As a few of you will remember from last year Pat Blake runs a training sesion on the Saturday before our open on Sunday.

This year we are holding a brand new trophey race aswell on the Saturday afternoon at 3PM. This is the GUY PEARCE MEMORIAL TROPHEY and is going to be run using the Vintage yardsticks to encourage the older boats down for the weekend. Entry will be £5 most of which is going to the RNLI as a donation.

Those of you who remember Guy will know that he is the Merlin Sailor responsible for Salcombe week as he was the first Merlin to turn up at Salcombe week and then started taking his mates and hey presto Merlin Week! He was also a bloody nice Bloke.

There will be a party at the club on the Saturday night and there is room in the grounds to pitch some small tents so no reason not to come to Cookham for a couple of days for what promises to be a great weekend.

Any questions e-mail me.

Jeremy

Good hairdresser too! and VG Bloke!

Sounds good Jeremy, if i can get time off and a crew i'll try and pop down.

I remember Guy very well. At the 1952 Championship in Poole Harbour he invited Brian Appleton and me (and others) to sail Brian's Merlin No. 28 'Gail' at the CRSC open meeting. As two 16 year old schoolboys we felt very honoured. The name of our boat was very appropriate because a fierce North Wester was blowing straight down the Cookham reach. We sailed with a Cadet mainsail and many boats reefed. 

With her 4' 6" beam, total crew weight of about 16 stone plus the tiny mainsail and full size foresail 'Gail was virtually unmanageable. I can't remember if we finished any of the races. The meeting was won by the top team of Ken Mollart and Ian Curtis in No. 230 'Dally'.

It would be great to learn that a few of you are comming.   The last time we had a party at Cookham was when the Inlands were at Datchet and you lot drank the bar dry.

Don't want that to happen again so an idea of attendance will help us stock the bar with enough to last out.

I am sure Jilly will have some great ideas again

Hey Jeremy, I believe we'll be there for sat and sun, I just need to confirm with my brother. How many vintage boats so far?

Not sure on numbers but it is looking like we will get a few. If people spread the word we may get quite alot. We have a number of older boats at the club which should be out. 

Would be great to see a few visitors as this is the place that the vintage boats rule and with the adjustments to the handicap i would not be at all supprised to see the top 3 positions as the loder boats.

Good piece in the Mag about Guy Pearce and a note about his impending race. Should be a good party in the evening too!

jeremy

will try to get a squad from wembley up there for the sunday

Knew we could rely on Wembley!

There is a crew available for the Cookham open listed on the forum. If any one is short look on the link below:

www.merlinrocket.co.uk/forum/main/topic.asp?topic=2019&forum=main&comments=3&page=1&sort=5&order=1&search=


Would be good to fill the front of a boat and get it out on the water and to give this chap a go.

reckon we will have 5 boats from wembley on the sunday

lay on a decent wind please

Well history dictates that there is normally a decent wind up. Hope it will be a good days sailing. Any of you likely to come for Saturday? I know David came last year.

Hum not sure

Im afraid my Dog Megan  and my girlfirend come first on Saturdays

Looking like we are going to exceed all expectations on numbers this year! We normally get 27/28 boats turn up on the Sunday and it is looking like we will exceed 30 this year maybe even 35! Better get the flight flags ready!

Not sure how many we are going to have on the Saturday looking at about 15 at the moment. There is a great opportunity for some of the older boats to walk the afternoon race what with the handicap system and the advantage of narrow hulls and tall rigs! So get them down to Cookham and take advantage of Pat Blakes wisdom and a great race.

Don't forget that Jill Blake is doing a party on the Saturday night and we all know how good her parties are and how much she enjoys them! Don't let her down. 

There is space in the club grounds for small tents as we did for the inlands at Datchet (if you came) a few years ago.

Also the Rebellion Brewery have kindly donated couple of casks of BEER which we are offering as additional prizes over the weekend, what for is yet to be discussed with Jilly but i am sure it will be fun!

See you all there in just 39 days!

what event is on Sat? all my fixtures show an event for Sunday. Its in my diary so unless anything comes up, I believe 1018 will be there.

It is the Guy Pearce Memorial Race in the PM with Training by Pat Blake in the AM. It is being run using the vintage handicap but is open to all ages of boat. Come down and stay for the party and you can see what Fuming should look like as my dad still has his Smokers which is almost identicle.

Jeremey, if you dont mind me asking, what are the prices? for the Sat and Sun events? and the training?
Shane

The training is general racing and tactics, but it is basicly an open forum. Any questions on rigging or set up or anything really Pat will be able to answer.
There is no charge for the training, it is a free service. The Saturday race is £5 so not much and most of this goes to the RNLI. Sunday will be about £15 i think cirtainly no more might be less.

Is it going to be on the water training or discussion? I think either way, as long as my crew/brother doenst have any school things then we will be there

It is a bit of both really, a bit of chatting and advice whilst rigging and checking each others boats out then a practice race a bit more advice then another practice race 9Only short ones) Was really good last year and we had alot of visitors for it too.

Even if you can't make it for the day, come down for the party in the evening and bring your boat for the Sunday and a tent to sleep in. I think there is going to be breakfast available in the club house early next day for those in tents! going to be a great laugh can't wait!!

By the way what should we stock the bar with? Last time we ran out of pretty much everything. If there are reasonable requests we will get it in. If we can sell it after the event we will stock loads!

Jeremy,

Is there a plan to video it to build up material for a training DVD!!!!!!!!!!!

No plans to do so but if someone wants to bring a video camara its a free country!!

Not long to go now! We have had loads of wind last couple of weeks, lets hope it stays with us for a few more. Judging by the turn out at Banbury we should have good numbers. Missed Banbury in the end due to lack of crew, but according to the results my boat was there!! (Lou, have you got sails with my number on them?!)