Itchenor Sailing Club prepares to host Merlin Rocket Open
by Rachel Soothill 14 Mar 15:38 GMT
24 March 2019
Merlin Rockets Open Meeting © brightword.co.uk
Having welcomed Merlin Rockets as a new class this year, Itchenor Sailing Club is preparing to host their first Merlin Open Meeting on Sunday 24th March.
The premier adult two-person hiking dinghy in the UK, the Merlin Rocket is a very distinctive national class with a rich history in progression and development.
The introduction of Merlin Rockets at Itchenor has certainly captured interest following a successful Winter Warmer event in February. The visitors, many of whom had never been to Itchenor before, enjoyed a weekend of tight racing in 15 knots, giving a taster of what they can enjoy at the Open Meeting later this month.
Class Captain, George Yeoman, comments: "Itchenor's Merlin class is already starting to make a name for itself with Tim Saxton and Jodie Green, Jack Holden and Mark Oakey and the Hendersons all making strong showings. We already have five boats on the staging and new members coming in over the winter so it is looking like it could be the start of something exciting."
The Open Meeting on the 24th will start with a briefing at 10.00am. The schedule of races will depend on weather conditions but the Race Committee aims to run four races in total. The day will be rounded off with a fish and chip supper in the Club House. This is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to experience sailing in a Merlin Rocket in Chichester Harbour while also finding out more about the Sailing Club and all it has to offer.
Looking further ahead, the Merlin class's racing this year will be focused on specific weekends across the season, with three weekends each side of the summer. During the summer months the Merlin class does a lot of travelling, with events including Salcombe Week and the Nationals, which are this year staged in Looe.
To help encourage fresh talent to Itchenor Sailing Club, the Merlin Rocket class has introduced a new, pay-as-you-sail scheme to allow non-members to book for a weekend of sailing and experience the best that Itchenor has to offer.
To find out more please visit itchenorsc.co.uk or call 01243 512400.