successful designs ever.  (There were 101 built).  It has proved successful at all levels with a variety of crew weights, and is still going strong today.  A variant of this design is the Fadeaway.

It is noted for being a good all rounder, and is a reasonably fast tacker.  It is good in light airs and was certainly the most successful design of the late seventies.  It won the Championships in 1975, 1977 and 1980, (Fadeaway won in 1974) and won the Inlands in 1974 and 1977.  The design still wins open meetings and many club races, and as an example of the design's durability came 22nd and 24th in two of the 1987 Championship races with 24 stone on board.  (Fleet of 88, medium wind)

It is likely to be reasonably priced compared to the more recent boats, and along with the NSM is an excellent introduction to competitive Merlin Sailing.  However, Smokers and NSM 1's are consequently in great demand so if you see one, don't hang about in making up your mind!

The Smokers is likely to be slightly cheaper than the NSM 1 and is probably better for restricted water where tacking is important.  The NSM 1 has a little more power than the Smokers and is probably quicker to plane having flatter aft section and less rocker.

Infidel 1974
A very good open water boat for lightweights.  Extremely stable, but very slow tacking, and so unsuitable for restricted water.  Beam 6'10" (2.09m).  Suitable for under 20 stone.

Several varieties of this design exist, with improved weight carrying ability and light weight performance, merging into the Hooligan design. The best known variant is the W.T.Special  Infidel finished 4th & 5th in the 1974 championships, 5th in 1975 and 10th in 1979.

Hooligan 1975
A development of the Infidel for improved weight carrying ability and light weather performance.  Still rather slow tacking and sluggish in light airs.  Suitable for up to 22 stone.

Mustard Seed 1976
An experiment with a " Gull Wing " underwater shape for reduced waterline beam and low wetted area.  Still has the occasional open meeting success, but did not achieve popularity.  2nd at Whitstable Championships in 1976.  Another lightweight's reaching machine.

Super Seed 1976
Mustard Seed with extra curve in the run to give  more buoyancy for heavier crews.

Summer Wine 1977
This design was an extreme one in its day.  With a fine U-section bow and flat aft sections it is very fast reaching in strong winds but has been noted for its nose-diving tendencies when hit by a sudden gust (Sit on the transom or sink!).

This design was initially popular and then went out of fashion when the NSM 2 came along.  Then in the early eighties it had a big revival, especially with lighter weight crews.  Probably superseded by the more recent developments along this theme, the Summer Wine is likely to be slightly less expensive than the boats mentioned above and a good example could prove a bargain.

NSM1 (New Smoking Material) 1978
This design was in concept somewhere between the Smokers Satisfaction and the Summer Wine.  Essentially the Smokers was well known for its ability to carry weight, and the Summer Wine was a design for lightweights.  The Wine's classy performance caused the "well-built fraternity" to pester Phil Morrison for a Wine that would carry weight.

This boat was an instant success when introduced in 1978, and soon became the most popular design particularly after the GRP version appeared in 1980, some 35 being built.  The NSM 2 derivative quickly replaced it in the early eighties and it must be said too, that the rig was evolving rapidly at this time, and since 1980 boats have a low bow tank which gives more hull stiffness to cope with the increasing loads placed upon it by the modern rigs.

Consequently, the NSM 1 while still competitive, probably won't see you in the top ten, but will certainly get you amongst the fleet.  This boat is likely to be available second-hand at a more reasonable price than perhaps an NSM 2.  The NSM's stability makes it suitable for those regularly racing in strong winds or those converting from more stable boats such as GP14's who find other Merlin designs a bit tippy.

Batty Bat 1980
A flat bottomed stable hull with an overall beam of 7'1" (2.16m) Batty Bat is an excellent reaching boat for light weights, but performance to windward has been disappointing.

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