76th Aspire Merlin Rocket National Championships at Mount's Bay Sailing Club - Day 4
by Mary Henderson 4 Aug 2022 09:22 NZST
31 July - 4 August 2022
Day 4 of the 2022 Merlin Rocket Nationals was a long one. Light and shifting breeze in the morning caused a 2 hour postponement ashore. To test the waters, it was decided that the Crews' Race would be sailed during the postponement.
Rallied by a record turnout for the Crews' Union on Sunday, a large fleet launched early to compete for the coveted trophy. Their keenness prevailed and the first start was a general recall. As the breeze settled into a nice 10knts, the fleet got away under a black flag.
Pete Gray, crewed well at times by Jon Gorringe, slotted first around the windward following a successful "leftward" strategy. Fran Gifford had carefully found all the shifts up the middle of the beat although some slippery footwork by Tim Fells threatened to jeopardise her podium position as they tacked onto the starboard lay line. Chris White continued his Team's Wednesday thirding streak to take the final podium position.
It was tightly packed in the mid-fleet with a multitude of family, friend and National 12 rivalries.
For the first championship race of the day (Race 7) James Goss & Chris White made another appearance at front at mark one, joined by Jon Turner & Richard "Animal" Parslow and Taxi & Jack Holden. However Tom Gillard & Rachel Gray stormed up the left of the second beat to lead, with Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey also making gains to sneak into second.
Goss & White held third, and the top three extended and finished in that order.
In the final race of the day (actually Race 4) Will Warren & Megan Pascoe led at mark one. On the first run pressure down the right of the run allowed Mark Stockbridge & James Gifford and Tim Saxton & Mary Henderson to gain significantly at the expense of those who gybed early (including Birrell & Brearey).
Stockbridge & Gifford and Saxton & Henderson then chose the right leeward mark, and gained left early on the beat, with Goss & White again going well leading the pack from the right. On the final beat Gillard & Gray showed their pace to close in and pull up to third.
Unfortunately for Goss & White an early gybe allowed Saxton & Henderson and Gillard & Gray to sneak past on the final run to take first and second, with Goss & White holding on for a third, third place of the day.
Thank you to our sponsors Aspire Financial Advisers, HD Sails, Mounts Bay Distillery, Fernhurst Books, West Systems, Triggernaut Sports Glasses, Robline/DinghyTec and GK Engineering.
Racing concludes on Thursday 4th August 2022.
Videos courtesty of Lee Whitehead are on Youtube.
Results after day 4: (races shown in numerical order, not chronological)
Pos | Fleet | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
1st | Platinum | 3759 | Thomas Gillard | Rachel Gray | Staunton Harold | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 14 |
2nd | Platinum | 3788 | Christian Birrell | Sam Brearey | Parkstone | 6 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 23 |
3rd | Platinum | 3691 | Mike Calvert | Jane Calvert | Axe | 5 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 32 |
4th | Platinum | 3802 | Simon Potts | Charlotte Fildes | Burghfield | 10 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 6 | 37 |
5th | Platinum | 2137 | James Goss | Chris White | South Staffs | 13 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 29 | 3 | 43 |
6th | Platinum | 3719 | Ian Martin | Chris Martin | Burghfield | UFD | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 44 |
7th | Platinum | 3764 | Tim Fells | Frances Gifford | Salcombe | 4 | 4 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 47 |
8th | Platinum | 3807 | Tim Saxton | Mary Henderson | Itchenor | 20 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 23 | 49 |
9th | Platinum | 3778 | David Lenz | Vicky Lenz | Lymington Town | 12 | 25 | 9 | 20 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 58 |
10th | Platinum | 3803 | Caroline Croft | Faye Chatterton | Lymington Town | 9 | 10 | 6 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 61 |
11th | Platinum | 3735 | Andy Davis | Jack Holden | South Staffs | 8 | 24 | 17 | 26 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 69 |
12th | Platinum | 3758 | David Hayes | Jonny Ratcliffe | Lymington Town | 14 | 14 | 32 | 13 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 87 |
13th | Platinum | 3791 | Jon Gorringe | Pete Grey | Parkstone | 2 | 31 | 13 | 17 | 34 | 23 | 4 | 90 |
14th | Gold | 3782 | Ed Chapman | Chris Kilsby | Lymington Town | 3 | 13 | 19 | 28 | 33 | 21 | 8 | 92 |
15th | Gold | 3780 | Sarah Richards | Nigel Wakefield | Lymington Town | 17 | 11 | 36 | 10 | 27 | 2 | 28 | 95 |
16th | Gold | 3796 | William Warren | Megan Pascoe | Shoreham | 18 | 16 | 21 | 6 | 25 | 16 | 19 | 96 |
17th | Platinum | 3801 | Matthew Biggs | Beka Jones | Bartley | 28 | 15 | 25 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 98 |
18th | Platinum | 3775 | Chris Jennings | Pete Nicholson | Burghfield | 19 | 30 | 31 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 101 |
19th | Gold | 3746 | James Wells | Anna Aylward | RYA | 16 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 23 | 20 | 26 | 109 |
20th | Platinum | 3811 | Stu Bithell | Tom Pygall | Parkstone | DNS | DNS | 4 | 24 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 117 |
21st | Platinum | 3726 | Will Henderson | Rupert White | Salcombe | 30 | 12 | 28 | 23 | 16 | 25 | 16 | 120 |
22nd | Platinum | 3676 | Antony Gifford | Jo Gifford | Royal Tay | 21 | 17 | 12 | 38 | 22 | 17 | 32 | 121 |
23rd | Gold | 3683 | Arthur Handerson | Livvy Bell | Salcombe | 15 | 33 | 20 | 18 | 29 | 27 | 17 | 126 |
24th | Gold | 3696 | Alexander Warren | Jonty Freemansh | Shoreham | 22 | 28 | 14 | 15 | 26 | 34 | 22 | 127 |
25th | Silver | 3727 | Mark Stockbridge | James Gifford | Upper Thames | 61 | 32 | 24 | 5 | 31 | 12 | 30 | 134 |
26th | Gold | 3787 | Chris Martin | John Tailby | Midland | 7 | 40 | 35 | 11 | 18 | 39 | 31 | 141 |
27th | Gold | 3757 | Tim Parsons | Andrew Service | Lyme Regis | 24 | 29 | 10 | 29 | 21 | 33 | 34 | 146 |
28th | Gold | 3716 | Steven Leney | Gill Leney | Blithfield | 26 | 21 | 18 | 32 | 20 | DNF | 38 | 155 |
29th | Silver | 3815 | Mark Barwell | Louise Johnson | Lymington Town | 37 | 18 | 23 | 35 | 46 | 18 | 25 | 156 |
30th | Gold | 3799 | Paul Rayson | Christian Hill | Fishers Green | 11 | 20 | 33 | 33 | 39 | 41 | 29 | 165 |
31st | Gold | 3756 | Sophie Mackley | James Ward | Shoreham | 35 | 34 | 29 | 21 | 35 | 22 | 24 | 165 |
32nd | Silver | 3806 | Ben Jones | Helen Hilditch | Shoreham | 47 | 19 | 26 | 40 | 19 | 28 | 35 | 167 |
33rd | Platinum | 3809 | John Turner | Richard Parslow | Lyme Regis | 31 | 8 | 22 | 31 | 17 | DNF | BFD | 175 |
34th | Silver | 3816 | Phil Emery | Phoebe Paine | Whitstable | 25 | 43 | 27 | 47 | 13 | 37 | 36 | 181 |
35th | Platinum | 3666 | John Meadowcroft | Dan Meadowcroft | Upper Thames | 33 | 22 | 39 | 37 | 28 | 35 | 27 | 182 |
36th | Platinum | 3793 | James Goodfellow | Rick Cornes | Burghfield | 27 | 45 | 34 | 14 | 42 | BFD | 21 | 183 |
37th | Silver | 3690 | Tim Harridge | Rory Gifford | Hampton | 32 | 27 | 57 | 39 | 38 | 50 | 18 | 204 |
38th | Gold | 3740 | Pat Blake | Jilly Blake | Lymington Town | 34 | 26 | 30 | DNF | 32 | 44 | 46 | 212 |
39th | Silver | 3749 | Colin Anderson | Sean Anderson | Blithfield | 23 | 38 | 40 | 27 | DNC | DNC | 33 | 227 |
40th | Silver | 3772 | Dan Heaton | Tom Gurney | Mountbatten | 41 | 39 | 41 | 44 | 43 | 26 | 37 | 227 |
41st | Silver | 3732 | Ben Hollis | George Bender | Blithfield | 40 | 36 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 32 | 39 | 229 |
42nd | Silver | 3790 | Colin Brockbank | Sue Brough | Wembley | 39 | 47 | 44 | 36 | 30 | 36 | 49 | 232 |
43rd | Silver | 3684 | Tom Low | Hannah Burt | Queen Mary | 29 | 41 | 45 | 34 | 48 | 48 | 43 | 240 |
44th | Bronze | 3813 | Steve Harling | Eleanor Thomas | Starcross | 48 | 37 | 43 | 30 | 36 | 49 | 50 | 243 |
45th | Silver | 3779 | David Lee | Kirsten Glen | Starcross | 46 | 44 | 38 | 43 | DNS | 30 | 42 | 243 |
46th | Gold | 3656 | Charlotte Gough | Dave Gough | Starcross | 36 | 42 | 46 | 45 | 40 | 38 | 48 | 247 |
47th | Bronze | 3770 | Jon Steward | Annabel Steward | Fishers Green | 52 | 54 | 51 | 42 | 45 | 24 | 45 | 259 |
48th | Gold | 3766 | Andy Dalby | Aimee Dalby/Sean Anderson | Burghfield | 50 | 46 | 37 | 49 | 37 | 42 | 56 | 261 |
49th | Bronze | 3794 | Julian Harms | Timothy Harms | Midlands | 38 | 50 | 48 | 53 | 54 | 43 | 40 | 272 |
50th | Bronze | 3817 | Geoff Kimber | Helen Kimber | Stone | 42 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 44 | 40 | 47 | 273 |
51st | Silver | 3767 | Ben Archer | Olivia Bellini | Parkstone | 44 | 53 | 47 | 55 | DNF | 31 | 53 | 283 |
52nd | Bronze | 3695 | Peter Slack | Immy Brown | RYA | 43 | 35 | 50 | DNC | 50 | 47 | DNC | 291 |
53rd | Silver | 3682 | Ross Borne | John Burn | Salcombe | 45 | 52 | 49 | 50 | 53 | 46 | 51 | 293 |
54th | Bronze | 3662 | Nigel Hudson | Freya Hudson | Bartley | 49 | 49 | 54 | 51 | 52 | DNF | 41 | 296 |
55th | Bronze | 3785 | Robin Charles | Oscar Simmons | Starcross | 51 | 51 | 53 | 48 | 49 | 45 | 52 | 296 |
56th | Bronze | 3742 | Howard Eeles | Bradley Eeles | Bartley | 53 | 57 | DNF | 46 | 51 | 52 | 44 | 303 |
57th | Bronze | 3561 | Joe Shaw | Julie Cronshaw | Wembley | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 47 | 51 | 57 | 328 |
58th | Bronze | 3619 | Guy Browne | Andy Hunter | Trent Valley | 54 | 56 | 60 | 54 | 56 | 53 | 55 | 328 |
59th | Bronze | 3800 | Richard Bramley | Calum Tait | Shoreham | 56 | 55 | 63 | 56 | 57 | 55 | 59 | 338 |
60th | Bronze | 3567 | Martin Smith | Karen Beston | Blithfield | 55 | DNS | 62 | 59 | 55 | 54 | 58 | 343 |
61st | Bronze | 3574 | Marc Candelas | John Donoghue | Upper Thames | 59 | 61 | 64 | 57 | 58 | 56 | 54 | 345 |
62nd | Silver | 3750 | Neal Lillywhite | Freya Lillywhite | Burghfield | 58 | 62 | 55 | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNF | 373 |
63rd | Bronze | 3586 | Kieron Mason | Belinda Mason | Blithfield | 60 | 60 | 59 | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 377 |
64th | Bronze | 3449 | Carl Whitehill | Dani Whitehill | RYA | DNS | 59 | 56 | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNF | 379 |
65th | Bronze | 3792 | Alistair McDonald | Lydia Bourne | Berwick | DNS | DNS | 61 | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 391 |