Merlin Magic Essex (Brightlingsea)

For the first time this year four Merlin Rockets came to the line at Brightlingsea to contest who is cutting the custard. It was a full on event sailed in the bests of conditions; sun 12 to 16 knots across the tide. Each team had the lead at one point and also thrashed about in last place. It was noted that all overtaking was off wind with mostly boat handling errors. In the current sailing climate the volume of chat about boats, strings, crew weights and sails, it should be said that the boats sailed are of no consequence in relationship to the people sailing them and the skills required to win a sailboat race, as opposed to just sailing around the race cans in the shortest time.
Eyeball to eyeball dinghy racing can hurt; it does damage your sense of humour! There can be only one boat that crosses the finish line first, great to win but the pits to lose. And then we have the post bar inquest as to how the race was lost. It is at this point we can see that no one loses, each team is keener, sharper and more resilient for the experience, each gains some tips and knowledge and wishes to prove just how lucky the lead boat was to be lead boat at the finish!!
It would appear to me that racing a modern Merlin is about sailing skills and not what boat with what string. The art of stating and going the right way is everything. Boat handling and teamwork cannot be bought. Being extremely polite to your crew when things are going tits up is an essential part of keeping the marbles on the tray.
I can tell you that my crew looks stunning laid sunny side up on the fore deck whilst hauling out the spinnaker from under the bow in the Colne chop, but alas a helm needs to sail twice as good with a flat boat, gob shut and head up the mast.
For Ozzie and Mel (race winners and winners of the day) having upped the kite on a beam reach and powered to the front from last place, the trump cards where down, and for Jacko and Lorna having stonked the start and led at the first mark, dropped to last and pulled up to second (the word lucky has a new meaning)
The newest members to join the fleet, Dave and Celia Charlton, whose racing skills can only be said to be red hot are a welcome addition the Merlin fleet, finished in third place. For Craig and Jayne the understanding of the words “you’re never lonely in a Merlin” and “the fight for last place, it’s never over till it’s over”, plus Craig being responsible for having the club restructure the PY handicapping sum, is doing his uppermost to put more onto his race elapsed times, but with only 90 seconds separating the four Merlins I am not sure that it matters at all as boat on boat racing is what sailboat racing really is.
The Merlins are set to race in Pyfleet Week with a class start this year, the week itself has much to offer the Merlin sailor, the venue is ideal for the Merlin Rocket and you don’t get ripped off, and the club even lets Jacko sit at the bar, well some times if nobody’s there. The next race in this cutting the custard series is on the 8th June at 11:00 HW at 16:19.
If you’re feeling lucky give it a go.
Now read on dit dit dit

Thanks to Al Wigg for the Pics

The Douglas Charlton Blackwater Travellers Trophy

The Blackwater Travellers Series started on the 3rd with the Britannia Trophy, an open handicap event held at the Blackwater S.C. Heybridge. It was the most splendid of weekends with a sunny warm S.E. 12 to 16 knots of steady breeze.
With a 6 race, 5 to count over the three days, series supported by Maldon brew we might have be forgiven for thinking we had died and gone to heaven. The fleet made up of a fast variety of new and old dinghies from 49er to the glorious timber clinker built Sprite, made the starts one of the most demanding and skilful sailing moments one could possibly wish to encounter. As is the way of dinghy racing the thrill of the start on the tide in a mix of fast and slow boats led to groans from the race box and some very lucky competitors. But in all starts and restarts the fleet behaved well and not once was a naughty word used. The courses set were testing and a joy to sail with not too much farming and mystery as to where the race marks were hidden.
With asymmetric boats, single-handed boats and the traditional classes, plus catamarans the national PY numbers is still a mystery to the majority of sailors and the sailing skills factor unknown as a factor! and each class wishing for more or less wind. To win the event on the PY numbers is a bonus to go with the pleasure of sailing in the event.
I can tell you that the winner, Philip Newman (Phantom), made cracking starts and was often seen at the top of the first windward legs leading the Fireballs and Merlins, and was not seen to be rocking and pumping down the runs. (Unusual for a Phantom sailor). His starts, mark rounding and tactics were the winning factor. But more special was Philips joy of the race, taking on the Fireball and the Merlins boat for boat, a very worthy winner with 11.5 points.

Runner up was Jacko and Lorna/Al Wigg (Merlin Rocket) with 14 points. Sometimes known as the boat of laughs on account of the endless stream of errors and hands full of string pulling and the odd idea of leaving the rudder in the Dinghy Park, scraped and battled their way around the courses, occasionally putting some interesting team work together, but was seen to be in the right place for most of the time.
Ian Smith (Vortex) finished in 3rd place with 23 points. I know not what to say on account that we never saw the Vortex. It was gone in a flash and sailed for the most part on the horizon somewhere and was off the slip before our return, but for sure little error was made and a good time was had in what could be said to be not ideal conditions for a Vortex.
The Blackwater S.C. famed for its Fireball fleet appeared a little subdued. George Whitchurch, overwhelmed to see Jacko again, made the visitors welcome and Martin Scarth sporting a new Fireball as ever rallied the fleet lending a boat, sorting and nurturing the newer members. It would appear that the loss of Nigel (regular crew) led Martin into a sight seeing tour of the river, zapping across to the Scum-bells and into the saltings, but in good spirits and offering to put Jacko in his tea group with biscuits, and on passing out to Southy creek with a little bit of trawling (but no fish) kept the fleet knocking at the door. The leading Fireball was Julian Wild and Ben Arnold who put 4 good races together but sadly could not quite get in the chocolates.
Races 3 and 4 combined count for the Douglas Charlton Blackwater Travellers Trophy with the next race being at Brightlingsea on Aug. 16th at 14:00, the Carol Cruickshank pursuit race.

Full Results

I would like to thank Douglas Charlton Accountants for there sponsoring the Blackwater Travellers Trophy series and the Blackwater S.C. for running the Britannia Trophy as an open event and for all the club members for their help and support in making the river Blackwater a friendly and pleasurable place to be sailing.