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Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller and Allen SE Series at Brightlingsea Sailing Club

by Will Henderson 4 Jun 10:01 UTC 31 May - 1 June 2025
Guy Brown and Greg Martin in the 'General Lee' - Merlin Rocket Craftinsure Silver Tiller and Allen SE Series at Brightlingsea © Stuart Smith

16 Merlin Rockets came from north, south and west to join six home boats for the Brightlingsea Open Meeting, almost at the eastern extremity of Essex. Conditions were even better than last year with a good Force 3 to 5 for all the races.

It was South South Easterly for the three races on Saturday and approximately Westerly for the three races on Sunday. On both days there were shifts well into double figures. There were complicated on Saturday by the forecast for the wind to swing during the day, making it unclear whether a change of direction was permanent or temporary. Add in a strong spring tide and there were ample opportunities for gains and losses.

The courses were all two or three laps of a triangle, sausage, triangle. They were noteworthy for the superbly laid reaching legs. These were generally tight enough to make laying the gybe or leeward mark with the spinnaker up challenging, but rewarding for those who could achieve it. Those who could rode the waves and took places. Those who could not lost places.

These legs gave the lie to those who say that reaches only spread out the fleet and do not result in any place changes. I think there were more place changes on the reaches than on the oft-vaunted running leg. The three-sail reaches were awesome; what lake and river sailors dream about.

To the racing: the first race was sailed in the lightest winds of the weekend. It was won by Peter Nicholson in his grey machine, number 3775, with his guest helm, Alan Krailing. Andy Davis and Ollie Meadowcroft were second in 3824, with Caroline Croft and Livvy Bell third in 3820. I apologise for not giving you chapter and verse as to how that came about, because I was doing battle at the back and middle of the fleet after a first beat which definitely involved going the wrong way at all times.

The second race was the opposite so far as my son Arthur Henderson and I (Will Henderson) were concerned in 3726. We got a cracking start at the Committee Boat end and after pausing briefly to note that there was no recall flag, went the right way up the first beat and led around the course, though with Andy and Ollie reducing our lead throughout. My son Rob Henderson and his fiancé Alice Markham were third in 3714.

A result they repeated in the third race, which was won by Andy and Ollie, with Alan and Pete in second. Again I was too far back to see much of the strategy and tactics, but Andy and Ollie were so far ahead at the finish that they were almost out of sight.

Back at the Club it was warm; the sun was out; the grass was green and it was possible for most competitors to put their boats away and head for drink and food. Unfortunately for Saturday's most consistent finishers, namely Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley with three fourth places, a gear failure left them trying unsuccessfully to fit a replacement mast.

The food was superb. Lasagne, with seconds for those which felt the need for them, followed by chocolate cake or strawberry gateau. All washed down with beer bought for the competitors by the Brightlingsea Merlin and Solo sailors.

Sunday morning was colder and windier. The fourth race was won by Arthur and me in 3727. This was after Andy and Ollie suffered an unusual case of the slows, probably caused by weed, and became over engaged with Alan and Pete in 3775, allowing us to slip through from third to first on the final beat. In the fifth race the usual suspects were at the front. It finished with Andy and Ollie in first, Rob and Alice in second and Alan and Pete in third.

Going into the final race Andy and Ollie were odds on to win the event, but with two discards allowed in the six race series, they could still be beaten by Alan and Pete or, at a stretch, by Arthur and me. Suffice it to say that they were not. The race was led for the first lap by Mary Henderson-White and Robbie Stewart in 3751. They were ground down and overtaken by Andy and Ollie on the second beat, but hung on to second place, while Andy and Ollie sailed confidently on to win the race and the event with an overall score of 5 points.

Alan and Pete were third in Race 6 and were comfortably second overall with 8 points. Arthur and I were third overall, with Rob and Alice fourth overall and first Gold Fleet boat. First in the Silver Fleet was 3772 sailed by Stewart Mears and Alison Hall, and first in the Bronze Fleet was 3774 sailed by Richard Coulter and Bill Nokes.

The next Craftinsure Silver Tiller is at Hampton Sailing Club on 14th June and the next Allen Brothers South East Series event is at Shoreham on the 26th and 27th July.

Overall Results:

PosFleetBoatSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1stPlatinum 3824Andy DavisOllie MeadowcroftSouth Staffs SC‑221‑3115
2ndPlatinum 3775Alan KrailingPete NicholsonBrightlingsea SC/Waldringfield1‑522‑338
3rdPlatinumArwen3726Will HendersonArthur HendersonSalcombe YC‑121‑714612
4thGoldKevin3714Rob HendersonAlice MarkhamHayling Island SC‑833‑132816
5thPlatinumSkadi3820Caroline GouldLivvy BellShoreham SC38‑97‑11422
6thGoldNarnia3751Mary Henderson‑WhiteRobbie StewartBrightlingsea SC‑968‑129225
7thGoldRoberta3796William WarrenAndy PrinceShoreham SC‑7‑9567725
8thPlatinumSnakey B3671Eddie BridleRebecca BinesBrightlingsea SC‑147‑1086526
9thGoldSimply Scrumptious3799Paul RaysonChristian HillFishers Green SC‑1111‑1455930
10thPlatinumBlack Swan3803Chris GouldSophie MackleyShoreham SC444(DNC)(DNC)DNC35
11thGoldFragile3727Mark StockbridgeCharlie CotterUpper Thames/Welsh Harp SC6‑1511108‑1235
12thGoldAppetite for Destruction3753David ConlonSarah BinesBrightlingsea SC5‑13‑199121036
13thSilverCombat Wombat3772Stewart MearsAlison HallRCYC‑1612‑134131140
14thPlatinumGary3782Edward ChapmanAmy ClayLTSC‑1514121110(DNC)47
15thSilver 3754Tony CooperJessica CooperFishers Green SC13‑21.5‑2014151557
16thSilverNemo3692Steve ConroyAnna RaysonFishers Green SC‑19‑171715141359
17thSilver 3672Ben CleggAbi CleggBrightlingsea SC22106(DNF)(DNC)DNC61
18thSilverAura3817Geoff KimberHelen KimberStone SC‑171616‑17161664
19thGoldOut Numbered3745Paul DeanHannah BurtBroadwater SC101915(DNC)(DNC)DNC67
20thBronzePanther3774Richard CoulterBill NoakesFishers Green SC1818(OCS)1617(DNC)69
21stBronzeGeneral Lee3690Guy BrowneGreg MartinTrent Valley SC‑2020(DNF)18181470
22ndSilverWBTS3582Ed GibbonsMolly Embser‑KayBrightlingsea SC2121.518(DNF)(DNC)DNC83.5

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