Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week at Salcombe Yacht Club

96 boats for Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week © Merlin Rocket Owners Association

96 boats for Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week © Merlin Rocket Owners Association

96 boats for Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week © Merlin Rocket Owners Association

All across the country on Friday 8th July some 192 competitors, and countless hangers on, eagerly awaited the clock to hit 5.30pm, upon which they could start their annual mecca to Salcombe, Devon for the Marchant Petit sponsored Merlin Rocket Week.

When you drive down to Salcombe an air of relaxation hits you as you realise for a week you’ll be catching up with old friends, making new ones, eating and drinking and of course, enjoying the odd bit of sailing here and there. Not to forget that your mobile will have zero reception severing all contact with work and your mother, happy days were here again.

Saturday, as ever, was spent taking boats across to Mill Bay home to the 96 strong fleet of Merlins for the week. Mill Bay is the ideal location to store the boats, providing safe and convenient launching for competitors and idyllic sandy beaches for families and children to play on, building sandcastles, engineer damns and of course to host the ever important inter club beach rounders.

With so many boats and a restricted start line the fleet is split into four flights with two races per day. The starts themselves often attract more spectators than competitors as what feels like the entire town turns out to watch.

Race 1 on Sunday was won by Salcombe veteran Phil King, sailing this year with his daughter Christina, herself a keen 420 and 29er sailor. Race 2 honours were taken by the recent pairing of Glen Truswell (of Laser) and Paul ‘Davo’ Davies (of Birmingham). Returning to the fleet after a year out campaigning his 1720 was Simon Blake, with L Jenkins ably crewing as he took time off from his heavily publicised and hugely successful Hydrofoil Moth development programme. It was clear neither had lost their touch, notching up a credible second. 2004 Salcombe Week winner and National Champion Richard Whitworth struggled after a poor start to battle his way to tenth. Effectively losing his disguard, he would have to sail a near faultless regatta to regain his crown.

The weather and sailing conditions experienced on the Sunday were to stay the same for the remainder of the week. Glorious sunshine with a light sea breeze gradually building throughout the morning, combating the North Easterly gradient wind causing havoc in the middle of the course with a confused wind near the aptly named mark, ‘Crossways’. With this in mind the race officers utilised all the sailing marks available, including some of the sea marks outside of the estuary, to either keep us close to the coast in the sea breeze or further inland in the gradient wind.

With yet another action packed social programme of barbeques, disco’s, drunken meal after drunken meal, countless house parties and the landmark beach party organised by Team Sworded Fish, it was clear from the outset that the wind was not going to be the only thing feeling confused that week. With crews going missing for morning races and a plethora of navigational hiccups Salcombe socials were evidently living up to their reputation.

This year yet again saw another increase in the number competitors from other classes making guest appearances. With visitors from N12 (Tom Stewart), Int14 (Dave Dobrijevic), 420 (Johnny Toogood), GP14 (Matt Mee), B14 (Jason Andrews), and Mirror (Rachel Williamson). Indeed many such as Tom Stewart and Dave Dobrijevic have been converted to the class. Having sailed Salcombe Week the entire Taylor family have sold their RS400s opting for the more ‘manageable, responsive and rewarding’ modern Merlin Rocket. Competing in borrowed boats parents Roger and Debbie sailed together to finish 19th, while daughters Jenny (helming) and Pipa (crewing) finished 27th and 18th respectively.

While the wind remained light and fickle, in contrast the tide cycle strengthened from neaps to springs, making tactics rather than boat speed the crucial factor, the common feature at Salcombe. This allows racing to be decided on skill rather than ‘fire power’, unlike in many other classes where unless you have the latest boat and technology you simply cannot compete. This is no longer a problem in the Merlin class where for some 15 years the hull shape has remained virtually unchanged. Combine this with the availability of secondhand carbon rigs at much reduced costs and everyone is competing on an even basis. At Salcombe an amazing 72 of the 96 competing boats were of Canterbury Tales or variant design and all but nine had carbon masts.

By mid week the top of the leader board was extremely tight featuring all the usual suspects. Phil King and Richard Whitworth, both previous winners, were scoring the bullets and in contention for the crown. Glen Truswell was recording the most consistent set of results having finished in the top four in all races, setting himself up for a good overall position. Simon Blake was striving for his elusive first victory having notched up two seconds and a third in recent years, but having to carry a fourth would make life hard. Dave Winder had a fantastic early run of results but on day 4 was called OCS by the narrowest of margins and an unfortunate eighth the day after meant his chances of victory slipped away. As ever the overall result is decided not through victories but lack of mistakes.

Typically the winner was not to be decided until the last day. Simon Blake, Glen Truswell and Phil King were all still in with a shot of the title but relied on others misfortune to guarantee their position at the top of the pile. Richard Whitworth, however, was in the situation where the week was his for the taking, a top seven result would guarantee the title for the second year in a row but could he handle the pressure?

After such a shaky start, Richard Whitworth and Elena Bremer from Hollingworth Lake SC recorded a second in the last race behind Simon Blake, and thus with it overall victory for the week. After such a fantastic week of sailing and socialising our moods soon turned as we realised we had to leave and return to the normal hum drum of work and responsibilities. Already looking forward to next year I remind you all to get your entries in early to avoid missing out on the 96 entry cut off.

With the Salcombe Week blues hitting the fleet hard we can, however, take solace in our forthcoming Nationals on 14th-19th August. Celebrating our 60th Anniversary the week at Hayling Island SC should prove to be an extravaganza not to be missed. For further information on the event please visit www.merlinrocket.co.uk

Overall Results: