Does anybody know if there are any of the old plastic 'wembley' nsm2's lying around or for sale?

I may have a home on the river thames for one.

Thanks

If you find motre than one I have a contact looking for another

Mr Vines have you given up on the Blue Streak so soon...?

absolutely not! increasing quiver

Would you be interested in joining the association at this stage...?

Sounds like there could be a developing market for some new ones! Any one fancy making some? Might want to make them a little lighter though.

So what you are actually saying is ........you can't win in the blue streak and rather than blame your own obvious shortcomings, I can't be bothered to list them here, why not try and buy your way up the fleet in a different boat. 
Similar tactics to a well heeled Y & Y cover monkey. Look where its got him !!

I always thought Cobra was a good boat, anyone know who owns it now..?

3465 was owned by Colin Dacey.

3423 for sale at Ranelagh.........Shorrocks old boat Turner NSM 2 

How about Once bitten .....I hear that's very quick on the river.
Perfect for Vines

I don't see why you have to be so negative all the time....

Vines stick to your own pseudonym's and lets get real no-one is going to feel sorry for you.

The Real Thames Sailor

not uttered a key stroke for at least 5 postings...

Cobra is owned by Richard Bates of Hampton, he aquired it this spring and frequents this forum.

Hi,

I bought Cobra with my crew around June, as I wanted a change from GP14's, and she seems pretty good to me. My co-owner and I are both really enjoying her to bits. Its going to take a while getting used to sailing Merlins - though I had a dabble about 1993 with Fuming. Hywel Perkins Snr borrowed her for a couple of races and won with her, and we have had a few good results.

I find her a real pleasure to sail.

Hoping to do some events next year, particularly the training.

And yes, we both joined the association.

cheers

Rich

How about the green one that was once owned by Colin Brockbank - this also seemed a nice boat.

Colin's former 'Wembley One-design' NSM2 = "An Bredan Feasa" still resides at Wembley and is currently being raced by Alan Broadbent. Actually, if you really want an plastic NSM2 you could do a lot worse than have a nosey around the WSC dinghy park, there's still quite a few knocking about.

IF you wander round the WSC boat park mind you don't get seduced by all those beautiful MRXs parked around "An Bredan Feasa"! Their owners all used to have "WOD" NSM IIs.

What exactlly is an MRX then? Why is it better than a Merlin at Wembly?

await to see what 'interesting' notes are input here. As someone who lives miles away or commonly known as a outsider I kind of thought they were the local suppliers attempt at producing a merlin clone with them having the sole rights to produce them.

I was also ignorant but check out.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/b.whyte/classes7.htm
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/b.whyte/classes3.html

The MRX was a fairly decent attempt to produce an "affordable" merlin. Well built and based on the NSM II a good design too that would carry some weight.

Unfortunatley for the MRX about six months after they started building them Winders started building Merlins for not very much more cash and the rest is history.

MRX is a b.good attempt at producing an affordable Merlin although it handles a tad differently. Basically same as Merlin but without all the expensive c/fibre but with inbuilt bouyancy/self draining cockpit and no clinker design - all the 'thrills n spills' of a Merlin but for lot less money - £8,500-£9,000 for new one on the water,  new suit of sails about 30% less than Merlin (a lot to think about if u chge every year), plus other savings. 20 MRXs built so far, but only fleet at Wembley (12), all sailed by ex Merlin Rocketeers. We hve a v.nice 2nd hand one up fr sale at moment - why not come up to Wembley and check it/the racing out. MRXs and Merlins share  the same start at Wembley - so little difference in performance between MRX and modern Winder no point in giving them separate starts.

Surely there is more point in buying a 5yr old winder tales than a new MRX then? Can't see the appeal in buying a fake merlin which you can only sail at one club when for the same price you could by a very competative Merlin that you can sail anywhere and still compete in the same class at home?!!

Heretic - Why don't you get a Winder one-design and then you can re-live your youth on the open circuit (inc Salcombe)as well as the Harp?

are you the (ten) grand inquisitor?

Inquisitor - problem with Winder 1 design is that they are tad too expensive to buy/maintain for many Wembley sailors. Also I fear a little delicate (I keep walking thru dinghy park hearing comments such as 'got to get centreboard/ rudder sorted out',etc). Used to have Merlin (not old one)- real nuisance when you had gear failure in middle of crucial race - MRX proving to be much more hard-wearing. As for the open-circuit,MRX travelling circuit up and running as from this year - have sailed away at venues such as M.Keynes, Greenwich, Earith, Medway and Draycott - good fun - feeling v.young for it!
heretic - you are a mischievous fellow! I've rumbled who you are and am reporting you to your class captain; you'll not walk away from this one!

Golly gosh, you choose some funny places to sail - Erith, Greenwich, Milton Keynes!

The MRx is an 'X' issue - only twelve have been built.

With their wooden foils and metal masts, there's no comparison with a plastic Winder.

End Of!

One final thing that always winds me up, Why do some new classes insist on starting off with high inflated sail numbers? Does this marketing ploy mean they think there prospective customers
are easily bluffed? or plain gulable, Whats wrong with being honest?

Good point. Never paid much attention to the MRX, but looking at the web site they seem to have started at 3600. Probably at the time when Merlins were at 3500.  I guess they will now be at 3611, and my new won't quite be 3700. 170 boat to 11 says it all.

Winder Merlins are very well built, I'm on my second having bought Wild Card new at the begining of this season I've sailed her all season at opens, salcombe and the champs and nothing has gone wrong, apart from the odd dent in the centreboard from going to close to the bank on the river.. So I don't think they are fragile unless you are playing bumper boats down at Wembley! 
As for the MRX if venues such as Erith, Greenwich, Milton Keynes are as exciting as it gets I think I will stick with Salcombe, Shoreham, Hayling Island plus all the other great places we get to go with the Merlins!!

Who won the River Series?
I think that that Greenwich, Erith and Gravesend would make great additions to the Merlin Thames River Series with lots of water, wind, tides and sights such as Millenium Dome, Canary Wharf and QE2 bridge.
Also the events the MRXs attend are a handicap series so open to any boat so would be easy to add to our series.
Also it would be handy as I live in Dartford!