Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Week 2025 at Salcombe Yacht Club - Day 4

Past the halfway stage and the weather served up another wind direction for the fourth day of Helly Hansen Salcombe Merlin Week.

Today it was the dreaded Northwesterly, a wind direction that gives great racing in the upper reaches of the Ria but a start line that is in exactly the worse place. With random gusts from every direction, including vertical, it is one of the more challenging starts to get right.

Morning Race, Blue v Black, Course 4,7,5,7,2,3,2

With the flood tide taking the fleet over the line and random gusts likely to suddenly accelerate boats over the line, this was not a start for those of a nervous disposition. The line up had a big bunch at the Watch House end who were unable to hold themselves back resulting in a General Recall and 12 numbers on the board of death. Notable amongst these were event leaders Tom Gillard and Rachel Gray.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week - Wednesday racing - photo © Lucy Burn

The restart was clean and it was the local team of Tim Fells and Fran Gifford who got the best of the leg down to Yalton to take the early lead, chased by William Warren with Andy Price and Stu and Katherine Bithell.

On the long beat up to Gerston, with the breeze building to 15 knots, Stu and Katherine worked their into the lead and then extended over the next lap to have a 200 metre lead over William and Andy who were doing battle with George Yeoman and Mark Oakey for second.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week - Wednesday racing - photo © Lucy Burn

The final loop of the harbour with all its randomness closed the leading pack up. Stu and Katherine kept their noses in front to take their first bullet. The biggest gainers were Tim and Fran who jumped up a couple of places to take second ahead of George and Mark with William and Andy fourth. Mike and Jane Calvert who had climbed back up into the leading pack were left in a hole and had to settle for fifth with Tom Stewart and Rob Allen rounding out the top six.

Afternoon Race, Red v Green, Course 7,3,7,2,3,2

By the start of the afternoon race the ebb was flowing against the fleet making it tough in the patchy conditions to get close to the line. The Watch House end was very popular with a lot of noisy discussion of the rules and, of the overall front runners, the Alexes were seen doing turns.

Helly Hansen Merlin Rocket Salcombe Week - Wednesday afternoon race - photo © Malcolm Mackley

At the less popular Portlemouth end of the line, Ollie Meadowcroft and Pete Gray executed a great start and were first to hook into the new pressure and lead across the tide towards Snapes Point. Over the beat up to Gerston and back they built a lead of a minute over a Henderson family battle; Rob Henderson and Alice Markham narrowly ahead of father Will and brother Arthur.

Positions remained unchanged until the final loop of the harbour. Ollie and Pete were long gone and came home for their first ever bullet and certainly not their last. Rob and Alice were an impressive second while the big improvers were Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley who had climbed steadily through the leading group to take third from Will and Arthur. The battle for fifth was only resolved at the line where Dave Winder and Beka Jones got ahead of Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey.

Results after Day 4: