This is an email I received from Ainslie French who recently posted a message on the Forum  asking about centerboards. He mentioned he was sailing his Merlin in Italy so I tried to find out some more. This is his kind response:- 

Dear Andy,

I can give you a brief idea of how I  came to be sailing my Merlin Rocket in Southern Italy. I have long had a fixation with the line defining the pale blue sky and dark blue sea of the Southern Mediterranean. Many years ago I taught English as a foreign language in Salerno from 79 to 83 and fell in love with Southern Italy, weather, food and above all the generous outging nature of the Italians in this area. 

I then returned to England but vowed to come back to Italy on a permanent basis at a later date. I bought Merlin 1387 "Big Daddy" whilst studying at Cranfield in 90 and made one trip down to Italy and back again in a Mini Moke with Merlin towed behind in 91. 

In 94 the "big" opportunity to work in Italy came up and I managed to obtain a permanent job at the "Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali" (CIRA) http://www.cira.it , in the Parallel Computing Department where I am now the principle researcher, I also have my own company selling top Italian porcelain over the internet http://www.capodimonte-ltd.com which is more of a sideline to keep the "Big Daddy" in good shape and pay for saxophone lessons, please excuse the plug !!.

 The Merlin followed relatively later, in November 2000, to be exact, and is now located at Vendicio opposite Gaeta near Formia in Lazio after a full spring restoration. There is much wind here and when crew is, rarely, not available, I go windsurfing. 

At the moment we do not do any racing, as we are training up on the Merlin to obtain optimum performance, however, "Big Daddy" has been much admired by the Italians as she has been well looked after, varnished with a British Racing green hull although is in need of a new centreboard.

The last time we took her out her performance was nothing less than ferocious and upon return half the centreboard had delaminated. My wife Patricia is new to sailing and was rather amazed at the speed of this Pedigree racer, as was I and to that extent everyone else on the beach !! 

Well that's about it really - Tanti Saluti & Good Sailing 

Ainslie French 

email : [email protected]  

P.S. I also have the sneaking suspicion that "Big Daddy" will shortly be having one or two companions !!.