With 45 knots of breeze blowing across Whitstable Bay on the Friday and with more to come forecast, it wasn’t surprising there was a reduced entry of 24 boats for Whitstable Yacht Club’s annual Silver Tiller meeting over the weekend of 23 – 24 June.

Despite having to run the racing from a RIB, following the sad loss of the club committee boat in a storm, Jon Silk and his race team were determined to get two races in on Saturday. A rather nervous fleet launched into a solid Force 5, gusting 6. With Salcombe Week only two weeks away boat and body damage was to be avoided and several crews elected to stay ashore.

Andy Dalby takes up the story and tells it from his point of view:

“RACE 1
–          Dave Hayes forgot his mainsail so went back to get it! Some people will go to amazing lengths for a 3DL. (new technology sail – Ed)
–          Tough to work out which way the wind was going to veer. The fleet were initially driven left which didn’t pay. Unusually at Whitstable, those that went right gained but playing the shifts seemed to be the key. Andy “Taxi” Davis rounded first followed by Tom Stewart and then us. Judith Massey was in the mix with Will Rainey and Dave Winder. The first reach was tight with the tide – not all could hold kites.
–          There was significant carnage at the first and subsequently every gybe mark – the chop made gybing difficult as the main was powered up through the gybe!
–          On the second reach Taxi had spinnaker problems and dropped places. Tom Stewart lost it and spun out for a big swim but we (Andy & Phil Dalby) managed to keep it together to the end of the race to take the win. Sailing deep on the runs with the tide was advantageous.

In between races
–          Dave Hayes arrives with main sail.
–           I (Andy Dalby) fell out of the boat – long swim trying to get back in within the 5 minutes.

RACE 2
–          Off the start it paid off for those who went left out of the tide – but the wind was still shifting.
–          Tom Stewart rounded first – can’t remember the rest just concentrating on the blast down the reach and then…
–          Carnage at the gybe mark again – Casualties included Dave Hayes, Dave Winder and us.
–          Taxi’s main halyard failed on second beat.
–          Tom Stewart pulled out a comfortable lead with William Warren, Will Rainey and Judith Massey in pursuit.
–          Dave Winder and the Dalby’s recover to pull back into the race crossing each other up the final beat. Dave Winder does very well to get up into 3rd with a snapped and trailing spinnaker pole.

–          On final run Will Rainey has spinnaker issues which allow the Dalby’s through to fourth.”

One competitor summed up conditions succinctly –”chuffing windy”. Most people had at least one swim and the relatively light damage (one spreader bracket, one spinnaker pole, a deck sheave and lots of burgees) speaks volumes for the robust construction of the modern Merlin and its rig.

Sunday morning dawned with more of the same and a postponement was signaled. However with over 30 knots being recorded on the harbour wall racing was called off for the day. So the winners of the Holden Cup for the Craftinsure Whitstable Silver Tiller were Andy and Phil Dalby, their first ever Silver Tiller win. Dave Winder and Pippa Taylor were second overall with William Warren and Chris Robinson third.

The “Man of the Match” award must go to Joe Tosh, aged just 13 years and a day who, crewing for dad in “Cool Cookie”, completed both races. Well done Joe!

Full results can be seen at www.wyc.org.uk

Photo: shows Andy and Phil Dalby with the real Dalby sisters and the Holden Cup.

Report and photograph by: John Cooper

Download results Whitstable Silver tiller results 23rd- 24th June

Day One Saturday 9 ^th June – Silver Tiller – The Sea event

27 boats lined up on the shore for what turned out to be a very “breezy” sail around the Olympic style triangle/sausage course set for Saturday just outside the confines of Poole Harbour into Poole Bay. With an eventual 16 only finishers this was definitely not a day for the frail or faint hearted!

With over 25 knots of wind being recorded inside the harbour the fleet proceeded to sail out towards the entrance whereupon emerging into the lumpy seas of Poole Bay the wind increased further to a good force 6. Challenging conditions indeed – even for highly experienced Merlin rocket crews!

Race 1 and with the boats cleanly away the fleet proceeded to split into two groups, some going inshore and others taking the offshore route. It seemed that the inshore Merlin’s had a slight advantage with David Hayes reaching the windward mark first followed by “Taxi” Davies and Jon Gorringe. A screamingly fast two sail reach down to the gybe mark followed (too lumpy and too windy to hoist kites) – and as the brakes went on many boats capsized trying to clear the mark. Quite a few elected to wear round in order to avoid the gybe but still capsized as the combination of the wind and sea state got the better of them. Those that took a deep breath and successfully managed the inevitable instantly took 100 metres out of crews that struggled or wore round. Taxi and Jon with extremely skillful sailing both sailed through to be the leading pair and held these positions until the leeward mark when Taxi capsized allowing Jon to take a well-deserved win. Richard Whitworth sniggled his way through to grab third and David Hayes slid down to 7 ^th .

Overall a lot of retirements from race 1 some with damaged boats, one with a broken mast and a few crews who, ‘just didn’t fancy it’!

Race 2 and with the retirements from the first race leaving only 16 boats to contest the start, the race officer again had the fleet away on the first gun. Taxi led at the windward mark and held off Jon Gorringe’s persistent challenges until the last gybe mark where he again capsized allowing Jon through for his second win of the day! Andy & Phil Dalby were charging and took an impressive third place.

Race 3 – A general recall! It had to come. With the competitors now down to 12 starters and with plenty of room on the line they were however cleanly away the second time. Jon Gorringe out of the trap quicker than anyone expected led the fleet although closely pursued all the way by Taxi. An excellent demonstration of boat speed and handling allowed Taxi very ably crewed by Ellie Bremner to catch right up with Jon who was equally well crewed by “Tobytastic” Lewis. From the final gybe mark to the finish a fantastic tacking duel took place but Taxi couldn’t quite get past the Goringe Lewis combo who won by a margin of less than a Merlins length!. Only 11 boats finished race 3.

In extreme and difficult conditions a sincere ‘well done’ has to go to all the rescue boats who were kept very busy throughout the days activities and who did a sterling job in high winds and rough seas!

Nevertheless there were some weary sailors in the bar that evening recovering their strength with a few pints and a very good curry knocked up by the excellent Parkstone kitchen. Not that anyone needed more wind!

Day 2 –Sunday 10 ^th June – Silver Tiller – The open water event.

The forecast was for an easterly F3-4 with rain and it was right ! The event was held inside the harbour and the race team decided to abandon the traditional triangle, sausage course and use the harbour race marks .Have a tour of the harbour while you’re racing and why not? . With a lead boat showing the leaders the way there were no excuses to get it wrong!

Race one and the Merlin’s were away without any dramas. The fleet split with about 70% going left into the main channel and the remainder going right towards Brownsea Island. The right side of the course paid because the tide was flooding and saw Richard Whitworth round first by a good margin. With Taxi followed by David Hayes leading the charge behind it was a close, but fast, two sail reach down to the next mark. Jon Gorringe seemed to create his own wind (maybe it was the curry) and sped from about 8 ^th to 3 ^rd on this leg to be right on Taxi’s transom at the mark. Richard Whitworth continued to pull away only to round the leeward buoy the wrong way. Upon realizing the error he returned to round again but couldn’t quite make it in time before Jon, followed by Taxi, had gone through ahead leaving Richard to take a frustrating third!

Race 2 a bit of a change with the windward leeward course having a 3 mile run towards Wareham and about a 2.5 mile beat back to the finish.

Again the fleet split left and right but this time all converged pretty much at the same time for the windward mark.

Lots of place changing downwind as the boats pretty much sailed in one group apart from Taxi who had eked out a bit of a lead followed by David Hayes and then Ben & Roz Mcgrane in their new boat, “Dory”. This was how they finished with Jon Gorringe managing to get back to fifth behind Richard Whitworth after being caught in the pack.

Race 3 had a general recall. Well you can’t have a silver tiller without at least one or two general recalls! Away second time but, unfortunately, Taxi was black flagged and went back for an early shower. With a similar but slightly shorter course to race 1, the wind shifted left giving those that had gone to the main shipping channel side of the course the advantage. Jon Gorringe covered the fleet from this position, but it was Ben and Roz McGrane showing some good speed who led most of the way around until the final few hundred metres where a puff of wind aided those that had gone close to Brownsea Island. Whilst Ben & Roz stood off the island to avoid the wind shadow the Brownsea Islanders snuck through ahead of them relegating their tremendous effort to 5 ^th . Unsurprisingly given his success so far It was Jon Gorringe who came out on top again with Steve & Gill Leney coming through to take second and David Hayes picking up third.

So overall winner of the weekend was Jon Gorringe who having won both Silver Tiller events made the organization of the prize giving nice and easy!

A special ‘endeavor’ prize was introduced for the boat that completed all 6 races but had the lowest overall finishing position. This deservedly went to Chris Jennings and Liese Scott who finished 10 ^th overall.

A big thank you to HD sails and Creation Covers who both donated prizes for the event and also to our series sponsor Craftinsure…

Thanks to Parkstone Yacht club and thanks too to Barry Rolfe, the PRO, who made it all happen on the water with some great courses around the harbour.

Report by Mark Waterhouse

Results by David Bursey

Parkstone overall silver tiller results