SALCOMBE GIN SYC MERLIN ROCKET WEEK DAY 3 & 4
Published 20:37 on 3 Jul 2024
Day 3
Following the traumas of Monday, the fleet woke to bright sunshine and a brisk breeze. Would it be from a more helpful direction? Well, slightly. A touch more north meant that there was a bit more breeze down through the town and there was the prospect of some normal racing.
RACE 5: GREEN v BLUE Flights, COURSE 7,3,7,1
With a light breeze on the line and a flood tide underneath them, the fleet lined up early and there was an inevitable general recall. Race officer for the day Scud Stewart kept his counsel on miscreants and rolled straight into another start that again was not clear but was let go. Spectators at the club were left to see who would be sent home early. The final tally was 13 having an early bath.
From the start, those who got onto port from the middle of the line were away in clear air with Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley showing well and Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey in close company. On the beat up to Gerston, Arran Holman and Faye Chatterton showed some stellar speed to come through and take a narrow lead onto the run. However, with the two leaders engrossed in a match race, Chris and Sophie took the low route out of the tide to come though to lead at Crossways.
With a good NNW holding down the main Kingsbridge channel, the fleet enjoyed a good beat back up to Gerston and run back to the harbour, by which time Chris and Sophie had worked out a 200m lead with Alex Jackson and Pippa Kilsby working their way up to second. Although the wind was starting to break up the leading two negotiated a near windless Blackstone mark and came in comfortably ahead of the chasing pack who were becalmed fighting the tide. Chris and Sophie taking a well earnt first bullet of the week.
Christian and Sam managed to get the better of a fight to the line with Caroline Gould and Livvy Bell. Matt and Hannah Greenfield successfully converted another position in the leading pack to come in fifth ahead of Alex Warren and Jonty Freeman enjoying their best result of the week.
RACE 6: RED v BLACK Flights, Course 8,3,6,5,2
The afternoon race had a nice 8-10 knots of NNW on the line with a bias towards the town end. A clean start saw Tom Morris and Chris Kilsby jump into the lead onto the long beat up to Balcombe near Kingsbridge with Mike and Jane Calvert giving chase. The top two overnight, Tom Gillard / Ollie Meadowcroft and Will and Arthur Henderson were both in the top ten but had some work to do.
Turning on to the run Rob Kennaugh and Andrew Prosser were running well in the top group along with Chris Haworth and Stuart Aston in their beautifully restored 40-year-old boat Shadowfax in which Chris finished third at the 1985 Championships.
Places remained unchanged on the run but on the beat into Frogmore the wind started to die and Mike and Jane were able to reel in Tom and Chris and establish a big lead on the run back into the harbour. Comfortably ahead, they completed the circuit around Mill Bay mark to come home well ahead and take their first bullet of the week.
Tom and Chris were still in second rounding Mill Bay but Tom and Ollie tacked away in third to play the town side and were rewarded with better pressure to come through to take second. Further back Tom Stewart and Rob Allen had a great second half of the race to climb into fourth ahead of George Yeoman and Mark Oakey, back on their horse after a trying second day. Chris and Stuart were an excellent 6th in Shadowfax.
So, at the half way stage, six races have been completed with six different race winners. Tom and Ollie have just got their noses in front of Mike and Jane with a number of teams looking forward to the discard coming in to get into the battle at the top of the leaderboard.
Day 4
Wednesday at Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week brought a change in the weather. The wind had backed to the WSW giving a truer breeze down the harbour and although less than forecast in the morning there was a good hiking breeze with occasional planning gusts. The wind strengthened for the afternoon to give an exciting blast around the harbour.
RACE 7: BLUE v BLACK Flights, COURSE 1,7,1,3,1,3
The pin end Portlemouth shore was favoured and with a slack tide the fleet lined up early. The fleet was away first time but with an expectation that there might be some who had jumped the gun. Tom Gillard and Ollie Meadowcroft starting towards the beach were just able to tack across on to port and then play the gusts up the Portlemouth shore to round Blackstone ahead.
With Tom and Ollie running back down the Portlemouth shore, those who stood out towards the town side benefited from extra pressure with William Warren and Charlotte Fildes taking the lead ahead of Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley.
As the leaders ran back through the line, two prominent teams were pulled out for BFD infringements; Mike and Jane Calvert together with Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey.
On the long legs down to Gerston and back, Tom and Ollie drove through to take the lead from Chris and Sophie with wife Caroline Gould and Livvy Bell coming through to put pressure on them from behind.
From this point on the laps of the harbour were relatively processional with little opportunity for place changing as all the leading teams were taking the same well-worn routes. Tom and Ollie came home to take their second bullet while Chris and Sophies second makes them their nearest challengers. Caroline and Livvy continue to put a very strong series together in third and William and Charlotte enjoyed their best result in fourth. Tom Morris and Chris Kilsby worked their way back up to fifth ahead of Ed Bradburn and Jonny Coates.
RACE 8: RED v GREEN Flights, Course 1,4,1,4,1,3
The afternoon flights had a great sail in classic Salcombe conditions. The breeze was round more into the SW with some punchy gusts running down the harbour and the strong flood tide filled the estuary to allow a perfect course down to Yalton.
With a clean start the fleet split up both sides of the harbour with George Yeoman and Mark Oakey winning the race to Blackstone ahead of Olly Turner and Pete Nicholson with Matt and Hannah Greenfield coming in from the town side.
After a fast and furious run, Tim Saxton and Holly McArthur were up into the fight for the lead but Olly and Pete had gone missing in action. The two long beats against the tide were a tough work out and saw Tim and Holly eat into George and Marks lead and by the final beat to the line, they had worked out a comfortable margin and came home a minute clear for their first bullet.
George and Mark held onto their second place despite the challenge from a hard charging Arran Holman and Faye Chatterton who, with the hot angles they sail downwind, have covered more sea miles than any other boat this week.
Tom Stewart and Rob Allen, after a sketchy start to the week by their standards, have found their feet with a strong fourth place ahead of Alex Jackson and Pippa Kilsby who are putting together a very tidy series and have moved into third place overall. Matt and Hannah completed the top six, another good result for this quick team who have the married couple prize in their sites.
Following todays Black Flag casualties, Tom and Ollie have opened up some clear water over the chasing pack but the discard is still to come in.
