National Merlin Rocket Class
ABOUT THE SAILING >> PROGRAMME > NATIONAL 18 > MERLIN > LASER > FIREFLY > CADET > HANDICAP > OFFSHORE > PRIZEWINNERS
HOME >> ABOUT THE CLUB > ABOUT THE SAILING > NEWS > RACE REPORTS > COMING EVENTS > LINKS
Please also see COMING EVENTS and RACE REPORTS
Mike Stephens and David Vines racing upstream on 10 January 2010 (Photo: Chris Balmbro)
|
|
Richard and Peter Mason in Smart Cookie (Photo: Carolyne Vines)
|
|
Chris Balmbro and Liz Woods in Bad Company (Photo: Carolyne Vines)
|
|
Barry Mourant and Kate Barnes in Fair Kop (Photo: Carolyne Vines)
Merlins sailing in the Travellers series in March 2009 (Photo: Suzy Balmbro)
Mike Stephens and Doug Pope winners of the 2009 Travellers series (Photo: Suzy Balmbro)
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 56 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.
For more details please contact Tamesis Merlin Class Captain: Tom McLaughlin (07786 288642)
National Merlin Rocket Association website: www.merlinrocket.co.uk
MERLIN WINTER HANDICAP 2010-2011MERLIN WINTER SERIES 2010-2011
MERLIN WINTER SERIES 2011-2012
Points tables designed by Chris Balmbro and updated by Richard Mourant.
HOME >> ABOUT THE CLUB > ABOUT THE SAILING > NEWS > RACE REPORTS > COMING EVENTS > LINKS
04.12.11
