Social programme - as I understand it - is something like this:

Saturday - registration and Mexican evening - bring your sombrerro!

Sunday - Commodores reception, disco and fancy dress in the theme of your boat name - be prepared! (or come as you are - whimps)

Monday - crews race (in harbour outside the bar, with betting) followed by BRILLIANT food BBQ (top spec - no crap) and BAND

Tuesday - Reception with free champagne and MR Champions Dinner (Black Tie) and prizegiving for Vintage event and first 3 days. BIG EVENT

Wednesday - Trip to Gales brewery ( more free beer) and games at club

Thursday - Irish night with Irish band and prizegiving for Ranelagh Trophy (Champagne for the first 21 helms and crews)

Friday - Bucks Fizz reception, main prizegiving party and music by Simon and Linton   

EVERY NIGHT there is a free barrel of beer donated by the main Merlin-Rocket Clubs as you come in from sailing plus a simple BBQ food (not free but cheap) to wash the beer down with before proper nosh.

THEN:
every day racing starts at 12.30 {with a special short course - just 2 laps - for old boats}

If can do all this you must be younger than me! See you there - don't miss it!!!

I hear that some Vintage boat owners think it too expensive! Perhaps they don't realise how much they get for their money.

That's a very negative comment. how much is it?

Only £65 for the 3 days - £75 now as it is into late entry time

That is an absolute bargain, where does all this too expensive rubbish come from, maybe New Man is actually a Grumpy Old Man! I wonder which one?

according to the notice of race the fee is 150 and the racing is over 6 days.do "older" boats only race on three days, if so which three? My 1977 built bad company has no chance of being competetive but does it count as an older boat?

I meant to say Vintage not older.

I believe there is some form of classification along the lines of Vintage, really narrow, classic, about 5'6" max beam and the modern classic which is all the rest up to Canterbury Tales 3413.These distictions were first mooted by Andrew harris and seem to be a very intelligent approach to classify the older boats. It gets us away from the "random number approach" that has been evident in recent years and means that we are not trying to race a 1977 7ft wide boat against say Andrew's 5'6" Adur 7 Omega.
Perhaps someone could take up this thread and officiate on these distinctions.It would be good to incorporate them into other events, something that has been adopted by the I14 class.

Thanks Stroker for your insightful observations.  I think three catagories are required: Vintage, Classic and Modern Classic.

To my mind the Bad Company would fall into the Classic grouping, and I would base this purely on subjective opinion.

If I can try to shed a little light on this.
I think that the Bad Company would fall into the 'Classic' category.
As such I think 'Stroker' could enter for the 3 day regatta or BOTH the 3 day and full championship - obviously the best option.

Today I have heard of 4 more Vintage entries - so now we have a real competition!
Get your entries in - if everyone waits for everyone else nothing will happen.

Andrew Harris - get your Dad to send his entry.
Now
Please!

Okay... no need to shout.

'Confused' has emailed me to say that he is genuinely confused about the older boats event - he may not be alone so:

There is a 'special' 3 day event this year to encourage people who don't normally do Championships to come and join in this special 60th Championship.
It is open to Vintage, Classic and Modern Classic Merlin Rockets.
The racing is on Sunday August 14th, Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th - culminating in a prize giving at the 'Champions Diner' on Tuesday evening
The racing is over 2 laps of the normally 4 lap championship course. The finish is due to be at the windward mark so if you wish to enter both this event and the main championship ( Sunday to Friday) it would be possible and you would be most welcome.
There is a special reduced entry fee for this event of £65 (£75 after July 20th) for just the three days.
 
All this was advertised in the magazine - but these things get lost I know.
 
I expect that the scrutineers will be tolerant of old boats that can't find their certificates etc. The main thing that will be checked on older boats is buoyancy, and general seaworthiness for obvious reasons.

completly changing the subject, are there any of those tickets left for the black tie thingy?

Yes, but selling fast, limited to 200 at just £25 per person, wine on the table, champagne reception from 7.00pm. just send me your money, and i'll send you a ticket.

Im coming down to shoreham on sunday so we will give you the money then if thats alrite... i think its for four. See you at shoreham

Felt a bit arty today...

Does this include Inland Champions and River Champions?

I've entered (or rather Drunken Duncan's fiance has entered us - very organised girl!) for the whole 6-day 4-lap-races championship, despite having what I think would be a "Modern Classic" boat (NSM2 3319).  Does this mean I won't be eligble for the trophies for the 3-day event?  We definitely want to stay for the whole week, but might have slightly (and I stress SLIGHTLY) more chance of being competitive in the Classic fleet.
P.S. Does the fancy dress on Sunday have to be the name of your current boat?

where do i send cheque for sponsored barrel of beer for Wembley

I reckon it should in general.  However in your case, as the name of one of your boats has caused you to change your name by deed poll then I reckon that'll do.  Provided of course that under no circumstances does that let you think you can just rock up as yourselves without any fancy dress!  The flowerchild thing goes to all of your next of kin as well!?

I would have gone to the Fancy Dress do all attired in nappies - sponsored by Pampers or Certinas!!!  Name of my boat - Merlin 111 - SECRET WATER!!

You could still come, bring your nappies with your boat!!

I was just studing the latest list of entries and I have noticed that despite Hampton sending 10 boats, Cookham and Tamesis 6 each, we have only got 1 entry so far from Ranelagh and Upper Thames! Have merlins stopped sailing there?? Where are you? Its not too late to join in the fun, and its only 1 hours drive away!!!

I can't speak for the others but I have a number of work commitments that I can't avoid that week e.g.several days in Edinburgh.
Hope you all have a great sailing week-plenty of sunshine and nice Force 4's, building as the day progresses.

It's the time off work part that prevents us attending the vintage event - why not a weekend sub-event next time. Shame as we could have fancy dressed as ourselves with the usual pint or five. 
Our boat? Half Cut!

Any of the organisers know of a decent DJ/black tie hire shop in the area?

www.yell.com

poor showing from Cookham! There is at least another 5 competative Merlin sailers with good boats that could come but feel it is a bit much having just returned from Salcome! Think they are al;l getting a little old! (you know who you are!!!) Still working on them......

Not wishing to re kindle old flames. Would the Committee re consider 3/4 day Nationals again? I know that this format was adopted at the Weymouth champs (70 + entries)several years ago and true to say it was not the most popular format, however personally speaking it is extremely difficult  to take a whole week off work to sail on what most employers offer as a meagre holiday allowance in the first instance.

I personally believe that there would be an higher attendance at the Nationals if the competition were say Sat/Sun/Mon & Tuesday.

Perhaps a new thread on this subject post HI is needed?

There is a hire shop in Havant I'm told if you don't have your own!
Re sortening the Championships it's not just MR's that have this issue but I think it devalues the event and if it means enough you'll make it somehow. Maybe a BT sponsored Internet Cafe at the champs would enable people tp satay in touch if they must if they are not enough on top of their jobs top stay away! Or maybe a career or employer change is indicated? Of course if you are a sole practitioner in hatever your chosen line of work is then you've got a clash of priorities!
Experience across the world let alone the UK however shows that shortening does not increase enmties, venue maybe and despite the hype Hayling Bay ain't that great a place  to race compared with Torquay, Weymouth, Poole or whitstable  for instance.

I won't be there this year alas, and like a lot of people chose to do Salcombe this year and not the champs.  Shortening the event into a long weekend would not have got me along.  It was tried.  My own view as a well-established tail-ender is that those like me who are coming for a good sail and social and do not expect to be in the prizes for anything will be more likely to attend a week with a more relaxed feel and some good social events than a crammed long weekend with 3 races a day.  If you have a non-sailing spouse and a lot of other weekend commitments there is only so much sailing you can do.

Enjoy!

Why Dr Mills - don't be so defeatist. Ever heard of 'chucking a sickie'. Get Hwyel to sign your sick note and you can sign his... 

It's whats known as the OBBSN - 'Old Boy Back Scratching Network'

CCFN

Richard - Sorry to disillusion you but there were only 59 entries at Weymouth in 1999, 71 at Looe in 2000, 72 at Tenby in 2001, 64 at Whitstable in 2002....... I could go on..... but Weymouth was the lowest entry in the last 5 years with this year also aiming to be another bumper year.  Having run a couple of Champs, I think Ancient Geek has hit the nail on the head as it's all about the venue, not only for the sailors but also for the family.  For those that bring their family to the Champs for a holiday, they want to do fun things during the day whilst we're all out on the briny enjoying ourselves.  The social programme also contributes in large part and many Chanps are remembered for some of the social antics rather than the sailing!

71 latest count, with some more still to come. Don't miss out enter NOW (you know your coming just send me your money) 
P.S. 125 dinner tickets sold and paid for, including 35 former champions. get your order in fast only 200 place settings

Jude - you are right. Retract my comments regarding shortened Nats. Once again i'm talking a load of old waffle!!

Think there were only 54 not 64 at Whitstable, so Weymouth beat by a few.

Agree 4 days was far too short though!

Only a week to go now :)

Thanks for your encouragement, Andy!  In fact it's not work I would have to get out of, being now sufficiently senior (old) to tell the younger docs when I am taking my holiday.

The boat is available if anyone wants to charter it - last Turner boat built in wood etc, forerunner of Let it Ride, all carbon rig, decent sails, very beautiful, you would have to promise to look after it and not get into any fights for rights at leeward marks.

3511 Heaven Sent

regarding the dinner - does suit, shirt and tie count as black tie or do I have to try and procure a dinner jacket from somewhere in the next couple of days? my tie will be black if that helps....

The key to the outfit is a bow tie.

Dave - go charity shopping.  Most people don't wear their DJs very many times before they can't squeeze into them any more - 20 quid should get you a minter!

E-bay work as well

The Merlin Rocket Class has always been an eclectic mix and all the richer for it, however if as other correspondents say people will want to ail these excellent sailing dinghies because of who we are as well as what they are, it might be for the better if the excellent Forum were not semi dominated (Yoof and "grown up".) with the graphic descriptions of getting drunk and breaking cafe tables etc., if I were the father of teenagers (Heaven forfend! - As my Housemaster said; "I would not breed from him"!)Then I might prefer they did not put themselves in harms way. Somehow years ago Storming Hotels, Shinning up palm trees, putting fish on engines,collecting the weeksparking tickets and giving them to the Mayor at the prizegiving,removing safety pins from rigging, even tampering with car brakes, letting off safety equipment, (Fire extinguishers-what would the coroner have said?) was seen as harmless fun, it wasn't of course. 
BUT we did have dinner jackets,some morning coats white tie & tails to.), called our seniors (If not betters!) Sir (And mostly meant it!) and spoke and wrote perceived English. 
"Moderation and STYLE in all things my boy" "Never be dull"!another two sayings of my housemaster! Arthur Marshall has a lot to answer for!
As Benjamin Goodhart put it in I think 1933?

"One evening in October, when I was one-third sober, 
An' taking home a ‘load' with manly pride; 
My poor feet began to stutter, so I lay down in the gutter, 
And a pig came up an' lay down by my side; 
Then we sang ‘It's all fair weather when good fellows get together,' 
Till a lady passing by was heard to say: 
'You can tell a man who "boozes" by the company he chooses' 
And the pig got up and slowly walked away." 

So let's not be beastly to the young but perhaps they could do it with style?

eye of the beholder - chavs truly believe they have style!

so add some bling to yo' dj - yknow what i am sayin?

I take it everyone has memorised this magazine article?

Sadly I do! But they have not!