Hi
I heard a rumour that a Merlin sailor has just joined Hayling, I presume with the intention of sailing it there.  Anyone know who it is?  As you guys found last year, its an ideal place for Merlins and if this is the first of a few more, who knows, I might be tempted back into one after 18 years!

Mark

I would if the membership fee was on this planet....it wasnt a few years ago when I enquired...

Emma Flight and I have joined Hayling with our Merlin. Even better, with a new Winder on order, hopefully in September.

cheers

Rich

Excellent! Welcome to the finest dinghy sailing club on the planet - even if it is true that the subs are on another!  We are still paying for the new clubhouse and I can entirely sympathise with Mags'comment after the shock of seeing the prices.  Its a club you have to use to justify it but when you consider what you get both on the water and off, it becomes worth it.
I'll make myself known when I see you down there. Being the only Merlin in the village you should be easy to spot!

M

Hi Mark.

Thanks. We are looking forward to sailing there, and hope to meet you soon.

cheers

Rich

Mad Jack,
Are you sure it's a Merlin and not Mustafa, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Mark
Can you remember what it is to lean out rather than dangle?

Ah Mustafa! My first 14 ! Named after a mad Turkish taxi driver who nearly killed us.  I returned a stone and a half lighter from that holiday - I could do with that sort of weightloss now if I get back to MRs!  
The thought of sitting out is a bit scary, but at least you do remain in touch with the boat, rather than a catapult waiting to happen. And you have sit-out pants these days don't you?! Like a harness but you can still conceive after use.
OK - who are you Splutter and which Scroggs is that?!

Germany 1991

Still the same old Hayling Island tho.....

Splutter = Plumtree

Not the oldest or the youngest!

Ah Mr Plumtree! Mustafa's reserve helmsman, after my cycling accident.  You have a Merlin or two, have you thought about being a regular on the south coast with one of them?
Mr Scroggie - Nick, I presume? Or maybe Sarah...or Veronica....how many kids did your dad err..produce...?

don't like being grassed up or busted, but hi mad Jack, i seem to remember Mustafa was quite quick that day, had a damn good crew, it's all about the crew!

Mustafa is that the successor to Oui Oui and precursor to Slaxative?

I thought the precursor to Oui Oui was Psst Psst.

with my two year old, the precursor is "Daddeeee".  "Mustafa Leeeek" was often called out in the dinghy park, usually in the style of Bernard Bresslaw in a Carry On film.

You may be right, I think I missed one somewhere I'm far from infallible.

So that rules out the Pope being the Ancient Geek!!!

Blessings my son.

And it's a crozier not a spinnaker pole!  Off to do three Hayling Marys!!!!

if your not sailing mr geek, perhaps we could rig up a floating 'pope mobile', or geek mobile' merlin with hand rail and comfy seats!

So, who is the Geek. Clues: He is 61/2, dodgy knees, 15 stone, sails keelboats now, went to a funny school,  and was sailing Merlins 30 to 35 years ago. Answers on a postcard!

To where?

Bit more than 30 to 35 years ago I think.

and isn't the pope!

david childs?

Mary's Child??

Ancient Geek is known to those oldies who can still read as the bloke who had blue sails.  Psstt Psstt [the second "t" was always silent. The Pharmarcist decided to get married so I exchanged Oui Oui for some folding stuff & bought a car. Regret could not make Hayling. Optics polisher on a Nordic Folkboat when its flat & warm in '06 - boat gets dunked tomorrow.

I never had Blue sails, that was Toucan a Welsh Harp boat sailed in 1962 by Ricky Walters at Torquay. I do have a picture of her together with Mervyn Allen (Kelpy) in the 1961 RTYC Autumn Tropy at Ranelagh, I'll scan it and send it to Mags as soon as I get home + - a few days.

The Pharmacist was nominated driver on Oui Oui & Psstt Psstt & prior to that time he was driving for Tom Lance in Tom Tom. Post Oui Oui he drove for Alan Simpson of Bognor Regis YC. in "Old & Filthy" [I think it was called] later renamed cos' Darling did not like the name. Back in the '50's I think he actually owned a MR called Electron [which probably was an early Adur. Think he & Lancy tried lamp blacking the bottom as a speed experiment. Apart from getting very black hands - the experiment was never repeated.   The 'Undertaker' could confirm all this about Electron.
If 'Mary's Child' was David Child's boat it possibly was the replacement for the out of class Adurs in the early '60's?
Memories fade alas.

Between Oui Oui and Tom Tom, George Slack sailed  "Uppashade".  I  don't know whether he owned it but It was an Adur and was not very  fast.  He joined Arun and, togther with Ted Joyce and Francis Boff was instrumental in getting us all to sail Merlins.  Mine (575) cost me £100 secondhand which, bearing in mind I was earning £7 a week, was a lot of money.  But it was a lot of fun!

The Pharmacist's other claim to fame was telling his boss he was travelling selling his pharmacy stuff when in fact he was sailing his Merlin in Poole Week which he won.  Unfortunately the Daily telegraph carried the results and his boss read the DT.  He was not amused

Cleaning out the old sailing gear and came across an old pair of wetsuit socks made on the Pharmacists kitchen table. The talc smell brought back memories of changing rooms etc...

George Slack was also proscecuted by a policeman that he knocked of his bike with his MR mast going along Old Fort Road on Shoreham beach.

Mary's Child was not my Adur 6 it was number 1473 and called Success-or it was never a Merlin as it was the one found out by Robin Fowler (Friday night.) and Geoffry Saffery-Cooper.(Sat morning.)The only Merlin that played on my surnam was my original Expectant which was bought by Stuart Gurney 3rd hand? and renamed Child's Play?

What about Flower Child?

And 'Fridays Child'

If you do join remember that if you fail to turn up for your OOD or AOD then it will cost you £100 extra

Wow, this forum has more tangents than a mathematician's calculator! We are back on the subject of Hayling! Yes, you are incentivised to turn up for race duty by forfeiting the discount if you don't. Its a fair cop.
Saw new man Richard out in the Merlin on Saturday. It was a nice breeze even if you couldn't see where you were going!

Fair Cop Guv.
There was a sort of Progression from Beat Nik - to Flower Child - to Drop Out, Fridays Child as far as I know was nothing to do with me!

Hi Mark,

It was the first time out at Hayling, and the first time with the new mast sails and rudder. We really enjoyed it. Please do come and say hello when you have chance.

cheers

Richard

I did look out for you but I was late getting back in and your boat was packed away. The race team had laid the leeward mark too close to shore such that the ebbing tide reduced the depth.  We all went hard aground and with a daggerboard (on an RS700) it completely jammed and took me a while to get free!  The hazards of a tidal harbour! A centreboard would be much better. Avoiding the putty even better!