Aspire Merlin Rocket National Championship at Looe Sailing Club

Aspire Merlin Rocket National Championship at Looe Sailing Club - Day 2

by Team Fishers Green SC 11 Aug 21:50 PDT 10-15 August 2025

Day 2, Creation Covers Race Day of the Aspire Merlin Rocket Nationals at Looe Sailing Club, began with an excellent "what went well" session from Ben Saxton and Matt Rainback, finally unlocking the secrets of using the lowers and threading our way upwind in shifty conditions.

The fleet arrived at the boat park in high spirits, expecting classic Looe conditions: a solid Force 3-4 and big rolling waves. The legendary shore team launched us with trademark precision, sending boats crashing through the surf and out into the swell. We enjoyed a lively beat upwind, then hoisted kites for a thrilling surf back down to the committee boat.

No wind on day 2 of the Merlin Rocket Aspire National at Looe - photo © Alex Pausey

Unfortunately, that's when the day's fortunes changed. The wind fizzled out, leaving the waves to roll in under grey skies. The fleet drifted, sails flogging, while the race team searched for any sign of breeze. After a couple of hours of bobbing about, some crews gambled on an early return to shore. At 14:30, the RO ended the suspense — racing abandoned.

The shore team once again showed why they're so highly regarded, guiding the fleet safely in through the swell. With chest-deep volunteers catching bows, heaving boats onto trolleys, and working shoulder-to-shoulder, every Merlin was brought ashore without incident.

No wind on day 2 of the Merlin Rocket Aspire National at Looe - photo © Alex Pausey

So, no wind and no racing — but plenty of team spirit, time to prepare for the Crews' Union and Helms' Huddle, and a few last tweaks to some increasingly ambitious fancy dress outfits.

No change at the top of the leaderboard.

Here's hoping for champagne sailing tomorrow.

A huge thank you to all our sponsors Aspire Financial Advisors, Creation Covers, Pinnell & Bax, Sailing Chandlery, ClamCleat, Winder Boats and Copperfish Distillery.

Results after Day 2:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Boat Name	Club	Division	R1	R2	Pts
1st	3759	Thomas Gillard	Rachael Gray	Red Mistress	Sheffield Viking SC Staunton Harold SC	Platinum	1	1	2
2nd	3827	Dave Winder	Beka Jones	The Return of the Jedi	Hollingworth Lake SC	Platinum	4	5	9
3rd	3796	William Warren	Andy Prince	Roberta	Shoreham SC	Gold	8	2	10
4th	3829	Mike Calvert	Jane Calvert	Back in Business	Axe YC	Platinum	3	8	11
5th	3824	Andy Davis	Ollie Meadowcroft	Bonnie	South Staffs SC	Platinum	6	6	12
6th	3804	Ben Saxton	Matt Rainback	Rockatross	RYA	Platinum	2	11	13
7th	3809	Simon Potts	Ally Potts		Burghfield SC	Platinum	7	7	14
8th	3820	Caroline Gould	Olivia Bell	Skadi	Shoreham SC	Platinum	14	3	17
9th	3807	Tim Saxton	Holly McArthur	Baloo	Itchenor SC	Platinum	15	4	19
10th	3803	Chris Gould	Sophie Mackley	Black Swan	Shoreham SC	Platinum	5	15	20
11th	3727	Mark Stockbridge	James Gifford	Fragile	Upper Thames SC	Gold	11	10	21
12th	3793	James Goodfellow	George Major	Boris	Brightlingsea SC	Platinum	17	9	26
13th	3710	Jon Ibbotson	Robert Stewart	Paradigm Shift	Burghfield SC	Platinum	16	12	28
14th	3814	James Goss	Chris White	Sonic	South Staffs SC	Platinum	9	21	30
15th	3746	James Wells	Anna Aylward	Point n Squirt	RYA	Platinum	12	20	32
16th	3812	Thomas Stewart	Rob Allen	Maumahara	Waldringfield SC	Platinum	19	17	36
17th	3775	Chris Jennings	Pete Nicholson	Night Fury	Brightlingsea SC	Platinum	23	14	37
18th	3666	John Meadowcroft	Rory Gifford	Enchanted Evening	Upper Thames SC	Platinum	10	29	39
19th	3825	Storm Nuttall	Nigel Wakefield	Teacup	Salcombe YC	Silver	13	28	41
20th	3747	Clive Eplett	Megan Pascoe	Learner Driver	Frensham Pond SC	Silver	25	18	43
21st	3821	Gavin Willis	Tre Jacobs	Happy Ending	Bristol Corinthian YC	Bronze	27	19	46
22nd	3673	Freddie Parton	Giles Griffith	Desperate Housewife	RORC	Bronze	35	13	48
23rd	3799	Paul Rayson	Christian Hill	Simply Scrumptious	Fishers Green / Salcombe	Gold	34	16	50
24th	3815	Mark Barwell	Lou Johnson	The Kraken	Lymington Town SC	Gold	18	33	51
25th	3786	Richard Lovering	Ollie Wells	Slippery Dick	HISC	Platinum	26	25	51
26th	3724	Ed Bradburn	Samuel Bailey	Sublime	South Staffs SC	Gold	20	32	52
27th	3749	Ricky Tagg	Alan Mann	Stanley	Sheffield University Sailing Club	Silver	28	24	52
28th	3745	Paul Dean	Russell Hall	Outnumbered	Broadwater Sailing Club	Gold	22	31	53
29th	3817	Geoff Kimber	Helen Kimber	Aura	Stone SC	Silver	31	23	54
30th	3787	Chris Martin	Josh Oates	Quicksilver	Bartley SC	Platinum	21	37	58
31st	3779	David Lee	Angela Bridges	The Angels' Share	Starcross YC	Silver	24	34	58
32nd	3816	Phil Emery	Phoebe Paine	Wild Horses	Whitstable YC	Gold	38	22	60
33rd	3764	Tom Lonsdale	Oliver Goodhead	Fancy Liquor	WOSC	Gold	30	30	60
34th	3754	Tony Cooper	Jess Cooper	Didley Poke	Fishers Green/King George	Silver	36	27	63
35th	3766	Andrew Dalby	Aimee Dalby	The Bear	Burghfield / Lee on Solent	Silver	32.5	36	68.5
36th	3547	Tim Male	Rebecca Male	Moondance Assasin	Staunton Harold	Silver	29	40	69
37th	3684	Tom Low	Roman Archer	Keyser Soze	Parkstone YC	Bronze	32.5	38	70.5
38th	3774	Richard Coulter	Louis Lappage	Panther	Fishers Green SC	Bronze	46	26	72
39th	3748	Nigel Brooke	Alice Allen	White Tiger	Lymington Town SC	Silver	39	35	74
40th	3813	Steve Harling	Emily Batterton	Pacemaker	Starcross YC	Bronze	37	42	79
41st	3662	Nigel Hudson	Freya Hudson	Attack of the Clones	Bartley SC	Silver	43	39	82
42nd	3707	Stuart Jenkins	Peter Walker	Monkey Business	Hampton SC and Upper Thames SC	Bronze	40	43	83
43rd	3663	Nicholas Yannakoyorgos	Matteo Mancini	Bronte	Fishers Green SC	Bronze	42	41	83
44th	3704	Jemma Horwood	Nicola Scaddan	Factory Maid	Tamesis SC	Silver	41	46	87
45th	3776	Neal Lillywhite	Freya Lillywhite	Messy Monty	Burghfield / Salcombe	Gold	44	44	88
46th	3736	Jonathan Bloice	Harry Bloice	Metachrosis	Whitstable YC	Bronze	45	45	90
47th	3660	Peter Sullivan	Ron Webb	Djelibeybi	Pentewan Sailing Club	Bronze	DNC	DNC	96