The John Merricks Tiger Trophy is held at Rutland Sailing Club
Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray sailed their Merlin Rocket to victory at the John Merricks Tiger Trophy held at Rutland Sailing Club.
After a season of too much or too little wind for this season's Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, the eighth round delivered almost perfect conditions for the 110 entries representing a diverse range of 51 types of dinghy, multihull and sportsboat.
Gillard and Gray had to sail at their absolute best to win the two-day event and victory only came after a tiebreak with Colin and Oly Murray’s Norfolk Punt, the father and son duo back on the water after a couple of years away from sailing competition.
Two first places from the three handicap races in the light to moderate airs of Saturday were the tipping point in favour of Gillard and Gray.
Principal race officer David Wilkins and his team at Rutland Sailing Club set a quadrilateral course for the three back-to-back handicap races on Saturday, although the wind was shifting through more than 30 degrees at times.
This either freed up or tightened up the reaching legs, making it an all-round challenge of tactics and boat handling, particularly at the more congested mark roundings.
On Sunday morning, the ice on the boat covers soon melted away as the sun rose across a beautifully blue sky, something that has been in short supply this winter.
Although the breeze was light, by the start time of the pursuit race at 11am, the slower boats got away in a pleasant 10 knots of breeze.
However, there was a dip in the wind strength half an hour later, allowing the early starters to get away and make a break for victory.
The breeze did pick up again towards the finish time at 1pm, but Martin Penty from Beaver Sailing Club held on for the win in his Streaker, ahead of the RS Feva XL sailed by two youth sailors from Draycote Water, Mia Hateley and Mona Nygard.
Another Streaker, sailed by Dave Borrett also from Beaver SC, was third ahead of the rapidly closing Norfolk Punt from Invergordon Boating Club.
The Murrays had enjoyed a good battle with Andy Tarboton in his Musto Skiff, the South African sailor who less than a month ago won the Musto Skiff World Championship on Sydney Harbour.
At the prizegiving, David Wilkins thanked his race team and all the sponsors including Everards Brewery, who have supported the event since its inception.
This has helped support the John Merricks Sailing Trust and subsequently other local charities around Leicester and Rutland.
Gillard and Gray, representing Sheffield Vikings SC and Staunton Harold SC, congratulated the organisers and thanked their fellow competitors for a hard-fought but friendly competition on a beautiful weekend of winter sailing. Simon Hawkes from Castle Cove secured third place in a K1 keelboat.
