Thirteen Merlin Rockets arrived at Ranelagh Sailing Club for their Annual Down River Race. This was the second visit to the club this year in Class's Racing Calendar and was the final event in the Thames, Classic and Vintage Series'.
The weather forecast was for very light winds, but thirteen Merlins braved the weather in the hope that sailing was viable. On arrival, they were received the usual warm welcome from Ranelagh Sailing Club with bacon sandwiches and tea whilst enjoying the beautiful views of the tidal River Thames and the legendary hustle and bustle of Putney Hard.
So, it was all about timing! With 30 seconds to the start the first boats stepped from the shore into their boats. Stuart Jenkins & Richard Jarvis in 723 (Holt Martine design) and Andrew Harris & Sara Warren in 607 (Holt 1oH design) timed leaving the shore perfectly and by Putney Bridge had a slight lead over the main fleet.
Once under the bridge, Stuart/ Richard and Andrew/ Sara extended their lead over the main fleet, with Andrew/ Sara pulling ahead of Stuart/ Richard. As the race progressed downstream Rob & Hatty Cage in 1692 (Adur 7 design) broke free of the main fleet, leaving 607, 723 and 1692 well clear of the main group.
Eventually, Rob/ Hatty overtook Stuart/ Richard before the finish. The first three boats all finished within two minutes of each other, with Andrew/ Sara first, Rob/ Hatty second, Stuart/ Richard third and Pat & Jilly Blake in 901 (Holt Nelly design) fourth.
The first Classic Merlin was Graham & Nicola Webb in 3506 (Smarty Pants design) in eighth place. After the racing and packing away of boats, everyone sat down to a very welcome and legendary Ranelagh Sailing Club lunch, which was superb!
Fran Gifford hosted the prize-giving and thanked the competitors, the sponsor and everyone involved in running an excellent event.
The overall event (Thames & Vintage Series points) was won by Andrew Harris and Sara Warren in their Vintage boat and the first Classic Series was won by Graham and Nicola Webb.
Special thanks to Fran Gifford, who organised the event, Richard Westover and his Race Team for their expert race management, and to all the helpers at Ranelagh Sailing Club for making the event such a success.
No comments:
Post a Comment