Draycote Water S.C.
Draycote Water S.C.
Dorchester S.C.
Dorchester S.C.
Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller at Chichester Yacht Club, 24th March 2012.
Chichester Yacht Club, 24th March 2012
Spring at Chichester Harbour: a beautiful day in a beautiful place. Nick Colborne, PRO, is concerned at how slowly the spring tide is filling Chichester Lake; the high pressure of the last few days has kept the water level down – 10mm per millibar. We are educated….
Nature takes its course, and with only a short delay to ensure water across the whole course Race One begins in a gentle Eastish breeze. Three boats quickly form a breakaway group; ‘Faithless’ Richard Whitworth & Sarah, the Monkey Business boys Si Blake & Alex Jackson and Matt Biggs & Ben Hollis in Stealth. Snakes & ladders ensue when Monkey Business takes the lead and Stealth & Faithless swap places before settling on Blake 1, Whitworth 2 and Biggs 3. The following pack is lead by ‘Miss Aigletinger’ (David & Fiona Sayce) ahead of plenty of other Merlin Rocket Names.
Race Two: breeze is building slightly with the rising tide. The Monkey Business boys again hit the front at the first mark ahead of the White Saucererer Nick Craig & James Stewart. Stealth found a nice line of breeze to overtake Metachrosis (Colin Smith & Graham Williamson) on the run and these four held their positions to the finish, ahead of Quick Fix (Mike Calvert & Ian Garwood).
Race Three: tide now on the ebb causing some compression at the committee boat. Lots of shouting and Quick Fix going round the end to restart. Faithless and Metachrosis lead the breakaway with Dan Willett and Pete Nicholson in pursuit ahead of local boat Sublime (Martin & Vicky Jones).
Final outcome: win for Monkey Business 3707 (Shoreham SC), 2nd for Faithless 3703 (Parkstone YC), 3rd to Metachrosis 3736 (Hayling Island SC).
A brilliant day’s sailing; proper regatta tea with cake, scones and everything! Thanks to all at Chichester for a warm welcome and a very well run event.
Report by Graham Williamson
Photographs by Ian Payne – Chichester Yacht Club
MIDLAND SAILING CLUB CRAFTINSURE MERLIN ROCKET SILVER TILLER REPORT
There was a considerable feeling of dejá vu about the Craftinsure Silver Tiller meeting at Midland this year. It was once again on Mothers’ Day. The same race officer and team were in charge, and there was another good turnout of visitors – many of them from Blithfield who had run their own Silver Tiller event the day before. The results, too, had a familiar ring about them.
18 visiting boats joined 9 Merlins from the home club, and race officer, Nigel Spurr, got the first race off into an easterly breeze. The light shifty conditions made for a testing race which was eventually won by Mike and Jane Calvert, followed by Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis in second and Andy (Taxi) Davis and Tom Pygall in third. Lunch was taken early to allow for an early start to the afternoon’s racing.
While lunch was being taken the clerk of the weather arranged for the wind to shift into a northerly direction – one which would make for more difficulty in approaching and leaving the windward marks. In the second race the wind favoured the few who got onto port early and many boats got stuck to the left of the beat. However, quality showed through with many of the usual suspects working their way to the front of the fleet. Mike and Jane pulled through to win from Matt and Ben with local team Richard Adams and Chris Gould in third.
The fleet stayed on the water for the final race, sailed over the same course. With Mike and Jane on shore Andy and Tom come to the fore. They won from Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis, with Matt and Ben in third.
So Mike Calvert has got his name on the trophy yet again – his sixth win – with Jane crewing for him on this occasion. In a further repeat of last year Taxi and Tom’s win in the final race gave them second overall, ahead of Matt and Ben who once again were third.
Results: –
1. Mike and Jane Calvert Axe 2 points
2. Andy Davis and Tom Pygall Blithfield 4
3. Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis Blithfield 4
4. Richard Adams and Chris Gould Midland 8
5. Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis Parkstone 9
6. Steve and Gill Leney Blithfield 9
Mike Anslow
19.03.2012
1 3691 Mike Calvert Jane Calvert Axe 1 1 28 2
2 3684 Andy Davis Tom Pygall Blithfield 3 4 1 4
3 3722 Matt Biggs Ben Hollis Blithfield 2 2 3 4
4 3650 Richard Adams Chris Gould Midland 5 3 7 8
5 3712 Jon Gorringe Toby Lewis Parkstone 7 9 2 9
6 3716 Steve Leney Gill Leney Blithfield 4 5 9 9
7 3610 Richard Dee Chris Winters Midland 6 6 4 10
8 3663 Chris Haworth Jo Harvey Blackpool & Fleetwood 8 7 28 15
9 3702 Duncan Salmon Harriet Salmon Wembley 11 11 5 16
10 3402 Rob Kennaugh John Hackett Midland 10 10 6 16
11 3730 Paul Hollis James Dawes Blithfield 9 13 8 17
12 3674 Mike Anslow Jayden Wood Midland 13 8 11 19
13 3568 Andy Bownes Claire Brimacombe Shustoke 15 14 10 24
14 3339 Tim Male Rebecca Male Blithfield 12 12 12 24
15 3508 Colin Anderson Sean Anderson Redditch 14 17 13 27
16 3680 Steve Watson Phil Scott Midland 16 22 14 30
17 3619 Guy Browne Luke Turner Trent Valley 23 18 15 33
18 3547 Peter Male Neil Harper Blithfield 17 16 18 33
19 3581 Mark Reddington Colin Staite Bartley 19 15 28 34
20 3582 Malcom Hyams Iain Leiper Midland 18 19 17 35
21 3530 Mike Colles Tyrone Wood Midland 26 21 16 37
22 3517 Keith Garrett Dan Barrett Midland 22 20 19 39
23 3567 Martin Smith Karen Beston Blithfield 21 23 21 42
24 3437 David Homer Chris Homer Midland 20 24 24 44
25 3548 Kieron Mason Henry Mason Blithfield 28 26 20 46
26 3533 Russell Brayshaw Nicola Wolkinson Hollowell 25 27 22 47
27 3346 Ian MacKenzie Angela MacKenzie Blithfield 24 25 23 47
Blithfield Merlin Silver Tiller 2012
by Chris Martin
36 boats gathered at Blithfield SC for the first standalone Craftinsure Silver Tiller event of 2012. The late start meant competitors were greeted with spring like sunshine, and what looked like a nice force two which lulled everyone into a sense of false security as the day developed into one of the most bizarre that your correspondent has ever sailed in!
Race one got off cleanly, and the fleet were lead around the first mark by Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis.The breeze at this point was relatively steady, but there were massive gains to be made if you picked the bends correctly. Gorringe and Lewis held onto their lead to win the race, followed home by Dan Willet and Pete Nicholson all the way from Brightlingsea. Richard Adams and Chris Gould came in third.
Race two is probably best remembered for how many ways the conditions can torture a race officer. Initially a highly port biased line lead to a general recall and a restart under black flag. In the last 30 seconds to the restart it was apparent that the committee boat was the place to be. This lead to a number of BFDs. The swinging breeze never kicked back around to the left and some boats managed to get to the first mark in one, led by Paul and Michelle Keeling. It all looked cut and dried after one leg, but the wind had not done with us yet. Half way down what was supposed to be a run, in not a lot of wind a massive wind shift and a force 4-5 with heavy rain came in from nowhere and turned the fleet inside out. This race was won by the Adams/Gould team, with Andy Davies and Tom Pygall second.
Race three. Again this started in not a lot of breeze, which died off to pretty much nothing halfway up the first beat. About half the fleet headed right to get closer to some ominous looking clouds, but having tempted us with a sudden blast earlier on the breeze was not to materialise until later. Those who picked their way up the left did the best, and three home boats rounded first Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis leading with Steve/Ben Hendon and Chris Martin/Matt Smith in hot pursuit. The clouds headed closer and the wind did fill in just as the lead pack got around the second mark, luckily for the leaders this was not disastrous as they shot away while the bunch behind took each other’s wind. Biggs/Hollis held onto their lead, with the fleet newcomers Steve/Ben Hendon also holding onto second place. Another newcomer to the fleet Chris Jennings crewed by Liese Scott came in third.
Overall the Midland team of Richard Adams and Chris Gould took the GKN Trophy. Our thanks go to everyone who helped run the event, and especially to Jon Batt and Nick Broomhall in the committee boat who must have been having kittens pretty much all day! Hopefully the weather for the Inlands in September will be kinder. We look forward to welcoming the fleet back.
1st 3650 Richard Adams and Chris Gould Midland SC
2nd 3712 Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis Parkstone YC
3rd 3644 Steve and Ben Hendon Blithfield SC
4th 3627 Dan Willett and Pete Nicholson Brightlingsea SC
5th 3658 Chris Jennings and Liese Scott Burghfield SC
6th 3583 Chris Martin and Matt Smith Blithfield SC
Merlin Rocket Open Meeting 2012
17th March
Pos Sail No. Helm Crew Club R1 R2 R3 Nett
1 3650 Rich Adams Chris Gould Midland 3 1 (37.0 DNS) 4
2 3712 Jon Gorringe Toby Lewis Parkstone 1 -4 4 5
3 3644 Steve Hendon Ben Hendon Blithfield 4 -10 2 6
4 3627 Dan Willet Peter Nicholson Brightlingsea 2 -5 5 7
5 3658 Chris Jennings Liese Scott Burghfield -9 6 3 9
6 3583 Chris Martin Matt Smith Blithfield 5 -11 6 11
7 3684 Andy Davis Tom Pygall Blithfield 10 2 (37.0 DNF) 12
8 3735 David Winder Rory Mackenzie Hollingworth 6 7 (37.0 DNC) 13
9 3732 Tom Jeffcoate Ben Rayner Notts County 7 8 (37.0 DNC) 15
10 3565 Paul Keeling Michelle Keeling Blithfield 12 3 -13 15
11 3730 Paul Hollis James Dawes Blithfield -15 9 7 16
12 3510 Mike Raine Jane Hill Rudyard Lake 8 -15 9 17
13 3722 Matt Biggs Ben Hollis Blithfield 17 (37.0 OCS) 1 18
14 3339 Tim Male Rebecca Male Blithfield 11 (37.0 DNF) 8 19
15 3617 Tom Chadfield Andy Chadfield Blithfield 13 13 (37.0 DNC) 26
16 3701 Steve Hunt Ruth Hunt Pilkington -18 17 10 27
17 3719 Mike Partridge Claire Davis Hayling Island -25 18 12 30
18 3663 Chris Haworth Jo Harvey Blackpool and Fleetwood 14 16 (37.0 DNS) 30
19 3645 Jeremy Deacon Joanna Deacon Cookham -26 22 11 33
20 3581 Mark Reddington Colin Staite Bartley 22 12 (37.0 DNC) 34
21 3705 Geoff Wright Katie Wright Blithfield -23 19 15 34
22 3610 Richard Dee Chris Winters Midland 20 (37.0 OCS) 14 34
23 3402 Rob Kennaugh Abi Spurr Blithfield 21 14 (37.0 DNC) 35
24 3508 Colin Anderson Sean Anderson Redditch -31 20 16 36
25 3680 Steve Watson Phil Scott Midland 19 23 (37.0 DNS) 42
26 3566 Jon wood Heather Earlswood -29 25 17 42
27 3547 Peter Male Luke Tucker Blithfield -28 26 18 44
28 3619 Guy Browns Tommi Cluley Trent Valley 24 21 (37.0 DNF) 45
29 3567 Martin Smith Karen Blithfield -32 27 19 46
30 3548 Kieron Mason Henry Mason Blithfield -30 29 20 49
31 3533 Russell Brayshaw Nicola Wilkinson Hollowell -35 28 21 49
32 3518 Julian Harris Samuel Harris Midland 27 24 (37.0 DNC) 51
33 3723 Robert Line Peter Hill Head 16 (37.0 OCS) (37.0 DNC) 53
34 3653 Chris Brown M Williams – 33 (37.0 DNC) (37.0 DNC) 70
35 3346 Ian Mackenzie Angela Mackenzie Blithfield 34 (37.0 DNF) (37.0 DNC) 71
36 3716 Steve Leney Gill Leney Blithfield (37.0 DNC) (37.0 DNC) (37.0 DNC) 74
3 races, 2 to count.