Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week - Day 1 by Tim Fells 4 Jul 21:24 BST 4-9 July 2021
Two years have passed since the Merlin fleet last descended on Salcombe for the Salcombe Gin sponsored Merlin Week, so it was with much excitement that the morning fleet set about the ritual of crossing the estuary to Mill Bay to prepare for the morning race.
Unfortunately, the weather gods were not in the same mood and delivered rain and little to no wind for the start.
RACE 1: RED v GREEN Flights, COURSE 1,7,1,3
With random bits of breeze from all points of the compass and a flood tide against, the start was always going to have a high degree of difficulty about it. With quite a scrum near the Portlemouth beach, defending champions Richard Whitworth and Jemima Scroggie carried on where they had ended in 2019, timing a perfect start 10 boats out from the beach in their own bit of pressure to steel away from the pack. They navigated the vagaries of the beat/reach/run to Blacks
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What a way to start the season - two days of close racing for 33 boats after a day of youth training for 11 youngsters was the order of play at Shoreham SC on the Easter weekend.
The first sea race of the year is for the Navigator Trophy which this year was won by Bill Whitney and John Shelton in their Wayfarer. It was raced in a light southwesterly with the breeze filling in for the second race. After day one Alex Jackson and Chris Kilsby in their Merlin Rocket led overall from Bill and John, with Joe Warwicker and Hugo Valentine in their 420 in third - on equal points with William Warren and Megan Pascoe (Merlin) and Peter Snowdon and Louise Carr (RS400).
Hawthorn Logistics has taken delivery of 20 new Chereau refrigerated trailers, each fitted with Carrier HE fridge motors.
While most will be finished in the Washington-based haulier’s colours, others will feature Great North Air Ambulance and the Dragonfly Cancer Trust liveries. Another exception is a limited edition Route 66 trailer (pictured), number 30 of just 66 built by the French trailer manufacturer to celebrate its 66th anniversary.
“We have been buying used Chereaus for a while, and due to the high resale value we have decided to buy new this time,” explains Chris Kilsby, owner of Hawthorn Logistics. “Half of them are twin temperature, and the other half are single temperature, and are all fitted with lift axles to save on front axle tyre wear.”