HI!
I would like any advice on when sailing the Merlin in light wind, when tacking, how do you easily flick the top batten over, as I am having trouble with mine..
Thanks!

Try searching the forum, this question has been asked by many people, including me

Am with you dude - ruined my morning!

Try capsizing.  The act of bringing the main sail up full of water usually does the flicking over trick. Tried it many times.

Well it’s not called a Merlin Rock it for no reason, well I suppose Merlin rock pump och and bounce a bit it would sound silly.

Any of the above will do the trick apart for the oching which probably won’t help very much.

Happy encouraging progress in light winds while ‘sorting out the batten’

A good yank on the mainsheet whilst bringing boat up from the roll seems to work for the pros. I find the crew pulling on the kicker (grab the whole thing, dont adjust the tail) helps.

On the river, if it doesnt clear 2nd time, give up cos you'll be tacking in 14 seconds anyway....

There is a routine which works well when you have learnt it.  You need a little kicker on otherwise the batten doesn't 'pop'.  Tell crew you need to tack the batten.  Roll the boat down to leeward a little and then helm gives a countdown, 1,2,3 go.  Both crew and helm give a little ooch to windward bringing the the boat SHARPLY level, batten pops, done.

Gybing in light winds can be difficult, you can't roll the boat or the spinny collapses.  Your hope is to flick the batten over by jerking the full purchase of the mainsheet as the boom comes to the end of the travel, if it doesnt then let everything settle before giving another go, a good sharp jerk on the mainsheet should do it, but the amount of kicker required to get the batten to pop over can be a bit more than you want on for the conditions, so be prepared to put some on to gybe/gybe the batten and take it off again when done.

FWIW

Oh, and don't tie the batten into the pocket with any tension, just enough to stop it falling out and just stretch out the fabric without putting tension on it

HI all,
Thanks for your help regarding this.
Simon

roll tack

In light airs only take up the slack in the kicker.
The sail and boom is enough weight.
Then and roll tack smoothly and effectively not forgrtting that the initial pull over gives rudder drive into the turn before you cross the boat and pull up to complete the tack.
It is also very important not to slow up the boat by using too much rudder.
International regs say that you must not come out of a tack faster than you entered it ???*****!!!!! 
If you have a very bendy top batten and have kicker tension as well you've got almost no chance of flicking the batten through.
Have fun.

I think I started one of these threads some time ago! I found that you need to have lots of clew outhaul on and a bit of kicker. You can't flick the sail with the main-sheet you have to do the whole boat.

Good luck - it spoils the whole light wind sailing if it doesn't work! - Dave