161066
9th3691Mike CalvertJane CalvertAxe YC871311-43251267
10th3775Chris JenningsPete NicholsonBrightlingsea SC9-219882151979
11th3802Simon PottsEmma ClarkeBurghfield SC1281914719-29180
12th3683Maddy AndersonTom BallantineBrightlingsea SC20-3122121918413108
13th3801Matthew BiggsBeka JonesBartley SC13102528(DNC)14316109
14th3696Alexander WarrenJonty FreemanShoreham SC16.5162013201511-24111.5
15th3757Tim ParsonsAndy ServiceLyme Regis SC(BFD)1512211822208116
16th3666John MeadowcroftRory GiffordUpper Thames SC16.520181721719-45118.5
17th3787Chris MartinJohn TailbyBartley SC251711161316-3021119
18th3793James GoodfellowRick CornesNetley SC11-38102310243415127
19th3796William WarrenCharlotte FildesShoreham SC(BFD)133142129189134
20th3727Mark StockbridgeJames GiffordUpper Thames SC2423(RET)2416201514136
21st3812Thomas StewartRob AllenWaldringfield SC719237(RET)610RET138
22nd3645Steve HallAlison HallRoyal Corinthian YC222421-2614262317147
23rd3782Ed ChapmanFaye ChattertonLymington Town SC149622(DNC)10DSQ23150
24th3724Ed BradburnSamuel BaileySouth Staffs SC212617181136-3822151
25th3814James GossChris WhiteSouth Staffs SC(RET)RET2415911920154
26th3751Rupert Henderson-WhiteMary Henderson-WhiteBrightlingsea SC18221629(UFD)172233157
27th3746James WellsAnna AylwardRYA15251527-42272627162
28th3710Jon IbbotsonRobert StewartBurghfield SC27183025-3883131170
29th3756Sophie MackleyGeorge BenderShoreham SC2830323722-452137207
30th3733Jamie MorganOliver DavenportNorthampton SC19452630363524-48215
31st3747Clive EplettMegan PascoeFrensham Pond SC(BFD)28353132283328215
32nd3816Phil EmeryPhoebe PaineWhitstable YC353333194134-4925220
33rd3749Colin AndersonSean AndersonBartley SC36-53404126371238230
34th3731Andy JonesMaddie JonesBurghfield SC3029343530-403636230
35th3815Mark BarwellLouise JohnsonLymington Town SC23-41273431393740231
36th3781David HallEmilie HoodBlackwater SC4234-464428292729233
37th3658Matthew ShorrockBen ShorrockFrensham Pond SC(RET)142820UFD503226236
38th3770Jon StewardChristian HillFishers Green SC32-52293624484332244
39th3711Sam ThompsonLeanne ThompsonRNSA3427-514640312839245
40th3806Ben JonesHelen HilditchShoreham SC3332-534825334146258
41st3779David LeeAngela BridgesStarcross YC31353633(DNC)434043261
42nd3776Nick CraigKate CraigBurghfield SC2640(DNC)DNCDNC23425268
43rd3766Andrew DalbyAimee DalbyBurghfield SC3844454534-494530281
44th3662Nigel HudsonFreya HudsonBartley SC395039-5335415235291
45th3742Howard EelesJosh OatesBartley SC4447-523233473950292
46th3813Steve HarlingEleanor ThomasStarcross YC41365451(DNC)323547296
47th3817Geoff KimberHelen KimberStone SC295142-5427425452297
48th3790Colin BrockbankSue broughWembley SC37435552395225-56303
49th3547Tim MaleRebecca MaleRYA43554139(DNC)514444317
50th3794Julian HarmsTimothy HarmsMidland SC40463849(DNC)445051318
51st3786Phil HardistyTeddy DunnIsle of Man YC(DNC)DNCDNCDNC17304742334
52nd3825Storm NuttallIsobel StewartSalcombe YC(BFD)494350443846BFD336
53rd3821Gavin WillisBettine HarrisBristol Corinthian YC(BFD)39473829RETDNC53338
54th3720David ChisholmAndy PrinceRoyal Burnham YC(BFD)373743DNC545649342
55th3695Peter SlackImmy BrownTrent Valley SC484253 TAL555(DNC)46DSQ34344
56th3663Nicholas YannakoyorgosMatteo ManciniFishers Green SC(BFD)56495637584857361
57th3740Pat BlakeJilly BlakeLymington Town SC(DNC)DNC4440DNC535341363
58th3707Stuart JenkinsHannah BurtHampton Sailing Club46545657(RET)565555379
59th3767Ben ArcherOlivia BelliniParkstone YC(BFD)485047DNCUFD5154382
60th3690Guy BrowneGreg MartinTrent Valley SC4557(RET)59DNC555760399
61st3567Martin SmithKaren BestonRedditch SC47585860(DNC)DNC6058407
62nd3582Florence NichollsHarvey GodelAldeburgh YC(BFD)595758RET575959415
63rd3449Carl WhitehillSam WhitehillRYA4960(DNC)DNCDNC5958DNC424
64th3528Richard Owens TaffStu SouthanPembrokeshire Powerboating and Sailing A(RET)DNCDNCDNCRET606161446
65th3800Richard BramleyTony ChealShoreham SC(DNC)DNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNC462

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