|
Graham Williamson, Merlin Rocket national champion crewman,
looks at the reasons why this 55 year old class remains popular
despite the recent influx of new designs aimed at a similar market.
History
The Merlin Rocket is one of the oldest of the UK dinghy racing classes,
emerging just after the second World War and, along with the International
14 and the National 12, has been the proving ground for many ideas
that have subsequently become standard on modern racing dinghies.
Initially there were two separate but very similar classes, the
Merlin designed for racing on the Thames, and the Rocket, designed
for sea racing at Tynemouth. It did not take very long for the idea
of a merger to be promoted by the YRU, and the new class was formed
in the late 1940s Ç a notion that could yet be adopted for many
of the very similar one-designs launched in recent years!
The amalgamated Merlin Rocket class immediately became hugely
successful, providing not only very high levels of competition within
the fleet, but was also a stepping stone for many of the youngsters
who subsequently became the names that were synonymous with British
yachting and dinghy sailing in the seventies and eighties.
After a quiet spell when the first influx of new asymmetric boats
appeared in the early 1990s, the class has regained its strength
and purpose, and is now in a very strong position.
The high number of new boats built in the last 12 months was reflected
in the entry at the 2000 national championship at Looe, when the
fleet topped 70 boats for the first time in over a decade. Turnouts
at Silver Tiller open meetings regularly exceed 40 boats, and for
Merlin Rocket Week at Salcombe, the restricted entry has been raised
to 120 boats for the 2001 regatta to accommodate demand.
The Silver Tiller open meeting circuit was first established in
1950 and formed the pattern for similar seriesÌ in other classes.
It is organised by the Owners Association Committee and comprises
21 meetings spread over a variety of water types across the country.
In addition there are well-supported regional circuits, such as
the Midland Circuit and the Thames Series to provide local open
meeting competition.
The People
A prominent feature of racing Merlin Rockets is the broad range
in age of those competing, with top performances from competitors
ranging from their 60s, right through to teenagers. There is a high
level of youth activity with several of the boats at the champs
and at Silver Tiller meetings raced by teenagers, taking advantage
of the superb deals available on second-hand Merlin Rockets.
Forty per cent of the boats at the 2000 nationals were sailed
by women including; one all girl team, two mums crewing for sons,
10 husband and wife teams (including several modern marrieds), and
three father and daughter pairs (youngest crew 13 years old).
The Boats
At 14ft loa and 7ft beam Ç without wings Ç the modern Merlin Rocket
bears only a passing resemblance to the original vessels of 1946.
As boatbuilding materials and techniques have developed, the Merlin
Rocket class association has been quick to pioneer methods that
improve the durability and competitiveness of the hulls. As plywood
progressively becomes an 'exotic' material, the epoxy resin/foam
sandwich production techniques have been perfected, providing a
boat that is extremely good value and highly competitive. While
some may mourn the natural beauty of wood hulls and decks, building
in FRP does not diminish the elegance of the boats in the slightest.
Merlin Rockets are renowned for their durability and competitive
longevity. Representing fantastic value for money, second-hand boats
represent not only a low cost way to begin Merlin Rocket sailing,
but also an excellent way to experiment with fitting out, tailoring
the systems in the best boat to suit the helmsman and crew. The
flexibility in layout is just one of the long standing appeals of
owning and sailing Merlin Rockets. 'After Hours' Ç a fine example
of this freedom Ç was on display at the recent Sailboat Exhibition
at Alexandra Palace, and was considered by many visitors to be one
of the most interesting exhibits.
The Builders
While the emphasis in construction is moving towards FRP, there
are still builders producing wood boats, Lawrie SmartÌs yard has
produced five boats in the last year and Kevin DriverÌs yard Ç WreckedÌem
Boatyard Ç has built two and there have been a few own builds too.
However, since the launch at Sailboat 2000 (18 months ago) the
FRP Winder Boats have built nearly 40 boats, securing wins at both
the 1999 and 2000 national championships. Many of the new boats
are going to club sailors who have been longing to upgrade, but
have been constrained by the lack of availability in recent years.
With boats from Winder and Smart costing in the order of £10,000
complete with carbonfibre rigs, and delivery at about four months,
getting afloat in a competitive Merlin Rocket is easier now than
it has ever been.
There is a lot of interest in the all-new FRP boat being built
to a new Morrison design by Kevin Driver's Wrecked'em Boatyard in
conjunction with Linton Jenkins at Full Force. The new boat is due
on the water in May in the hands of current chairman Will Rainey.
The Rig
The advent of deck-stepped raking rigs in 1988 allowed the competitive
weight of the crews to fall from the 24 stone that used to prevail,
to around 21 stone, widening the appeal of the Merlin Rocket even
further. The use of carbon spars has significantly improved the
efficiency of the rigs, with a total weight saving aloft of 6-8kgs,
making the boats easier to drive in a chop, and superbly responsive,
(they are also easier to recover should one capsize). The main current
producers for the class are ISP and Chipstow Boatyards, although
the new Selden spar is bound to be a strong option.
The latest one-piece masts weigh in at a mere 3.6kgs, including
spreaders, and show just what enormous benefits there are to using
carbonfibre. Apart from the inertia advantages , carbonfibre keeps
scratch damage to the interiors of the boats to a minimum And the
super light spinnaker poles are very easily handled. The current
fashion is for twin poles, which can be smoothly dealt with by crews
of almost any size, age and weight, as can the control lines that
are set up with easy to use multi purchase systems on all main controls.
Buying A Boat
To the uninitiated, buying any boat is a nerve-wracking decision.
To assist in making the right choice, the Merlin Rocket OwnersÌ
Association publishes a list of second-hand boats for sale, and
the list co-ordinator is always keen to provide advice. There is
also a design guide available that navigates the beginner through
the development of the class and indicates which designs are best
suited to which type of sailing water.
For the sailor who wants a new boat, the builders are always happy
to discuss your requirements and to provide just the boat you want.
The willingness of Merlin Rocket sailors to consider new ideas
has been the force behind the boats remaining modern and sophisticated,
over 50 years on. There are plenty of new developments under discussion,
and the builders are always keen to listen.
The Owners Association
Support for and service to the membership are the bywords of the
Owners Association. A well as organising the Silver Tiller open
meeting circuit, the national and inland championships, the MROA
also organises, and subsidises, training events for its members.
The flagship event is a three-day course run at a central reservoir,
where the Class Training Officer, supported by leading Merlin Rocket
sailors and RYA certified racing coaches, impart experience and
knowledge about how to make Merlin Rockets sail fast. Additional
one-day courses are run at active Merlin Rocket clubs through the
year.
Information about the class is available to everyone on the class'
web site www.merlinrocket.co.uk, with more detailed information
provided to members through the quarterly magazines and the yearbook.
Investment by the class in training ensures that newcomers to the
fleet are given every opportunity to meet members, learn quickly
how to sail their boats fast, and to feel welcome at Silver Tiller
meetings, or any other of the many events arranged for the class.
The Merlin Rocket Owners Association boasts one of the highest ratios
of members to boats built of any of the class associations; a very
strong indication of the value membership represents.
Contacting the Merlin Rocket Owners Association
The website is the easiest way for cyber space sailors to contact
the class and the forum provides an opportunity to ask questions,
find crews or helmsmen, find boats, check start times, organise
lifts, and is a source of lively debate. The class maintains a list
of boats for sale; new boats are freely available, as are opportunities
for keen crews. The 2001 nationals are at Tenby, in mid August,
and another bumper entry is anticipated Ç come and join in, you
won't regret it! Contact Graham Williamson or Judith Massey on 01252
319593 for details.
> Part 2: Gear guide
|
