Development = faster?

Handicap of 1024??? Under what system?

PY? Actually PY is not a handicap, its a yardstick - the difference is huge, I'm not being pedantic.

Handicap involves measuring the boat and trying to figure our how fast it sails. Yardstick uses results from previous races, know performance against a set group of regularly sailed dinghys (yardsticks). This varies as boats become faster or slower relative to the other boats they race against.

If the Merlin Rocket's performance has changed, and its PN (Portsmouth Number) has not changed over the last 5 years, it is for the following reasons;

1) There are not enough return forms being sent in from clubs where Merlin Rockets are being sailed, and / or

2) Not enough Merlin Rockets are being raced under PY.

Javelin, talk to your sailing secretary - or whoever sets up the yardstick racing in your club. If you have a gripe, take it to them, they can use the system to give fair racing at your club, and when they return the data to the RYA, this will get noted into the database, and a national trend will occur, presumably resulting in the correct change in PN for the Merlin Rocket.

But remember, the sailing sec needs to remain impartial. They cant give all the prizes to the person who buys them the most beer....

Hello,

Firstly I would like to dispell the myth that Mr Javelin Man has fallen pray to that the Merlin is an overexpensive dinghy. I bought my boat second hand a year ago (it was then a year old) for less than a new RS400. Not bad value for money considering for that money you get a full Carbon Raking rig and all the Kit!

Also as Alex has quite rightly said Carbon is not allowed in the hull. All that has happened is as a class we have moved with the times and have embraced new development and as such we are still at the forfront of UK dinghy development and not stuck in a time warp afraid of what the future might hold.

My boat was made by Winder boats who are renound for making boats that are exceedingly quick and great quality. Just look at the fireball fleet. My boat now is about 2.5 years old and in the right hands could easily win the nationals, it is still as fast as any boat out there it is just the helm that is not.

Through controlled development we now have one of the best two man hiking boats on the market, that is one of the most versatile in terms of conditions and locations it can be sailed in. It is because of design changes and kit development that means the merlin can be sailed closer to its maximum potential in all weathers more than many other classes. They are a surprisingly easy boat to sail relative to their performance.

To Sumarise there is a thriving second hand market for boats that are certainly not off the pace and out classed nor are they overexpensive when you consider the equiptment you get and the great class history that comes with it. The Social side is one of the best I have experienced. Some of the finest dinghy sailors in the country have recently started campaigning Merlins e.g Tom Stewart from P&B Sails and N12 fame and Richard Estaugh of Speed Sails and Enterprise fame, this in itself must surely tell you something.

The attendance at events is not bad either with annually over 100 boats turning up fo Merlin Rocket week in Salcombe and are Nationals are going from strength to strength with over 80 expected at Looe this year.

I love my Merlin and Javelin if you ever want to come and have a play in one our very reasonably priced Rocket Ships just turn up to one of the Silver Tiller events and I am sure you will be surprised by how helpfull Merlin Sailors can be.

Good Sailing.

I think I need to clarify my initial point,

I have nothing against the Merlin as a racing dinghy, other than the thought of hiking out fills me with dread compared to having my crew, out of the way on the end of a wire.

My real beef is with the wholly inaccurate yardstick that the Merlin and some other classes sail to.
I fully accept that it depends on returns from the clubs and that the Merlin Class is in no way responsible for the resulting published number.
However the Merlin is a development class.
It therefore is to be expected that developments will be made.
Assuming that many, if not all developments will aid performance it would follow that a development class PY would change more often than a one-design.

The conclusion is that despite all the developments, no significant improvement in speed as been found in the Merlin in the last five years.
Sorry, after sailing at joint events with the Merlin’s over the last few years
�I don’t believe it!�
What has made things worse recently is the manufacturer supplied PY’s like the Stratos whose PY is just a joke.
I understand that the published number is officially a “guideline� and the OOD is encouraged to adapt the number to fit in with local conditions etc but I have heard of very few OOD’s who have had the guts to do this.
Perhaps the solution is to make people more aware that the OOD has this power and for the RYA to develop a location formula to aid in adjusting the PY to meet local conditions.

Example for say the Flying Dutchman;
Sea venue -3 points
Inland Large venue -1point
Inland small venue +1point

River venue +3points