Y&Y Speedfreaks competition.  There's a National 12 hanging in at the bottom of the list with 13.9 Knots...

Perhaps someone could lend Glen and Davo a GPS?

I am sure we can beat a 12, just a thought do we need to change the rules about electronic stuff, I did not realise that so many people carried GPS inland !!

The bloke in the 12�s not allowed to carry a gps while racing either.  Better get him lobbed, either that or he wasn�t and it�s all fiction.

Ya think thats fast ,check out the Hobie Tri foiler its insane.

The SB3 hits 20 knots 3 or four times a year but it genuinely feels like your stood still compared to the Merlin on comparable days.

By contrast, in the Laser 5000 the fluffy Labrador (George) and myself recorded peak readings around the 25 knot mark on several extremely windy days at Garda and I could only describe it as frightening and dangerous.

I also know that Wic McCready's Laser Vago reading of 16.1 Knots was cosha despite the 50% Y&Y plausibility rating, while the boat was by no means maxed out.

I've never metered the Merlin but the above experiences would lead me to believe someone could measure something around the 16 or 17 knot mark in the Merlin without too much difficulty.

I sail regularly with a gps(When Not Racing)and have to say that my 1976 smokers does over 10 knots regularly  so what could some of the new lightweights do!!!!!!!
I recently clocked my own Dart 18 and a friend in a hobie 17 (both carrying GPS) showing over 17 knots on slack water in the solway on extended reaches not just a gust.
We do speed sailing for a lark when there is no racing on,but this looks like somthing that could be FUN for any class.

I know someone in the Cherubs and they had a blast last year with GPS recording. 19-20 knots was the top I think.

We went out the other week, before Parkstone on a particularly windy Fri afternoon in the Solent and had a friend on a rib regularly doing 15kts next to us to keep up.

Unfortunately we didn't have the technology to log the data, but 3494 must give some time to a newer boat with newer sails.

I think you could do 19/20 with the right equipment!

Brilliant..

Take your GPS's with you this weekend if you're going yotting.  Looks like it's gonna be windy.

Am trying to get one lined up for Banbury which should be hilarious as we have no water in our already small pond.

More water now (even allowing for the gallons on your new cover).

Have you posted the results yet tricky?

Nope - too sunny.

I've scored a GPS for the weekend.

Now just gotta hope for wind and rain.  Going to be time-trialling against a lark and an RS200 by the looks of it.

You need a camera too, for photographic evidence.

Jon, I wonder how much faster you would go with a fixed centreboard?

Well Barry,

Given the volume of water that comes in around the cb bolt added to the fact that slot gaskets are always slow, quite a bit.

Against that the fact that if I plough a furrow in the silt as I may possibly do at our rather pitiful looking pond I can whip up my C/B in a jiffy and sail off undetered......

I thought we were talking about speed, not navigation!

Navigational difficulty increases with speed.

So this weekend you will see how the lark boys and girls get boats moving, do you really want a video of a lark going quicker than you??? Would you dare put it up for all the other Merlin folk to see??

Until Sunday.........