Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week 2019 - Day 4

Wednesday dawned to another sunny day and early indications of a sea breeze cell forming in the harbour mouth. The forecast was for the wind to be light from the southerly quadrant all day.

Blue v Black flights. Course sailed: O,3,O,3

With little indication of the sea breeze cell building any more than a light F1-2, PRO David Greening elected to set a windward-leeward course within the limits of the cell. With some southerly in the breeze the first leg was a long beat against the tide out to mark O on the east side of the harbour mouth, followed by a run to Crossways.

For the first time this week there was a clean start. The majority of the fleet elected to start on the Portlemouth shore with Si Blake and Phil Dalby making of the best of it. Roger and Jane Gilbert chose to start further out into the stream on port but with more pressure and soon slipped into second chasing Si and Phil out past Blackstone.

Bizarrely on reaching mark O in the lead, Si and Phil appeared to doubt its identity and sailed around in the vicinity until Roger and Jane arrived to lead around. They were then away down tide with Jon Turner and Richard Parslow chasing along with Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey (not BFD!!) and Antony and Jo Gifford.

Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week 2019 day 4 - photo © Tim Fells

With majority of the fleet electing to make the second beat to O up the Portlemouth shore, it was Mike and Jane Calvert who took to the town side. Initially losing out, they made ground rapidly up to Woodville Rocks where they found a nice right hander to cross the harbour to Biddle Point and join the battle for third.

Roger and Jane remained untroubled in the lead and sailed confidently through to take their second cannon of the week and put themselves right in the mix for the title. Mike and Jane held onto a long port tack away from Crossways to sail through under JT and Richard who were becalmed out in the tide. Second place continues Mike and Jane's strong score card.

Pete Ballantine and Rob Allen were also gainers on the town side to sneak into fourth ahead of Matt Biggs and Beka Jones who were the only boat to start on the town side and come through in a good position. Christian and Sam rounded out the top six.

Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week 2019 day 4 - photo © Tim Fells

Green v Red flights. Course sailed: 1,5,1,3,1,3

The breeze had settled into more of a true sea breeze direction giving a less biased beat up the harbour. For the first time this week there was a general recall with nine boats on the board, though none that were contenders for the title. At the second start, the wind switched left allowing those who had positioned towards the Portlemouth shore to tack on to port and fly up the harbour with the tide under them. The leading breakaway group of four to Blackstone were Taxi and Pippa Kilsby, Jenny and Chris Dodds, Richard Whitworth and stand in crew for the day Beka Jones and Steve Crook with Sally Townend (who were to break their port pole on the run to Saltstone but able to continue to finish seventh).

Conditions were providing excellent tight racing with small pressure changes, shifts and tidal effects shuffling and reshuffling the pack. Slowly the chasing group closed the gap to the leaders with Alex Jackson and Mary Henderson recapturing their form of the first two days to climb through to second at the line behind Taxi and Pippa who took their first canon of the week.

Jenny and Chris took another top result in third ahead of the Chrises (Gould and Kilsby) who had steadily climbed up through the field. Richard and Beka were shuffled back to fifth ahead of Sophie Mackley and James Ward following up their second yesterday with a strong sixth.

The discard has not yet kicked in but if it had the top positions are very close. Richard and Jemima have 1,1,2, Roger and Jane 1,1,3, Mike and Jane 1,2,2, Alex and Mary 1,2,2 and Taxi and Pippa 1,3,4. It is hard to see the winner coming from outside these top five.

With the gradient swinging to the NW and building a few knots, together with continued sunny weather there is the prospect od some healthier sea breeze conditions for the final two days.

Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week 2019 day 4 afternoon race - photo © Malcolm Mackley

Results after day 4:

Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week 2019 day 4 morning race - photo © Malcolm Mackley