Hi,
I have Merlin 970, and was thinking of putting in some transom flaps this winter, as it still has the two original bungs in it at the moment. Has anyone found a good way of cutting the transom with out leaving any damage, and what would be the ideal size of hole?
Also does anyone have any history on the boat? I got it from a friend in Dunoon on the West Coast of Scotland where it was raced locally up until about 1979, where it was garaged till 2001. Its now been fully restored.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Thanks everyone!
Andrew

Are you in Scotland?   If you are do think about the Scottish events next year.

970 designed by Ian Proctor is a mkXI built by Wyche & Coppock in Nottingham in 1959 which makes her 3 years younger than me and shes already been restored!
All this info & more is readily available so join up!!   All the best Barry.

When we retro fitted in 1964/5 after Ned Sparrows graphic demonstration of the efficacy of them at Whitstable in 1963,and the subsequent rule change, some made a patteren and used a router or those less skilled (Or without advanced wood working tools.) marked out the shape, drilled a hole on the inside of the line and used a jig saw or hand pad saw to cut it out and then sanded and filed it "round and smooth" It really is not advanced stuff any "Artful Bodger" can do it.

ask mags for a loan of his chisels!

oy! shut it, you.

970 Ribot was owned by Leslie Brain of Midland SC who had won the championships at Cowes in 1953 in 214 Diabolo and again in 1955 at Plymouth in 522 Magician. On both occasions crewed by Peter Easton. 
The boat went to Scotland probably in 1965 when she was owned by J H Kirkland of Holy Loch SC.

Hi all,
Thanks very much for all your comments! There's certainly a wealth of information out there, and it's great getting such a good amount of feedback and help. I'm going to join the association!. 
Thanks Tony also for your bit of history. I actually got the boat from Jimmy Kirkland who raced the boat on the Clyde, when there was quite a large fleet of boats at the Holy Loch, but its great hearing back about previous owners. Would love to get in touch with the previous owners, and helms!
Thanks again!.

Sorry Ancient Geek but I believe Ned's demo was at Plymouth - the same event when Mike Mac pulled the plug on Gate starts by ramming the pathfinder !!

Yes it was (1965 Plymouth.) I looked at the photos but Not the same event Mike Mac ruined gate starts( For which he should have a statue erected!) He hadn't come south for ever then,and was still sailing Enterprises and National 12's, his first MR was in 1968 a Superstician of that I am certain.

After checking the history with the Master Builder in Exmouth, who has an astonishing memory for many MR events, I believe the following to be correct:
Ned Sparrow's demonstration of the efficacy of transom flaps happened at Plymouth in 1965. It was a heavy weather champs!
The abortive gate start fiasco was also at Plymouth but in 1971. Mike Mac may have been a misguided advocate for gate starts and was apparently the pathfinder opening the gate. Certain reactionaries didn't help causing some anger when they called starboard on him and after a couple of attempts the experiment was abandoned. This was to the relief of us who had experienced shambles at the windward mark after such starts in other fleets. 
The 1969 YB shows Mike Macs first Merlin to have been 2138 Emotion and it was indeed a Mike Jackson designed Superstition.

Quite right guys - I don't remember that much about 71 ' cos my daughter arrived that Wed  !!!

As far as I'm aware the Fireflies were the first class to use the gate start for major events. I once sat on the top of the cliff at Herne Bay and watched one of their gate starts. During the start the the wind shifted causing chaos. And it did so a second time.

Subsequently I remember the Merlin/Rockets trying it out at Whitstable possibly in a non-points race at a Championship (1959?). That was also chaotic because following a perfect gate start we all arrived at the first mark at the same time!

If everyone arrived at the mark at the same time, then it must be the fairest starting system.

isn't the start part of the challenge? and presumably all boats were not equal, so the start may not have been fair.

But Gate starts have there own art form,
when to get out of the gate? 
is the pathfinder faster than you ? 
is there a lift or back on the line at the start?
Do you want the left or right of the course? 
I think gate starts need more skill than line starts, and they allow a race to start first time 90% of the time.

I recall another gate start fiasco when an early starter was able to tack onto the same tack as the gate boat after the alloted time, and then sailed down on him and flapped his main slowing him down (he was a team racing type, result legalised chaos! Gate starts are for wimps nothin' like the cut and thrust of 100++ boats on a line, just don't shout so much, excess noise afloat is in fact an infringement under that "fair sailing behave like gent" rule, last year in Bermuda a well know former MR sailor, now a Judge, actually sent a competitor home for it! Good thing too.

Good for Robin. Mind you I was once protested at Tamesis under rule 71(?) for using foul languge. The protestor was justified in his action. The protest committee could have referred me to the RYA and I might have been banned! I was chairman of the class association at the time so it was extremely embarrassing. Fortunately the committee contented themselves with giving me a thorough verbal roasting with no foul language of course.