Brightlingsea S C

Saturday 19^th dawned bright and clear, the first sun for a few weeks! Sharing the weekend with Fireballs, GP14’s and Hornets the Merlin Rockets joined in the fantastic sight of 70 boats leaving the club for the race area in the Colne. With a gentle force 1-2 southerly greeting the 20 Merlins race officer Phil Rust and his team set the course and with the tide just starting to ebb had the first race away on time and, without a general recall (rare for the eager Merlin fleet!). With several shifts up the first beat keeping the fleet guessing Andy “Taxi” Davies and Tom Pygall (national champions) rounded first with a chasing pack including Dave Winder, Jon Ibbottson, local Dan Willett, and legend Jon Turner in hot pursuit. Due to the light winds and ebbing tide the reaches ended up being fairly broad and those going high (including Turner trying to defend) lost out heavily running into the gybe mark. The tidal gate then spread the fleet on the next beat and places stayed much the same until the finish, ending with Taxi followed by Dave Winder and Jon Ibbotson

Second race again started first time, with fickle shifts up the first beat and the few opting for less tide lost to those heading into the stronger stream. At the top mark Nick Craig lead, with Willett, Ibbotson and Will Rainey in close company. Downwind Craig lost out letting Ibbotson go through to take the lead and the race win with Willett second and Craig holding onto third.

Everyone headed back to the shore and a great welcome from the home club, especially in the form of curry/bolognese washed down with a few “bevvies!” Evening entertainment followed with live action from the Champions League final not to mention James Stewart (Nick Craig’s crew and Chelsea stalwart) amusing others with his celebrations!

Sunday started with a fresher F 3-4 breeze from the north. With Sunday being the actual Silver Tiller event two more boats brought the fleet numbers to 22.

Again, away first time, the third race had a number of boats swapping the lead, with the combination of course layout and breeze making for tighter planing reaches – putting grins on many faces! At the finish Taxi lead from Nick Craig and Will Rainey.

The wind dropped slightly for the fourth race and again most of the fleet headed right into the slackening tide. Dave Winder and local Dave Charlton crewed by Ozzie (his first crewing for many years) both hit the left corner of the course, got the ideal shift and came in to the top mark in first and second. In close pursuit were Taxi, Ibbotson and Jon Turner although a swim at the bottom mark unfortunately dropped Turner from the leaders! Tactics changed as the tide turned and the left hand side of the course became the favoured option, with Dave Winder extending his lead throughout the race for a comfortable win, ahead of Taxi, and Jon Ibbotson.

The final race started with the tide now ebbing fast and again a clean start – no recalls in a Merlin Rocket Open!!!! The pack headed left but with 20 degree shifts a lot of “snakes and ladders” occurred. Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis headed the fleet with Nick Craig, Jon Ibbotson and Will Warren in close pursuit – a helpful gust stretching all four of them from the rest. With the top mark becoming an assault course as the Merlins lapped the tightly bunched GP14 fleet struggling with the tide, a swimming GP14 sailor must have been more than a little scared as the fleet bore off onto the run around him! Jon Gorringe enjoyed the sight of the shortened course flag after 3 laps, winning from Nick Craig and John Ibbotson.

Congratulations to the race team for running the 4 fleets really well with great courses throughout the weekend, and also to the organising, galley and bar teams who did tremendous work behind the scenes to make the whole event such a success.

With 4 separate winners from 5 races and 4^th to 8th only split by 5 points the Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller fleet is showing its strength and depth, but the accolades this weekend must go to Taxi and Tom winning on the same points as Jon Ibbotson and Matt Gifford, courtesy of Taxi’s two wins. Nick Craig and James Stewart were third with Will Rainey and Sophie Mackley fourth.

Report and photographs by : Piers Lambert

The Silver Tiller results from the Sunday only with 2 to count from the 3 races, changed the picture with Taxi and Tom first, Nick Craig and James second andJon Gorringe and Toby third.

For those competitors who enjoyed the relative calm and tranquillity of last weekends restricted (river or estuary) Craftinsure Silver Tiller at Cookham Reach, Hayling Island’s 2 day event (the eighth so far in the series) proved to be physically more demanding – at least on the first day!
Saturday’s racing, an open water (reservoir lake or harbour) event held within the wide expanses of Chichester Harbour tested skill and determination as race one kicked off in a force 4 gusting force 5. With the north easterly creating wind over tide conditions, skilful sailing again ensured a minimum of start line incidents as the fleet of 33 boats finally sheeted in for the first beat after only one general recall!
In the lead at the windward mark William Warren and Chris Robinson in 3685 succumbed to the strong pressure from Colin Smith and Graham Williamson who themselves were acutely aware of Britain’s 2012 Olympic 470 contender Stuart Bithell crewed by Christian Bithell being only too close for comfort! As the fleet powered away down the first reach with much position changing in the fast planing conditions it was Stuart and Christian who were in the lead by the bottom mark, a position which they continued to hold to the flag, marking what appeared to be a very successful repeat guest appearance in the Merlin Rockets!
However slightly further down the fleet Jon Gorringe & Toby Lewis in 3712 were making a late charge happy to settle for second place whilst keeping a weather eye on Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis in 3722 coming up for third.
The twist in the tale – joy for some disappointment for others – Stuart and Christian black flagged at the start so the results were:

1st – 3712 – Jon Gorringe /Toby Lewis
2nd – 3722 – Matt Biggs /Ben Hollis
3rd – 3736 – Colin Smith/ Graham Williamson
4th – 3728 – Judith Massey / Harvey Hillary
5th – 3734 – David Hayes / Jonny Radcliffe
6th – 3723 – Simon Potts/ Holly Scott

With no sign of the wind abating, the start of race two saw ten competitors black flagged and head home for an early shower. Now the reduced fleet were left to battle it out for “first to the windward mark” and Mike Calvert and Ian Garwood in 3691 made best use of the toestraps on the beat to get the pole position and be first to hoist on the reach!
Fired up after their win in race one , Jon and Toby were now determined to make it their weekend and some slick spinnaker work saw their second place position turn into that of lead boat as they roared down the harbour on another exhilarating three sail reach ! Working hard to maintain the position they were finally rewarded with the welcome sound of another “first to finish gun” despite a tough challenge from Mike & Ian who being both hunter and hunted did consistently well to secure second place. Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis sailing with “Blood Sweat and (no) Beers” finished in third.
It’s amazing what a hot shower can do and revived competitors headed first to the bar and then to an excellent HISC Mexican dinner , plenty of time then to contemplate the day’s events and what tomorrow’s similar forecast would have in store?
Sunday morning again dawned with torrential rain in the bleak and cold conditions and no sign of the force 5/6 north easterly slackening towards more acceptable sailing weather.
Eventually after a slight lull and with the wind swinging more toward the east, the race team decided to proceed and crews were despatched to rig and prepare. However conditions on the water from the committee boat proved less than satisfactory and wisely (though disappointingly for some) the meeting was abandoned.
So Jon & Toby held onto their well-deserved two first places and were declared the overall winners of this year’s Hayling Island Silver Tiller event!
Next stop Rutland Water May 6th. With the training event taking place in advance and new skills to be tested on the water in the race it promises to be an exciting weekend. Let’s hope for some sunshine for this one!

Report by – Steve Storey

 

Hayling Island Silver Tiller Results 2012-1

East Lothian Yacht Club Open Regatta

2nd June 2012

North Berwick

Yacht & Dinghy Racing

 

RS400 Scottish Championship

RS200 Scottish Championship

Phantom Scottish Championship

Streaker Scottish Championship

Laser 200 Alba Cup

Laser Granprix series

Radial Grandprix Series

Dinghy Handicap

Scottish Skiffs

Entry limited 140  Online Entry: www.elyc.org.uk