Merlin Magic Essex

The Silver Tiller series arrived at Brightlingsea for a five-race event on the weekend of the 21st
The skies were grey and the wind, 6 to 12 knots from Holland, had a salty sharp edge to it. The Brightlingsea club management is second to none, with the ladies of the galley sending out trays full of bacon buttes, tea and coffee. There is a friendliness about the club that makes you feel that you have always been there.
Alan Hicks was the man in charge and lead the BSC race team very well. The start line was controllable and had just enough pin end carrot to prevent the committee boat rafting. The fleet of 25 boats started well and with the position of windward mark (nods a wink dead centre) the fleet was tempted to the Clacton side of the course to escape a soft tide, but some shift in the wind to the Bradwell side tempted the hopefuls back into the middle; the sea was as ever a bubble rap of boat stopping slop.
In race one William and Chris crunched the numbers right and quickly pulled out an unbeatable lead, and with the bright red kite set against grey skies looked stunning and very fast.
In race 2 we saw the Merlins in much more buoyant frame of mind with the fleet crashing the line in fine style and rendering the fleet another viewing of the black flag. But not to be put off the fleet hit the line on mass to be shown the general recall flag. It was on the 3rd starting that Simon and Phil had a much tighter race with Glen and Olly, as now the ebbing tide gathered pace and caught out boats not guarding their tail end. The downhill finishes with the short leg, having rounded the leeward mark, to the finish line made an interesting spectacle with some last minute jibes with boats on port and starboard; many places were won and lost.
Sunday sadly the sounds of clanking halyards and the whistling winds through the rigging foretold the end of play. Thank God that common sense prevailed for with little water in the creek and fixed foils and tribes of white horses galloping up the Colne River no repair estimates are required!
This left the top three boats on equal points and Simon and Phil the winners.
Notables: Dave and Celia the BSC leading boat sailed well and finished in front of two Merlin rock stars. scoring a 10th and 9th this is no mean feet and respect is given.
Ozzie and Melissa had their down and up moments, but finished more up than down and also showing a pleasing boat speed with Melissa’s very concentrated spinnaker work paying off.
Jacko is still pulling the line on the importance of not peeking to early and, with Lorna’s signing skills have got a new interpretation of what the starting flags really mean.
Ron and Elizabeth did beat Simon and Pies.
It should be said that race team Brightlingsea did the Merlins open well, both on and off the water and we look foreword to a return trip in 2009.

Silver Tiller series results sponsored by Speed Sails
1st Simon Blake and Phil Dalby 4 points
2nd William Warren and Chris Robinson 4 points
3rd Glen Trusswell and Olly Turner 4 points
4th David Winder and Pippa Taylor 9 points
5th Matt Biggs and Rob Kennaugh 9 points
6th Tudor Owen and Hamish Kilburn 14 points