MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Radical Posture design

Can anyone give me any information about a Rocket I have seen advertised? It is a Radical Posture design by Rob Peebles built by Brett Dingwall and Nick Martin in 1983. Is it suitable for a lightweight crew and for sailing on a lake? I have located a reference to it in the Merlin design guide but there is no accompanying information.
Also, as a relative novice would a Rocket be too much for me at the moment?
Would appreciate any advice.


Posted: 20/09/2005 09:37:10
By: Richard Menmuir
The worst that can happen is that you get wet and you learn quickly.

No idea about this design - someone else may be able to help but just a couple of words of caution. It is neither a known design nor from a recognised builder and hence may prove rather difficult to sell on in the future.

Where do you sail and what Merlins do they sail at your club? You can't beat going along and having a look / having a go. If you live anywhere near Banbury, give me a call on 01926 812694 and we'll see if we can help.


Posted: 20/09/2005 11:44:31
By: RichardT
Brett Dingwall builds a nice Flying Fifteen and Rob Peebles designed some good National 12's but it can't be that good if there was only one built!

Best comment comes from the Merlin Book by Jim Park:

"Caused a few upsets in it's time in the hands of Nick and Rob Martin, but gave Nick a few suprises in return!"


Posted: 20/09/2005 12:19:17
By: Chris M
Rob Peebles as mentioned designed some fast 12's & this was his attempt at a merlin, fairly advanced in it's day,fine forwards saw it nose down a few time untill they learned. I would of thought it would make a good inland boat just get used to it in light to medium winds first,bear off quick & get weight aft quick in any breeze.
Brett also built Fireball & Hornets And I believe still makes foils & does repairs


Posted: 20/09/2005 12:57:16
By: Barry Watkin
Thanks everyone for the information. I'm a member of Leigh and Lowton SC (near Wigan). We don't have any Merlin's here at present - mostly RS and Solos and I sail a very old Mirror. I'm looking for a more competitive boat as well as another wooden boat and the Merlin really looks good. I understand that some designs are more suited to lighter crews (our combined weight is 19 stone)and some more suited to rivers rather than lakes. Perhaps the Radical may be a bit too specialised/unique for me. Thanks for the offer of a sail - I'll get in touch if I can get down south.


Posted: 20/09/2005 13:15:30
By: Richard Menmuir
It's on e-bay.  Looks to be in very good condition, and if you can get it for a low enough price should be OK or even better than that  to start with.  You always wonder about one-off designs.  If it had been a breakthrough you would think someone would have built another, but designs are faddy and the financial risk significant.  Merlins developed from 12's haven't really set the world alight and the mention in the Merlin book is not very encouraging.  However it would be interesting to know what the boat's results have been like if it has been sailed against other known Merlin designs.  You could be the right weight for it.


Posted: 20/09/2005 13:41:57
By: Andrew M
There's at least one active member at Bolton Sailing Club, Geoff Minns.  That might be easier to get to?  I can put him in touch with you if it would help.


Posted: 20/09/2005 13:43:53
By: Bill
You could go and check out the open meeting at Hollingworth this weekend.

There will be loads of Merlins to look at lots of people who know lots about 'em.

You will be able to get a fairly broad view of what's available from the latest supa dupa right down to the bottom end although there will be a lot of supa dupa there!

http://www.merlinrocket.co.uk/clubs_events/view_club.asp?id=25

Posted: 20/09/2005 13:49:33
By: Jon
Jon I hope you don't go to Hollingworth this weekend, this weekend is Wembly, next weekend is Hollingworth


Posted: 20/09/2005 13:55:36
By: Alan F
Lol, I'm waiting for Blithfield.  Hopefully it wil blow its t*ts off again...................


Posted: 20/09/2005 15:11:30
By: Jon
We(the wife and I) started as complete novices a year ago in a boat of similar age and value to yours...we have had a great time learning to sail and after a year, I think we are making a bit of progress. Make sure that you join a club which has a fleet of boats so that you can get advice on rigging and general sailing tips. Join the MR Association and get some water wings!


Posted: 20/09/2005 15:25:53
By: Mike
Go to Hollingworth! Even if you can't get there for the open meeting weekend, they have arguably the most active and also wide ranging competetive fleet anywhere in the country.  They're also ultra friendly!

I'm not 100% sure whether they sail on Sunday or Saturday, but if you check out the commitee link from the home page, there'll be an email address for the Northern rep. Get in touch!


Posted: 20/09/2005 16:02:11
By: Chris D
There are quite a few Merlins at Bolton which is nearer. We are also very friendly and have a mix of new and older boats.

http://www.sail.org.uk

Posted: 20/09/2005 18:13:34
By: Nigel 3280
Richard don't be put off to easily at that sort of money you could have a very pretty & capeble boat
at club level you would be helped by a PY adjusted to 1044 in line with her age, all at 25% the cost of an RS 200 or s/h 400. given the right conditions I'm sure she'd excel in the average club medium handicap class.


Posted: 20/09/2005 18:15:23
By: Barry Watkin
I saw one of the Universities had their Larks at Leigh and Lowton for sale very cheaply - you could always get one of them for starters - they're just a baby Merlin really from Merlin designer Mike Jackson and good for lighter weights and fast across the pond!!


Posted: 20/09/2005 18:51:05
By: Troublemaker
we all know about university larks!!!

Go for the merlin Radical posture or not, you obviously wont be sailing her in nose diving conditions if you are just moving up from family mirror sailing.


Posted: 20/09/2005 19:06:35
By: Sensible
Our Merlin Open is 1 & 2 October. If you can't make that weekend then we race on Sunday afternoons. 

I suggest you make contact with Guy Winder (Merlin boat builder) who is one of our members and pick his brains about the boat you are thinking of buying.


Posted: 20/09/2005 20:32:00
By: Hollingworth member
My understanding is that it was designed for light weight crews,as a club boat it ought to do as well as most of its era.


Posted: 22/09/2005 16:17:45
By: old merlin man
I spoke to Brett Dingwall about this boat, as I was thinking of buying it too. It was experimental design for Nick Martin. It didn't end up going as well to windward as was hoped. It should be very fast off wind
in a blow, but not so good upwind and doesn't tack particularly quickly.


Posted: 02/10/2005 14:47:21
By: Steve
experimental design?  merlin rocket?  did he not know you just buy the same kit as the man at the front!
crikey, what is the world coming to!


Posted: 02/10/2005 22:01:54
By: experimental design?
Are we sure this is a Merlin??? Radical Posture is certainly a Peebles N12 Design, if Rob did design a Merlin I'm sure he would not have given the boat the same name as one of his 12's. Radical Posture was a further development of Rob's very successful baggy-trousers design but it was a step too far.


Posted: 03/10/2005 08:34:36
By: Dave Croft
Yes, it's definatley a merlin and it does share the same name.


Posted: 03/10/2005 08:51:41
By: Chris
If we didn't experiment with hull shapes, we would still be sailing Kate clones.


Posted: 03/10/2005 10:08:31
By: all for experiments
I thought Radical Posture was a National12 design by Rob! Ideal for 16 stoners in a force 6 Flat water .
Very fast on a planing reach shame about the rest of the time.
Perhaps he only had one design name for that year and used it for both Merlins and Twelves.


Posted: 03/10/2005 10:17:39
By: Tom Stewart
Perhaps Rob just used the same lines and scaled it up a bit! Sounds like everybody is talking about a boat(or boats) with the same characteristics!


Posted: 03/10/2005 10:44:37
By: Dave Croft
OK guilty as charged. This was a Merlin design I did for Nick Martin, and it was basically a stretched N12 design of mine - Baggy Trousers. Bret built it, and initially it came out rather heavy (thick plywood) and had to go on a diet which left it a bit floppier than it should have been. The rig ended up quite a long way forward, and that combined with a lot of displacement aft & very straight rocker up front meant it planed very flat and it was easy to drop the bow under downwind on a fast plane if you didnt concentrate. N12-like you needed to sit a long back downwind and it gained a bit of a reputation as a bit of a handfull.... Like the Baggy, it always concieved as an open water boat, so wasnt at its best light weather tacking etc although Ive noted that as the years go by earlier sea boats often become the weapons of choice in land..... I always thought it had more potential than it showed, and vaguely remeber Ian Holt owned it for a while, so mayebe the design direction didnt die out completely.... whatever you decide - enjoy.


Posted: 05/10/2005 10:53:17
By: Rob Peebles

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