Have no computer at home so just using ma and pa's whilst house and cat sitting for them just wanted to say "MERLINS RULE"

....THE WORLD!....

They're not my whole life but they make my life whole...

Well said!! What i don't understand is why everyone does not have one?

Its still the most complex and expensive way of going slowly known to man,or indeed woman, that's why it is so absorbing to do but boring to watch.

Guess you have never seen 80 Merlins trying to cross a 150M start line in a force 5/6 then!!

200 + actually it just seems fast; fast it aint!

Without running the risk of sounding like a pretentious !"£$ker, sailing is actually quite zen.  How many times have I regretted looking behind me to see those boats gaining on me slowly but surely.  Instead of concentrating my mind to do better, I just end up losing my focus on going forward as quickly as possible.  Sailing is all in the now (with a healthy dose of yet to come admittedly).

Speed, I think, is also in the eye of the beholder and is relative.  After all, we're not racing against F1 cars.

I think F1 cars would be fairly easy prey.....the salt water would play havoc with the electrics :)

i cant think of anything more boring that F1 racing. the spectators there see the cars go past in 0.5 sec and hope for crashes to relieve the monotony of 70 laps....

The noise is fantastic though! But could'nt agree more. It is much better watching F1 on tele, but even then there are too many driver aids to make it easy and stop overtaking. There is now 70 parade laps of 20 bill boards driving round in circles!! Perhaps we should suggest they should tow boats? they do it with caravans!!

Mind you, thinking of it, it could be argued that a brand new FRP merlin is the F1 equivalent in the dinghy racing world (without all those ridiculous rules and politics which succeed in turning actual F1 racing into a corporate parade).

However, couldn't we employ the promotional services of those F1 team placard bearers that stand on the starting grid before each race?  You could have them in rescue boats around the starting area advertising sail makers, boat builders etc.  ;)

It would get everyone to the start line on time!!

Jeremy the problem is generally not getting everyone to the start line on time, just keeping them off the course side of it with 6 secs to go

Put the lady's in the boats behind the lines then!!
Lou Johnsons been sailing RS'S this weekend and said the have just as many problems with recalls as the Merlin fleet just a little less shouting!!