Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey led the charge from the start and regained the lead in time for the finish of the opening race of the Merlin Rocket 2019 Nationals.
As the fleet gathered on the Sunday morning, the sun was out and the sea looking decidedly rough with white water showing looking downwind.
The race officer confidently reported that the wind was 18 knots gusting 24 from 250 degrees with six foot waves. A nervous fleet judiciously took to the water for a screaming run down to the start.
Under a U flag, the fleet were away first time with Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey leading the charge out left with Nick Craig and Toby Lewis.
Half way up the beat there was a 10 degree right hander that brought Jon Gorringe and Pete Gray into the lead at the first mark from Christian and Sam.
Conditions were superb – breezy but manageable – with close quarter racing as the lines of pressure and associated shifts came through.
Christian and Sam eased up into the lead by the second beat with Chrises Gould and Kilsby climbing fast up to second. Unfortunately, their race was to end in calamity. Having missed the spacer mark, they then blew up their mast on the final reach.
Gorringe and Gray gratefully accepted second behind the flying Birrell and Brearey, with Craig and Lewis climbing to third on the final beat.
Will and Arthur Henderson sailed an excellent race for fourth, holding off the challenge of Andy Davis and Pippa Kilsby.
Tim Fells
Merlin Rocket – 2019 National Championship – Leaders after Race 1
1st 3788 Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey – – 1 pts
2nd 3791 Jon Gorringe and Pete Gray – – 2 pts
3rd 3776 Nick Craig and Tobytastic Lewis – – 3 pts
4th 3726 Will Henderson and Arthur Henderson – – 4 pts
5th 3684 Andy Davis and Pippa Kilsby – – 5 pts
6th 3802 Simon Potts and Ally Potts – – 6 pts
7th 3712 Ian Sharps and Alex Warren – – 7 pts
8th 3658 Chris Jennings and Chris Martin – – 8 pts
9th 3736 Roger Phillips and Will Crocker – – 9 pts
10th 3764 Tim Fells and Fran Gifford – – 11 pts
11th 3786 David Wade and Ben Rayner – – 12 pts
12th 3722 Roger Gilbert and James Stewart – – 13 pts
13th 3739 Ben McGrane and Roz McGrane – – 14 pts
14th 3795 Alex Jackson and Mary Henderson – – 15 pts
15th 3742 Pete Ballantine and Rob Allen – – 15 pts
16th 3673 Caroline Croft and Tom Lonsdale – – 16 pts
17th 3781 David Winder and Liv Bell – – 17 pts
18th 3801 Matt Biggs and Beka Jones – – 18 pts
19th 3787 Chris Martin and Samuel Bailey – – 19 pts
20th 3766 Andy Dalby and Pete Horn – – 20 pts
21st 3709 Rob Henderson and James Ellis – – 21 pts
22nd 3796 William Warren and Rachel Rhodes – – 22 pts
23rd 3775 Dan Willett and Pete Nicholson – – 23 pts
24th 3777 George Yeoman and Sophie Yeoman – – 24 pts
25th 3691 Mike Calvert and Jane Calvert – – 25 pts
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