CVRDA

Rod, Stephen Jones took some of the design criteria right to the 'extreme' - and maybe even beyond that. Have you seen the RS 300 single hander? - for that's the only thing that I think comes anywhere close - at least the bow sections. A very pronounced U shape that was 'razor sharp' back as far as ...

Re the unknown merlin on ebay.....

Well, someone is bidding on it so I asked them if they'd identified the boat. Sadly no..... it's destined to become a big flower pot in a garden somewhere......

a sad fate indeed......

D

Much better news!!!!!!!!!! Have a look on EBay for a real slice of history! Hemlock is up for sale - a winder 'disguys' and one with a real track records.....3rd in the 1979 championships at falmouth. Now for mid weight range, inland water sailing this would be a hard boat to beat. 1979... that's 27...

Rod, ahhh...Shaft - the dream of a ground breaking one -off, in all it's painful reality. At the time there were two distinct schools of Merlin development. The south, based on Hamble where you had David Robinson, pat King, Chris Rhodes, David Thomas (yes, easy to forget DT was a Merlin man too) and...

Rod, This would make a great topic for a seperate string as it covers so much ground. For now though....no , Booth was a naval architect but I've no doubt that designing Merlins was only a side line! The difficulty would be in defining 'amateur'. Keith Callaghan and Greg Gregory were both well respe...

Last Man...........
Boat at Hill head is a sad sight too, I agree. But.... it's a National 12 - from first sight possibly an earlyish ply 4 planker. I'm not a N12 man so can't tell one from another so have no more info.
D

Several thoughts on the go here...taking them one by one: Rod- the attractions of the Booth designed Outrage/Courageous Merlin Rockets. I was at the Warming Pan Open event on the Hamble (the traditional opener to the new sailing season for Merlins - have a look at the Yachts and Yachting web page fo...

Ed,
i was thinking along the same lines as you!
I wondered if it might be an early Superstition..... or possibly, with that hard bilge, a Jones design.
Hope someone else can throw some light onto it!
D

Thanks to Mark it's now clear that the poor Merlin left out to rot (see earlier string 'Sad merlin sights) is a Hotspur - nice but not nice enough. But back to the sad sights..... have a look at http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7228404473&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3...

mark........... I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow or the day after. However, a hotspur isn't what I'm looking for right now. While on the chompy subject of older Merlins - what do you make of the one on ebay right now for 99p? It could be a superstition - or maybe a september girl. I've spoken ...

Bummer: Just when you're out somewhere, you see a sight worth recording and the digital camera is at home. Not that it was a pretty sight, a once proud Merlin left to rot, fordeck exposed to the elements and the midships sections full of ice. The hog was clear at the stern though- the number, as far...

Rupert, thanks.......... as you'll see from the other string (spearhead) I'm still focusing my search on the ghost/typhoon bt, if I can unearth one then it will be out there racing for sure. That said - as an ex MR sailor - should an outrage or Courageous turn up in ok nick.....or my old Credit Card...

Neil, Believe me, the question "what's wrong with a Spearhead" was purely rhetorical: there's an 18' kevlar rocket ship, trailer, sails, gear, £100 could get you the lot yet there's no interest or bidders - hence my questioning 'why'. There are very few boats that I'd express any negative...

damnit!!!!! Yet more 'senior moments'!!!! Not only did I miss several typo's in my last posting but I forgot to ask. Has Neil...or anyone else with Dinghy Year Books going back to 1979-1982 got the Spearheads vital statistics? I know they were long, about 18ft but how about hull weight.....fore&...

An interesting perspective!!!!!! Until the 49er/RS800 came along I'd have said that the 5o5 still offered the best sail there is in breeze, all the more so as that brilliant hull shape (which does give a fair degree of stability) gives the crew a certain confidence that the boat can be driven harder...