Salcombe Merlin Week is a unique event in the long history of one of the founding classes of British dinghy racing.
From its birth in the bar of the Ranelegh SC on the River Thames, and first sailed in early 1946, the restricted design class continues to develop and is keenly raced, despite the dozens of pop-up dinghies that have followed in its footsteps.
Along with the longevity of the design rule the class has built a thriving Travellers Series of Open Meetings and the very special Salcombe Merlin Week.
In the early 1970’s the Merlin Rocket class were given their own race week at Salcombe YC.
This proved to be immediatly popular with Merlin sailors, especially as the basis of a family holiday. Numbers are regularly over 100 with the event often more popular than the National Championships, and as keenly contested.
Racing in a complex organisation of fleets and flights the results often produce a chess-like series, with results going down to the final day and this year was no exception.
The final day of Helly Hansen Salcombe Merlin Week dawned with the overall result still up for grabs with both leading protagonists in the morning race.
And that race for the Red v Black flights saw Tom Gillard and Rachel Gray come home ahead of Will and Arthur Henderson to claim their fourth race win and take the title for the fifth consecutive year. A truly sensational performance.
In the final afternoon race local pair Tim Fells and Frances Gifford were winners ahead of Mary and Rupert Henderson-White. Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley were third, enough to secure them second overall.
Third overall went to Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey after their fifth in the final morning race. Fourth overall were Alex Jackson and Alex Warren, fifth Mike and Jane Calvert and sixth Ollie Meadowcroft and Pete Gray.
And so ended another fantastic week of Merlin Rocket racing in the beautiful and challenging Salcombe Ria.
Salcombe Merlin Week 2025 – Leaders after 6 races, 1 discard (102 Entries)
1st 3759 Thomas Gillard and Rachel Gray – Sheffield Viking SC – – 1 1 1 (BFD) 3 1 – – 7 pts
2nd 3803 Chris Gould and Sophie Mackley – Shoreham SC – – 2 2 3 3 ‑11 3 – – 13 pts
3rd 3788 Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey – Parkstone YC – – ‑8 1 2 6 1 5 – – 15 pts
4th 3823 Alex Jackson and Alex Warren – Shoreham SC – – 1 7 1 (RET) 2 6 – – 17 pts
5th 3829 Mike Calvert and Jane Calvert – Axe YC – – 3 4 2 ‑5 3 5 – – 17 pts
6th 3749 Ollie Meadowcroft and Pete Gray – Salcombe YC – – 5 2 4 1 (BFD) 7 – – 19 pts
7th 3726 Will Henderson and Arthur Henderson – Salcombe YC – – ‑7 6 5 4 2 2 – – 19 pts
8th 3827 David Winder and Beka Jones – Hollingworth Lake SC – – 3 3 4 ‑5 5 4 – – 19 pts
9th 3751 Mary Henderson‑White and Rupert Henderson White – Brightlingsea SC – – 6 5 7 8 ‑10 2 – – 28 pts
10th 3807 Tim Saxton and Holly Macarthur – Itchenor SC – – (DSQ) 3 7 11 4 6 – – 31 pts
11th 3814 James Goss and Chris White – South Staffs SC – – 4 9 5 (BFD) 6 9 – – 33 pts
12th 3777 George Yeoman and Mark Oakey – Itchenor SC – – 5 ‑10 8 3 9 9 – – 34 pts
13th 3753 David Conlon and Sarah Conlon – Brightlingsea SC – – (BFD) 7 9 7 5 8 – – 36 pts
14th 3714 Rob Henderson and Alice Markham – HISC – – 9 11 10 2 7 ‑12 – – 39 pts
15th 3764 Tim Fells and Frances Gifford – Salcombe YC – – 16 12 10 2 (BFD) 1 – – 41 pts
16th 3727 Mark Stockbridge and James Gifford – Upper Thames SC – – 6 10 8 (BFD) 10 7 – – 41 pts
17th 3611 Jen Dodds and Chris Dodds – RYA – – 16 4 6 (DNF) 8 8 – – 42 pts
18th 3676 Antony Gifford and Jo Gifford – Royal Tay YC – – 7 6 13 11 6 ‑16 – – 43 pts
19th 3812 Tom Stewart and Rob Allen – Salcombe YC – – 10 14 ‑15 6 12 3 – – 45 pts
20th 3666 John Meadowcroft and Rory Gifford – Salcombe YC – – 2 ‑21 15 9 13 10 – – 49 pts
