Laser 140101 Tynemouth |
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Laser 28 - Excellent example of this great design Hamble le rice |
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Laser 161752 Tynemouth |
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List classes of boat for sale |
David Henshall's article |
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Dougaldog ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 05 Nov 10 Location: hamble Online Status: Offline Posts: 356 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: 19 Dec 14 at 2:14pm |
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A little bit of 'right of reply'!
Rupert - you really do need to check your facts; carbon is NOT allowed in MR hulls! Gruf....."I don't get it"! Well, as this is the panto season, there has to be the camp ugly sister out there, except that instead of shouts of "behind you", we get "he doesn't get it" to which the audience reply "oh yes he does"!!!! So, you will be saddened to know that I do get it, but it is not my place in the proceedings to shout this from the rooftops. It is not the role of the reporter to be making sweeping and contentious opinions, there are those on here that are far better at that than I. I should though offer a word of explanation; The reason why the Merlin Rocket appears to be over represented in the text is simple. There is no class in the UK where there is such a wealth of high quality data charting out how technological development, social change and the imposition of policy reform have impacted on the growth and success of the boat. If you want to see cause and effect in action, head for the Merlin Rocket archives. Indeed, in Part II of the article, which will be in the form of an Xmas special (you can read it and comment instead of watching Mary Poppins or the Great Escape for the nth time) will focus on the Handicap issue and yes, again the MR will be in there. The good news though is that these articles are sparking a great deal of debate, both here and elsewhere and I am sure that there is a lot more to come. Once again though, there are no right and wrong answers, with Gruf's views being as valid as all those other posters. Just remember that it is the festive season, post your comments with a bit of Christmas cheer (or Bah Humbug...either is fine) and - Happy Christmas to you all! Dougal, Isle of Wight |
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Dougal H
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Time Lord ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 03 Dec 13 Location: Warwickshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 301 |
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Just to correct Rupert's misunderstanding in his recent post where he says that 'Carbon fake clinker hulls are the result'
Carbon fibres and cannot be used in the hull itself but onl y as structural members and in the deck. The hull itself can be either wood or foam sandwich. Removing the clinker effect has been debated ad naseum. If the class did this, it would immediately reduce the number of boats actively sailing in the class. We regularly see opens with 30 - 40 boats and have 120 sailing at Salcombe Week every year of all ages and designs. |
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Merlin Rocket 3609
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blaze720 ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 28 Sep 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1635 |
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I think most accept the Merlins today will never be that radical as to go all 'smoothie' and lose the clinker ! Perhaps the pioneers would have done so if they had had the choice though ....
OK - lets try something else - why do they drag so much 'corrector' weight around today ? The vast majority of todays competitive Merlins easily make minimum weight and drag loads of lead weights around. The older ones don't stand a chance against them anyway and seem to have gravitated towards age related 'classic' handicap numbers in any event. Shed 10kg of lead for a start surely ! and yes maybe a further 10kg in say 5 or 10 years time ? Mike L. |
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Rupert ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
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"Rupert - you really do need to check your facts; carbon is NOT allowed in MR hulls!"
Is that really the only thing that causes you to comment - a 1/2 wrong line about carbon? Luckily, I don't need to check my facts - I'm on a forum, and I'll get put right! So, no carbon allowed in the hull moulding itself, but can be put in elsewhere. Just goes to show how a tight rules set creates a lack of radical thought. Dougal, I can see your point about the Merlin having a wealth of data with a reasonably fixed rule set in the background, and I also can understand that the need to find speed where the basics are fixed (eg, you can't simply make the boat longer) makes people think about how to make a boat go faster. Time Lord, are you sure that you'd not get more people coming to sail the boat if it didn't have expensive fake clinker both bunging the price up and making it look Victorian? Can't see why it would reduce the number of boats either. How much speed difference would there really be? Not as if you'd be banning the clinker boats. I look forward to disagreeing with you on the subject of handicaps, Mr Henshall! |
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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JimC ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662 |
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Oh they'd be ahead of where we are now, I'm sure. There's nothing resembling a consensus on Canoe shape other than 'make it minimum beam'. I think aerodynamic drag is going to be a big thing when the hull shapes are sorted, I suspect the boats are fast enough upwind for it to make a significant difference. But its a really fascinating time at the moment. Interestingly the hull chosen for the one design wasn't really state of the art. It had been the most popular for a few years, but I suspect there were advances. But the class took many years arguing over the one design. I'm reading some old documents at the moment, and there does seem to have been a continuing background murmur of "should we go back to open rules". The other thing that's amusing is that (if I've got all the dates and details straight in my head) the first worlds after the one design came in were not won by a one design, but by a grandfathered Swedish (and the Swedish Class president was very vocal supporting one design) hard chine Canoe which was similar in speed to the Nethercott in most conditions. Amazingly I believe that 1970 built world champion boat is still active at West Kirby SC: there must be few champion boats of that age still active. The rig and gear is, I think, somewhat younger. And that 1970 hard chine design is available as a one design starter canoe, with an active fleet at West Kirby, so lets give them a plug... http://www.damesblonde.co.uk/news.php
I think you have to say the Laser, but for the promotion and management rather than the boat. Edited by JimC - 19 Dec 14 at 2:42pm |
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Dougaldog ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 05 Nov 10 Location: hamble Online Status: Offline Posts: 356 |
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Rupert, You won't be able to!!!!! The minute it goes live I'm retreating into exile here on the island, where I will undergo an identity make over (aka TurnTurtle, Yellow Welly, Kneewreck and others) as I have made sure that there is LOTS for you all to disagree with! But what is the alternative? Listening to the Queens Speech? There is not that much happening around then so what better time to put this into print (the exact opposite of a 'good day to bury bad news'!). But I promise you this! It's well researched, ranges far and wide, covers past, present and future and gives the established order a damn good prod with a sharp stick. Even Gruf will like it (well....maybe) Oh, and Rupert...I even mention the Firefly - just for you!!!!
Happy Christmas D |
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Dougal H
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Rupert ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
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I'll be able to disagree - I'll just not have the joy of you answering back - until we guess what your new ID is... I bet you can't resist correcting me!
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
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Nice article Dougal- perhaps rather than copy the serial monogamy of my usernames, flirt with the idea of a sock puppet. I might create one just for fun one day!
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Dougaldog ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 05 Nov 10 Location: hamble Online Status: Offline Posts: 356 |
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Turnturtle; When this one comes out I'm heading off into the witness protection scheme. IGRF's comments I can live with - a hit squad in the pay of the RYA is something else!
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Dougal H
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turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
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A ravaging horde of ex youth squad cast offs bearing bent Laser top sections and 420 kite poles to bludgeon you to death, spurred on by the red-mist frustrations of not becoming the next Big Ben on the RYA pathway to oblivion?
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