Report by Sam Lulham, crew of MR 3569 Time Zulu
Merlin Rocket Training Weekend 9TH / 10TH May 2026 – ‘Act like a Cat’
After many years away, the 2026 Merlin Rocket training weekend returned to Rutland sailing club on the 9th / 10th May. This 2-day event is a fantastic opportunity for anyone of any ability who sails in the class to learn and refine their skills. It can also be described as ‘part technical workshop, and part controlled chaos – and always great fun’.
A fantastic coaching team had been assembled, ably led by Mike and Jane Calvert. Also on the coaching team were Chris Gould, Graham Williamson and Ian Merryfield. Between them, this group had won virtually everything there is to win in the Merlin Rocket class, making them ideally placed to share decades of hard-earned knowledge and racing experience. They were also assisted by experienced dinghy sailor and coach Ross Harvey, whose calm, practical advice on the water proved invaluable throughout the weekend.
A group of 11 boats had assembled for the weekend, ranging classic designs through to modern, recently built boats. This provided a useful mix of performance styles and setups, highlighting how the class continues to evolve while retaining its core characteristics. Present were a blend of experienced Merlin sailors and newer faces to the class, creating a training environment where knowledge, ideas, and techniques could be shared across all levels of experience.
Saturday started with a session in the training room, discussing tacking and communication in the boat before heading out onto the water. We were reminded by Mike to ‘act like a cat’ especially in light airs, meaning gently stalk across the boat with a soft foot fall, feeling for the point of balance rather than rushing across with heavy stomps. There was also a discussion about rig tension, lowers and kicker settings.
The weather provided us with a north -easterly onshore wind of 4 – 6 knots. The sun was out and the air temperature was warm. One by one the Merlins launched and headed out into open water off the end of Hambleton peninsular. Here we started with tacking drills, repeating tacks a number of times while coaches looked on, commented on technique, rig tension, rake, cat-like abilities, communication and timing. Everything in a merlin feels sensitive: a centimetre of sheet, a tiny heel angle, one mistimed movement through a tack can all stall the boat. Coaches swopped into the boats with crews to give valuable insight, comment on the boat set up and relive old times (Graham leapt into our boat – MR 3569, in which he won the championships with John Bell in 2000).
Lunch was back in the training room where the focus was on gybing, followed by a session with Ross on race starts. A race starts combines nearly every sailing skill at once: boat speed and handling, tactics, rules knowledge, communication, confidence, and nerve. You have to hunt out the gaps that everyone else is trying to occupy the on the same strip of water that is never quite wide enough. Risk management becomes essential. Here, Ross focused on spotting the threats – who is likely to steal your space, boat handling under pressure, time and distance judgement, holding your spot on the start line and acceleration technique off the line. Merlin starts can be very crowded and noisy, and Jane stressed the importance of keeping calm, knowing your roles within the boat, anticipating the chaos and achieving precision under pressure.
The afternoon session on the water put all of this into action. The weather held and we started gybe practice, building up a repeatable rhythm, maintaining speed and focusing on the perfect timing. The breeze built steadily towards the end of the afternoon session, and we went into a series of race starts, repeating the process a number of times before finally coming in off the water at the end of the day.
The final debrief of the day we looked back on what we had achieved, had we changed anything slightly or dramatically (note to self – don’t touch the outhaul unless on a 2 sail reach) and, if we had changed anything – did it make the boat go faster? Following this, in true Merlin fashion we retreated to the clubhouse bar for drinks, curry and a spot of Osprey spotting (the bird, not the boat!).
Sunday morning and dawn crept over Rutland water. The day arrived somewhat lounder, colder, and windier with a consistent 16 – 18 knots. The direction held at north easterly. Following a cooked breakfast, sailors made their way to the training room for a morning briefing. The topic of the day was – don’t panic. When sailing a Merlin Rocket in windy conditions the boat becomes more alive and responsive! The hull is so light and reactive; it accelerates fast once powered up. However, this doesn’t mean you change your process in the stronger winds – everything still happens in the same order, just slightly quicker while still being smooth and controlled.
A slightly fewer number of boats launched on Sunday morning into a different sailing area. Shelter from the peninsular kept the water fairly flat and we practised exactly the same as the day before, just in windier conditions. We tacked, we gybed, we started. After a bit it felt like we were sorted in a consistent rhythm – hike, sheet on, ease, bear away, hoist, trim, drop and repeat. As stressed by Mike in the briefing, gybing in these conditions requires commitment – maintain speed as hesitation will lead to instability and can end with a swim.
A longer session on the water was followed by a late lunch, cake and final debrief of an excellent weekend. We looked at videos taken of our sailing techniques, compared notes, and made action plans. What are we going to stop doing (me – going leeward in a hoist) start doing (practising more) and continue doing (sailing !).
The weekend proved valuable for everyone – and whether it resulted in major changes to our sailing process, or subtle adjustments which helped with the aggregation of marginal gains, we all came away with lots to reflect on. The conditions couldn’t have been more perfect –gentle conditions on the Saturday giving the chance to refine technique, and then the stronger conditions on Sunday to challenge us more. For those slightly unsure about sailing in the windier conditions, what could be better than having coaches on hand to take you through the process and provide encouragement and support. If you want to learn how to sail in the stronger winds, the only way to do it is to get out there and give it a go!
The essential message taken away was – don’t panic, be prepared, be proactive, communicate, and practice (especially those cat-like movements!).
