Merlin Owners - Better than the BBC at Self Harm

Originally posted by Peaky There's nothing to stop you building a boat to Passing Cloud lines, or even designing a new improvd Merlin, but to try and claim it is a vintage boat because you've used an old screw is pathetic.

As an expert on Merlin Rocket forum behaviour I can confirm that this sort of thing happens every winter - as the open meeting circuit dies off and people have more time, they turn to crazy inventions or wild rule interpretation. Nothing ever comes of it, other than many enjoyable hours arguing online!

I confess it is interesting to work out how far you are technically allowed to rebuild an old boat with rotten planks, replacing with new wood, and still consider it the same boat. But in real life, no-one is planning to do this in the wild ways discussed in theory. In our hearts, everyone knows where 'the line' is.

Originally posted by rogerd Originally posted by 2547 Originally posted by gordon Possibly. But when "pushing the rules in the heat of battle" becomes normal behaviour I feel that the consequences for the sport are greater than some sad attempt at winning a minor prize with an expensive replica boat. Especially when by "pushing the rules" one means deliberately breaking the rules, as often happens.  I think that tells us the protest procedure is unsatisfactory.    In a self policing sport???

There's nothing to stop you building a boat to Passing Cloud lines, or even designing a new improvd Merlin, but to try and claim it is a vintage boat because you've used an old screw is pathetic.

Originally posted by 2547 Originally posted by gordon Possibly. But when "pushing the rules in the heat of battle" becomes normal behaviour I feel that the consequences for the sport are greater than some sad attempt at winning a minor prize with an expensive replica boat. Especially when by "pushing the rules" one means deliberately breaking the rules, as often happens.  I think that tells us the protest procedure is unsatisfactory.