Please select your home edition
Edition
Savvy Navvy 2024

2024 Mermaid Trophy GAMES 4 at Guildford Model Yacht Club

by Roger Stollery 15 Apr 06:08 UTC

This was a superb day's racing with 18 races in a limit A rig wind giving some exciting planing off wind in the gusts and providing almost perfect conditions for the 9 competitors from 6 clubs.

The clouds cleared away, the sun shone and it became very warm, as if suddenly summer had arrived. Race Officer Alan Viney set a long two lap windward/ leeward course in a forecast 12-24 mph south south-westerly wind, which gradually went more south-westerly in the afternoon.

The racing started with a win for 14 year old Oliver Stollery, who made a good start with his borrowed F6 and led the race from start to finish from Rob Vice and his dad Peter Stollery, both sailing UP designs. Not to be outdone Peter won Race 2 from Rob with grandad Roger Stollery also sailing an UP in 3rd place.

Race 3 saw Rob win with Barrie Martin sailing his STARKERS SQUARED 2nd and Oliver 3rd. The important leaderboard after race 3 showed Rob leading Peter & Oliver with Barrie 4th.

From then on the races were won by these skippers with Rob winning 10, Peter 5, Barrie & Roger 1 each. The wind became more south-westerly in the afternoon which made consistency much more difficult, making sure you are in the right place at the right time to match the varying shifts.

RO Alan's initial briefing warned competitors about sailing into the bushes at the edge of the lake, but there were several interruptions to the racing whilst either the rescue boat was sent out or the long telescopic pole was used to free them. However, apart from these interruptions Alan wasted no time between races and was praised at the prize-giving for continuing racing until the 6 hour time Limit set in the NoR, when so many clubs shorten racing time for their convenience and upset competitors travelled long distances to race.

The UPs were particularly fast downwind, but it was very good to see the older M designs like STARKERS performing so well for Barrie, who finished 3rd overall and maintained his position at the top of the GAMES leaderboard. Rob's UP is a special version which he designed/fitted out from the basic hull shape and by constant refinement over the last 2 years has got got it going at its best, as demonstrated at this event.

At the prize-giving, where the prizes were given away by this event's photographer, Celia Greetham, Rob expressed his delight at winning for the first time this special bronze Mermaid Trophy, which he had always strived to win. He thanked the Guildford Race team of Alan & Keith Parrott for their efforts in running another very good event.

Overall Results:

1st Rob Vice, Guildford, UP, 21 points, winner of Mermaid Trophy
2nd Peter Stollery, Guildford, UP, 33
3rd Barrie Martin, London, STARKERS, 50, winner of 'Grandmaster' Trophy
4th Roger Stollery, Guildford, UP, 57, Best Improver winner
5th Oliver Stollery, Guildford, F6 74, Junior prizewinner
6th Graham Hetem, Datchet, F6 92
7th Martin Crysell, Guildford, PRIME NUMBER, 94
8th Lewis Wyeth, Gosport, STARKERS, 99
9th David Cole, Hampton Court, GRUNGE, 100
10th Chris Watkins, Royal Temple, ROAR EDGE, 140

This event is the first of the Guildford's 3 Marblehead Summer Series events with the next one for the Halfpenny Trophy GAMES 5 on Saturday, 11 May 2024.

Related Articles

RM Ranking 6 at Norwich Model Yacht Club
Sailors met with a unexpected and steady westerly of 7-8 knots Sunday dawned and the threat of no wind and weed after Saturday's event was on everyone's mind. Posted on 9 Oct
RM Ranking 5 at Norwich Model Yacht Club
Various courses used in a tricky wind direction Twelve competitors arrived at Norwich to take part in RM Ranking 5. The wind forecast was 5 - 8 knots from the South. This was probably the worst direction that you could find at Whitlingham. Posted on 8 Oct
Flora Cup for Marblehead Vane boats at Fleetwood
The Vintage boats won the day With a roadside wind direction, the day was going to be somewhat challenging for a few. From the bridge end it was decided on 2 points out, but was this the right decision, as it looked like we had a run from both ends of the lake. Posted on 7 Oct
'Bill the Milk' Trophy at Fleetwood
Free sailing with Marblehead Vane model boats Initially we had 7 boats registered, but by the off, only 5 were dressed up ready to go. John Sharman was umming and arring to whether he could get Derek's loan boat together for the day, but finally succeeded. Posted on 22 Sep
Marblehead GAMES 6, Nylet RM Challenge Trophy
15 races were run in uncomfortable wind conditions at Abbey Meads 15 races were run in uncomfortable wind conditions changing from southerly to westerly, initially causing strong swirling gusts and lulls and really heavy rain before settling down to even stronger gusts up to the 25 mile an hour forecast. Posted on 23 Jun
Bradford Cup at Fleetwood
Racing nearly abandoned for vane-controlled Marbleheads The forecast was for showers and a wind strength for somewhere in the twenties, straight down the lake. On arrival we had 6 skippers debaating to whether or not they should have maybe just stayed at home. Posted on 10 Jun
Marblehead Nationals at Datchet Water
A tricky weekend for reading the wind Datchet Water or Queen Mother reservoir is one of the main reservoirs for London and a feeder reservoir for the Queen Mary reservoir down the road. It is like a giant saucer with the sides upwards of 60 feet above the ground. Posted on 5 Jun
Marblehead GAMES 5 event at Guildford
Halfpenny Trophy and Summer Series A small but enthusiastic fleet of eight skippers assembled at Abbey Meads lake in overcast conditions, but with an ideal northerly breeze blowing straight down the lake, although it did have a tendency to go a bit easterly at times. Posted on 22 May
10 Rater Tankard & Marblehead GAMES 3 at Frensham
The day started inauspiciously with no sign of wind The day started inauspiciously with no sign of wind and very little promise of any. By the time racing started there was wind, but very light and very variable. Posted on 22 Mar
M&S Marblehead ranking event at Chipstead
Analyse the results for the top two sailors, and you realise just how well both sailed Thank you to all the participants for turning up at Chipstead on a beautifully sunny if slightly chilly Saturday morning. The quality of the sailors in the fleet was exceptionally high. Posted on 16 Mar
Maritimo 2023 M600 FOOTERSavvy Navvy 2024