Sail Chat 20-Sep - Merlin Open
Sunday Thames Series
Sunday brought a very different set of conditions. The forecast was for a W to NW
breeze of around 8 mph, gradually becoming lighter during the afternoon.
Once again, competitors and the duty team were welcomed with bacon rolls, tea and
coffee. Six Hampton boats were joined by visitors from Chew Valley Lake Sailing
Club and Thames Sailing Club.
Following a briefing from Principal Race Officer George Bell, Race 1 got underway
shortly after 11am.
The course featured a beat and occasional fetch upriver, followed by running and
broad-reaching legs downriver. Stuart Jenkins, crewed by Simon Given in Flinkidink
1097, made the most of the shifty conditions and pulled clear of the fleet to round the
windward mark first.
Stuart and Simon continued to extend their lead for much of the race. Behind them,
the chasing pack was led by Hywel Bowen-Perkins and Lucy Penwarden in Elusive
3347, with Ollie and Emily Houseman in Luka 3560 also in contention.
On the final lap, a new breeze allowed Ollie and Emily to pull away from Hywel and
Lucy and begin closing the gap on Stuart and Simon, whose wind disappeared as
they approached the penultimate mark.
Flinkidink managed to hold the lead around the final mark, but Luka had greater
boat speed and crossed the finish line first.
Race 1 results:
1. Ollie & Emily Houseman Luka 3560
2. Stuart Jenkins & Simon Given Flinkidink 1097
3. Hywel Bowen-Perkins & Lucy Penwarden Elusive 3347
Race 2 followed immediately, with the wind conditions remaining much the same.
The fleet enjoyed another clean start, with Ollie and Emily taking the lead from the
outset, followed by Hywel and Lucy, Stuart and Simon, and the rest of the fleet.
The top three positions remained unchanged throughout the race.
Race 2 results:
1. Ollie & Emily Houseman Luka 3560
2. Hywel Bowen-Perkins & Lucy Penwarden Elusive 3347
3. Stuart Jenkins & Simon Given Flinkidink 1097
After another excellent lunch, the final race of the day got underway.
Having already secured the overall series win and facing a long journey home, Ollie
and Emily did not compete in Race 3. This left a close battle between Hywel and
Lucy and Stuart and Simon for second and third overall.
There was also the added pressure of knowing that whoever finished third overall
would have to write this report!
Hywel and Lucy made a strong start and opened up a lead, with John Heath and
Sophie Penwarden in Quiver 774 chasing them, followed by Stuart and Simon
in Flinkidink.
Elusive and Quiver pulled away from the main group and enjoyed some close
racing as the wind continued to ebb and flow. Towards the end of the race, Phil
Dalby and John Hollands in Grace 1765 (Adur 7 design) overtook Flinkidink.
The top three positions remained unchanged to the finish.
Race 3 results:
1. Hywel Bowen-Perkins & Lucy Penwarden Elusive 3347
2. John Heath & Sophie Penwarden Quiver 774
3. Phil Dalby & John Hollands Grace 1765
Thames Series Overall Results
1. Ollie & Emily Houseman Luka 3560
2. Hywel Bowen-Perkins & Lucy Penwarden Elusive 3347
3. Stuart Jenkins & Simon Given Flinkidink 1097
4. Phil Dalby & John Hollands Grace 1765
The weekend concluded with more tea and homemade cakes, followed by prize-
giving hosted by Hampton Sailing Club Commodore Sarah Rolfe and Merlin Class
Captain Andrew Mills.
A huge thank you goes to the entire duty team for providing a fantastic weekend of
racing and an excellent social evening.
Special thanks go to Andrew Mills for organising the event; Derek May and George
Bell for their expert race management; Nicky Page and Anna Jenkins for
organising the curry supper; and the catering team of Stuart, Nicola, Jane, Chris
and Fabrizia.
Finally, thank you to all the helpers and volunteers at Hampton Sailing Club who
contributed to making the weekend such a success.
Report by Stuart Jenkins
Last updated 5:19pm on 27 September 2026