Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week 2026 at Salcombe Yacht Club - Overall

A.M Race

Jason Andrews and Tim Fells made the most of a bold port-tack flyer at the start, reaching Crossways first with a modest early lead.

From there, they headed straight towards Ditch End, while the majority of the fleet pushed further out towards Snapes before gybing back to join the Ditch End contingent.

Will and Arthur Henderson soon worked their way into the lead, with Taxi and Chris close behind on the run to W. The Hendersons then led the fleet back into the Harbour, stretching away from Taxi and Chris, while George Yeoman and Mark Oakey headed the chasing pack.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week at Salcombe Yacht Club Day 6 - photo © Lucy Burn

On the second long run, Will and Arthur remained firmly out in front, with Taxi and Chris still holding second. Matthew and Hannah Greenfield had moved into third, closely followed by Tom Morris and Chris Kilsby.

The Hendersons maintained their advantage on the second long beat back from W, but behind them Taxi and Chris had slipped into a tightly packed group containing the Greenfields, Morris and Kilsby, Yeoman and Oakey, and Saxton and McArthur.

As the leaders headed down the final run to Blackstone, Will and Arthur were well clear. George and Mark had moved into second, while Taxi and Chris held third, defending hard from the chasing group. The order remained unchanged to the finish.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week at Salcombe Yacht Club Day 6 - photo © Lucy Burn

P.M Race - A Fitting Finale to an Unforgettable Week - Green v Blue

The easterly breeze held through lunchtime to set up an epic final-day showdown, with the Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week title still hanging in the balance.

Jenny Dodds and Pippa Kilsby went into the final race knowing they had a genuine opportunity to take home the championship. Standing in their way were Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray in Red Mistress, who had led the regatta with their customary consistency all week.

The Race Officer laid a true spectators' course, giving those enjoying the sunshine on the Salcombe Yacht Club terrace the best seats in the house, with the entire race track visible from start to finish.

A clean start sent the fleet away on a long beat to Mark 4, stretching the boats out before the lengthy downwind leg to Blackstone. As the fleet emerged from Yalton Creek, it was the red spinnaker of Dave Winder and Beka Jones leading the charge, with Tom and Rachael tucked in behind. Jenny and Pippa had already worked their way into fourth and remained well within striking distance.

The second, and even longer, beat proved decisive. Dave and Beka elected to head up the Town side, while the rest of the leading pack hugged the sandy beaches along the Portlemouth shore. It was Tom and Rachael who made the gains, moving into the lead and beginning to edge clear. Dave and Beka soon found themselves under pressure from Christian Hamilton and Faye Chatterton, while Jenny and Pippa continued to chase hard from fourth.

As we all know, this was far from Tom and Rachael's first rodeo. If there's one thing we've learnt from watching them race throughout the week, it's their remarkable ability to remain calm and composed, whatever the conditions or whatever unfolds around them. Once they hit the front, they never looked back.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week at Salcombe Yacht Club Day 6 - photo © Lucy Burn

Tom and Rachael crossed the finish line to the final cannon blast of the week, sealing another superb overall victory and rounding off a masterclass in championship sailing.

Jenny Dodds and Pippa Kilsby can be immensely proud of their regatta. They pushed the eventual winners all the way and, with fourth place in the final race, secured a thoroughly deserved second place overall.

Behind them, Christian Hamilton and Faye Chatterton got the better of Dave Winder and Beka Jones to finish second in the race, with Dave and Beka taking third. Caroline Gould and Livvy Bell did enough in the final race to complete the overall podium in third, just a single point ahead of Dave and Beka in fourth.

It was a wonderful way to conclude a fabulous week of sunshine, close racing and typically tactical Salcombe light winds. The regatta finished with a fantastic prize-giving on the Yacht Club terrace, where those fortunate enough to be "in the chocolates" received an outstanding selection of prizes from the event's generous title sponsor, Helly Hansen.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week at Salcombe Yacht Club Day 6 - photo © Lucy Burn

Our thanks also go to Creation Covers for providing superb prizes for the daily winners, Coast & Country Cottages for their continued support, and to everyone at Salcombe Yacht Club and Salcombe Harbour Authority who, together, once again delivered an outstanding Merlin Rocket Week.

Whenever you start thanking people, there's always the risk of forgetting someone, so apologies if we've inadvertently missed anybody. But perhaps the biggest thank you of all goes to the sailors themselves. Without your enthusiasm, support and commitment, there simply would be no Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week.

Congratulations to all our competitors on another memorable championship. What a fantastic way to celebrate 80 years of Merlin Rocket sailing.

We look forward to welcoming you all back to Salcombe in 2027.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week at Salcombe Yacht Club Day 6 - photo © Lucy Burn

Overall Results: