Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island Sailing Club

The long-range forecast for the Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island Sailing club looked 'iffy', with Saturday's Windguru forecast showing plenty of angry purple. Sunday, however, held promise of what could just the most memorable bay sailing day of the year.

This year's event was hosted by HISC alongside fleets from the 505, Fireball and Flying Fifteen's, with more than 70 entries across all fleets and 23 Merlin Rocket entries.

To no-one's surprise Saturday's racing was cancelled with up to 50 knots recorded on Chimet. Instead four races were scheduled for the Sunday with a start time of 10am meaning an early start for all.

D-flag was raised promptly at 9am for the bleary-eyed sailors. The sail out of the harbour revealed relatively moderate conditions, with a course set deep into Hayling Bay, sheltering the fleet from the worst of the adverse current. The start time coincided with low water, allowing the previous day's swell to stand up nicely on the shallows and create the downwind playground we had all been hoping for, along with some stereotypical HISC mast-breaking jeopardy.

Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island - photo © Ingrid Abery / www.ingridabery.com

Race 1: Following some delays as the pin end dragged, the Merlins got away as the third fleet on course, sailing an inner-loop trapezoid, sausage first, and finishing at a separate finish boat, with two laps on the board. With an easterly current running all day, the strategy was to head right, staying tucked into the bay and away from the stronger Solent stream further left.

The race team set around 10 degrees of port bias to tempt boats left, so the tactical question was whether those at the pin could clear their lane and tack right quickly enough to cash in on the starting advantage. Quick out of the blocks, Jon Gorringe and Toby-tastic Lewis were first of the port-end bunch to tack right and bank an early lead, which only grew as the race went on. Behind them, George Yeoman & Mark Oakey overhauled Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey for second, while Silver Tiller debutant Tom Morris, ably crewed by Chris Kilsby, held off James Wells & Jonty Freeman for third. What a race!

Storm Nutall and Sally Wakefield - Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island - photo © Rob O'Neill

Race 2: With separate finish and start boats, the turnaround between races was rapid. Almost as rapid was the increase in breeze, which built from around 15 knots to 20 as the Merlins lined up for Race 2. Will & Arthur Henderson made the most of a reduced, but still significant, pin bias, refusing to follow the previous race's trend and instead forging left to pip the fleet to windward, followed by George and Mark, then Christian and Sam.

The second beat finally rewarded the right and allowed Christian and Sam, plus Tom and Chris, to shuffle the order at the front. The top reach with kite up on lap two was particularly fun, with nearly 14 knots recorded and half a dozen flogs required to squeeze round the wing mark.

By the final run, the wind was now properly fresh. Christian and Sam only had to stick one final gybe and the race was theirs. Fortunately for the chasing pack, their attempt came just as they slowed on the back of a huge wave, and the loaded boom refused to play ball, crashing over with enough force to send them both into the drink. Tom and Chris were gifted the race win, with Will and Arthur second and George and Mark third.

Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island - photo © Ingrid Abery / www.ingridabery.com

Race 3: Wind speed had now reached its zenith, gusting over 25 knots. During the start sequence it also shifted 15 degrees left, creating a heavily biased pin that was hard to cross from mid-line. Tom and Chris spotted this, accelerated to the pin, then tacked promptly after the gun to cross the fleet. It looked promising, but George and Mark's upwind pace had other ideas, as they led at the windward mark and were never seriously challenged again.

Behind the racing was very tight. Christian and Sam rounded the final windward in second but would haemorrhage positions on the final top reach which was now a two sailor. Tom and Chris pushed through to second followed by James and Jonty with Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley displaying great downwind pace to notch up a second 4th place finish.

Christian Birrell and Sam Breary - Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island - photo © Rob O'Neill

Race 4: With legs starting to decompose, and only 10 of the 23-boat fleet still afloat, Race 4 got under way. The wind had returned to the right, giving a square line and handing those nearest the committee boat an advantage as they attacked the right-hand side first. Jon and Toby bookended the event with their second runaway race win. Christian and Sam finished second, perhaps happier once the white-sail reach had been removed.

Thanks to their consistency, George and Mark started this final race needing Tom and Chris to finish third or worse. Sadly for the massed spectator fleet, there was no need for any team-racing heroics, as Tom and Chris limped home in a distant fourth and never looked likely to challenge.

Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island - photo © Ingrid Abery / www.ingridabery.com

The final scores were tight, with just one point separating the top three boats. Nonetheless, George and Mark sailed consistently in the top three throughout and deservedly took the win. At the prize-giving, a happy George broke into song with a rendition of McFly's newest hits. Clearly a mega-fan.

Many thanks to HISC for putting on a great event (although a little more anchor line would have benefitted the pin end). It's excellent to race alongside other classes and catch up with old friends.

The next Craftinsure Silver Tiller is at Tamesis Sailing Club on Sunday 21st June.

Tom Morris and Chris Kilsby - Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island - photo © Rob O'Neill

Overall Results:

Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Hayling Island - photo © Ingrid Abery / www.ingridabery.com