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Big Fleet Regattas - Chicken and Egg |
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Sam.Spoons 
Really should get out more 
Joined: 07 Mar 12 Location: Manchester UK Online Status: Offline Posts: 3400 |
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 Topic: Big Fleet Regattas - Chicken and EggPosted: 15 Sep 19 at 8:48pm |
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There's a big element of 'love of ownership' with any boat, Merlins are easy to love (IMHO) but, if it's 'your boat' even a Skipper (or Topper Spice
 ) are loveable. I get where you are with being happy (or happy enough) with a top 50 finish in a competitive fleet, My aspirations are lower, I'd like to be consistently in the top half of the handicap fleet at the club sailing the Blaze (or not last in the Spice.....) but 'love of ownership' and the pleasure of sailing is enough to keep me trying.The only car I've ever loved as much as a boat was our 1990 MX5, bought in 2000 and, reluctantly, sold last year.
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Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
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iGRF
Really should get out more
Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6499 |
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Posted: 15 Sep 19 at 8:10pm |
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There's only one thing that Merlin Sailors are known to be good at above others... breaking the bar bill record most years at Salcombe, they do know how to drink and that's a fact.
Edited by iGRF - 15 Sep 19 at 8:14pm |
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AndrewM
Newbie 
Joined: 05 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
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Posted: 15 Sep 19 at 7:26pm |
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I've not posted on here in ages but I have to reply to this thread.
I was at the Merlin championships this year, I finished 60th out of the 65 in my 22 year old boat. We had hoped we might get in the 50's but we did come away with a trophy  and we had 8 fantastic races in which we had consistent competition from other boats of a similar age. It is in the mindset. If you attend an event with 60+ entrants then only maybe 20 of them at the most are in with a shout for a top finish, so why is everyone else there? It's not just for the social I can tell you. Also I still enjoy sailing with the Merlins despite being well down the fleet. I could change to a boat where the competition is not stacked with top sailors with a new set of sails for a big regatta, but hey, I enjoy sailing the boat and I've never felt less than completely welcome in the class.Andrew Heaven Sent 3511
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davidyacht
Really should get out more
Joined: 29 Mar 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1345 |
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Posted: 26 Aug 19 at 8:18pm |
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Salcombe works best for “beat and running” boats, hence Merlins, N12s, Solos and Salcombe Yawls. I have sailed here for 45 years, and it is fair to say that some very good sailors have turned up, done a regatta and vowed never to return, however it can become addictive when you begin to think you have worked it out, you have to come back and have another go ...
I suspect that I have done at least 1,000 races here, and I am quite sure that no two have ever been the same ... different combinations of wind strength, direction, tide direction, tide strength, state of the tide, courses, number of non-racing boats, moored boats and so on ... to me this is the attraction and why I never tire of it. Also, a race is never over until it’s over. So in my book, very different from the predictability and science of a championship race ... though I have enjoyed a few of them too.
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Happily living in the past
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DiscoBall
Far too distracted from work 
Joined: 03 Jan 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 305 |
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Posted: 26 Aug 19 at 8:03pm |
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Given the premium on boathandling at Salcombe I think you have a better chance of a random win banging the corner at a champs!
It's definitely a marmite place and only the Merlins, 12s and Solos seem to have a long term attachment to the place. The other classes in the regatta weeks seem to change quite frequently. It was nice to have the experience of Merlin Week last year but I suspect it's the was the last time I'll sail there. Edited by DiscoBall - 26 Aug 19 at 8:14pm |
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2547
Really should get out more
Joined: 11 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1151 |
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Posted: 26 Aug 19 at 7:42pm |
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Never understood to pull of Salcombe, random venue. Maybe that’s the pull, always in with a chance.
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DiscoBall
Far too distracted from work
Joined: 03 Jan 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 305 |
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Posted: 26 Aug 19 at 7:27pm |
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Interesting that despite the apparent influx into the Merlins in the last few years the championships attendance has stayed pretty constant. So is it really that Salcombe is the class USP and if anything racing with the big boys (and girls) at the champs isn't that much of a draw, maybe even a turnoff?
Merlin Salcombe is a quirky combination - the 'one-design development' (ok 'restricted') class successfully holding one of the UKs biggest class events on an estuary that's completely unsuited to big fleet sailing (or sailing at all really... ) for year after year. Proof that human beings are fundamentally irrational.I guess for the Surrey\Midlands Merlins Salcombe is like puddle sailing, with more ice-cream parlours... |
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PeterG
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Joined: 12 Jan 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 822 |
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Posted: 26 Aug 19 at 6:14pm |
Sometimes, but then sometimes quantity is quality - or at least a large part of it. Truth is both are important, or why are we talking here about big fleets?
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Peter
Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59 |
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2547
Really should get out more
Joined: 11 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1151 |
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Posted: 26 Aug 19 at 5:29pm |
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Sometimes quality trumps quantity.
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RS400atC
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Joined: 04 Dec 08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3011 |
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Posted: 26 Aug 19 at 9:47am |
Great boat the 505, but where in the world can you get a 30 boat 505 open meeting every weekend in the season? Or the equivalent of Salcombe? The 'greatness' of some classes is not just about the standard of the top 20 in their Nationals. I can't see too much wrong in people saying their team/club/class/boat is the greatest, it's just their opinion. Take it or leave it.
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