National Merlin Rocket Class

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The start of the Merlin Rocket Travellers Series race on 14 January 2007 (Photo:  Carolyne Vines)

Travellers Winter Series 2007 - 2008

Each winter, the Tammy Merlin Rocket fleet aims to attract more visitors to participate in the Travellers Series, hoping that some visitors might just like our club enough to stay on as full members. Alas, despite various promises, we really only had Phil Dalby from Hampton SC join in and even then for less than a handful of races. He did seem to capsize quite a lot, so clearly he found the Tamesis reach quite challenging.

A total of 24 different boats came to the starting line over the three months with many battles taking place throughout the pecking order. The Handicap Prize was won by the team whose performance has improved most dramatically, through consistently turning up and participating in both the 10.30 as well as the 11.15 starts. Certain other competitors should take a leaf out of Tom McLaughlin's book. Along with his partner Becks, it was clear from the smiles on both their faces before, during and after races that they are getting enormous fun from their vintage boat Shoestring. With the best 13 race results out of 23 races, third overall was Harry (3599) helmed by Ken Duffell and crewed by Brian Corking. Tom McLaughlin and Becky Sampson racing Shoestring (1136) were second overall. In first place were Mike Stephens and Andy Douglas racing Luka (3560), so winning the Travellers Series for the first time along with a brand new Rowsell jib. Thanks also goes to Doug Pope for acting on occasion as Andy's stand-in crewing for Mike.

As a fitting finale to the series, the last Saturday in March also saw teams from Hampton SC, Thames SC, London Corinthian SC and Tamesis compete for the Serpentine Cup. The annual inter-club team racing event, held for the first time this year in Merlins, was followed that evening by a very successful Merlin Rocket class dinner organised by Sue Harris, Andy Harris and Steve Katz.  (Report by Mike Stephens & Richard Mourant).  Please see TRAVELLERS SERIES 2008  points table for full results.

Club Winter Series 2007-2008

Mike Stephens and Andy Douglas, sailing Luka 3560 (Steve Neal’s modern take on Jack Holt’s classic Passing Cloud design), recorded an outstanding nine firsts and one second to win the 2007/08 Black Mark Trophy Merlin Rocket winter series.  With ten races to count from a possible 20, the pair were able to discard two seconds, two fourths and a fifth.

Second and third spots were close, with Berry Ritchie and Sue Harris in Crescendo 607 (a 1950s Jack Holt banana boat design) claiming second place with a consistent run of a first, eight thirds and a fourth, whilst Andrew Harris and various crews, sailing Omega 1605 (a 1960s Adur 7 design) finished just two points behind with five seconds, four fourths and a fifth.  Commodore Peter Mason and his brother Richard, sailing Smart Cookie 3559 (a Laurie Smart ‘Make it So’ design) finished fourth on 35 points, gaining two seconds, three thirds, three fourths and two fifths.

Tom McLaughlin and his fiancée Becky Sampson showed the benefit of time on the water by winning the handicap trophy with nine firsts and a second after corrected time.  Their on-the-water record also improved greatly, with the duo scoring a total of 42 points to finish fifth overall in the Black Mark Trophy, compared with finishing in 12^th place with 104 points the year before.

A special mention must also go to Jon Redding who, along with his wife Joanna and daughter Augusta, claimed  four firsts, three seconds and two thirds, and was just one race away from qualifying.  Having moved over from Fireflies, Jon’s choice of Brown Sugar 3520 (a David Ovington built plastic NSM2) seems a very good one.

A total of 26 boats competed in the series with ten boats qualifying.  As ever on the Tamesis reach, conditions proved challenging with the often ubiquitous stream conspiring with fickle wind conditions to frustrate competitors, especially when negotiating marks.  Most often, dogleg courses were set in view of the clubhouse to make the most of, what seemed to be this winter, a prevailing westerly wind.  When conditions did suit it, a longer sausage course was laid and it was good to escape either down river to Teddington Lock or, tantalisingly, up river past Steven’s Eyot to Kingston Bridge. (Report by Richard Mourant).

The Merlin Rocket

The Merlin Rocket is a fast 14ft dinghy that was developed after the end of the second world war as a rival to the International 14.  It is a restricted development class that has evolved from the original Kate and Wizard designs produced by Jack Holt for a syndicate in 1946.  The class insignia in the shape of a wizard's hat derives from this second boat when the class name was changed to Merlin, after King Arthur's wizard.  The Merlin made its racing debut at Ranelagh's Easter Regatta in 1946 and gradually spread to other Thames river clubs.  A rival design called Rocket was produced by Dick Wyche as a larger, faster version of the National 12 and built by Wyche and Coppock in Nottingham.  The Merlins grew in number in the south of England while the Rockets were stronger in the north.  In 1950 the Rocket design was altered to comply with the Merlin rules and in 1951 the Yacht Racing Association (predecessor of the RYA) brought the two classes together with the promise of national status if they merged.  

A full history of the class can be read in The Merlin Rocket Book written by Jim Park, Ian Holt and Jim Lowden and published by Jim Lowden in association with the Merlin Rocket Owners Association in 1986 (ISBN 0 9511186 0 9).  

The first Merlin arrived at Tamesis in 1949 and Merlins gradually displaced the more expensive International 14s to become the club's largest class. There are currently 52 Merlins in the Tamesis fleet, which is the largest in the UK, with regular turnouts of between 14 and 20 boats in club races and up to 30 in open meetings.

Mike Stephens and Andy Douglas winners of the Travellers Series (Photo:  Stewart Colley)

Brian Corking and Ken Duffell sailing Harry in February 2008 (Photo: Stewart Colley)

 Rupert Fletcher running downstream in Rag Time in February 2008 (Photo: Stewart Colley) 

For more details please contact Tamesis Merlin Rocket Class Captain: Mike Stephens (phone 020 8878 0816).  NB Anyone unable to contact Mike on this number, which is currently out of use, is requested to phone Andrew Harris on 020 8788 7873.

National Merlin Rocket Association website:  www.merlinrocket.co.uk

MERLIN WINTER SERIES 2007 - 2008        MERLIN WINTER HANDICAP 2007 - 2008

MERLIN SUMMER POINTS          MERLIN SUMMER HANDICAP

Points tables designed and maintained by Brian Corking. 

TRAVELLERS SERIES 2008   Points table designed and maintained by John Adams.