Sounds in reasonable shape too

Hi,
Does anyone know anything about this boat?
I'm looking for an entry into the Merlin class and this sounds good.
A bit too far just to go and 'have a look'
Regards

HI Andy,

'Hemlock' was built by Guy Winder and is a 'Disguys' design. This partiular boat came 3rd at the 1979 Nationals in the Hands of Graham and Tessa Pike (nee Godfrey).

In terms of design, below is an extract copied from the Merlin Rocket design guide:

Disguys 1978

Further development of Clasher for increased weight carrying ability.  Several variants of this design have been built with differing hull depth and beam, and different transom widths.  Beam between 6'10" and 7'1".  An example of this design won a race in the 1979 Championships at Falmouth and another finished 3rd overall.  This design won the Inlands that year and is suitable for light to medium weights.


Depending on your AUW I am sure this boat would be a good intro to the Merlin class, subject to it's condition! This particular boat also appears on page 76 of 'The Merlin Rocket Book'

Worth a bid.

Good luck and hopefully welcome to the class.

Hi Andy

I have a 'disguys', 3137. Beautiful boat if in good condition, expertly built by Guy Winder with nice inlays and detail etc and few signs of age (sprung joints etc)considering it will be eligible for the classic series in a year or so, although it won't win any races in the merlin fleet. 

I haven't sailed her on the sea, but inland handles very well and moves like a zephyr on a gentle breeze. Excellent layout for it's age, hog stepped rig with ram and quadrants (not the best feature) 

Have a go and good luck!

Referance the comment above 'wont win races' If your sailing at club level and your sailing sec is willing the class have a published list of PY corrections, which if my memory serves me correct would give you a +30 to the standard figure. Suddenly if the boat was well prep'd & well sailed would give you a good chance at most clubs. I have a 25yr old NSM which on +20 is on money & turns a few heads used to their plastic addis bowl lookalikes!    Dont be put off if in reasonable nick would be good, Good luck Barry.

I also disagree with the comment, i still maintain that if one of our top boys or girls raced a 20 year old boat which was well set up with decent foils and sails they would still be very near if not at the front of the fleet. Fact.

by 'fleet' i meant merlin circuit fleet ie silver tiller, champs etc. 

are you saying that a well sorted 28 year old boat with good rig and new sails etc. and top crew would be competetive against tales or ez roller etc designs?

maybe at club level, and certainly with the appropriate age handicap.

Thats the beauty of the situation how many other classes could say they have 25/30 yr old boats winning at club level? I suspect the 'I wanna lose 20kg brigade' wont agree but will biulding boats lightly will affect there long time value? Another thread no doubt!
Conclution: buy the boat, add some TLC and you cant loose.  Barry.

Never mind 20 to 30 years old - we have fifty and sixty year old Merlins taking the pots home! In handicap races too!

Down Tammy way even in a decent breeze there are 45/50 yr old boats winning (we don't do handicaps!)and at the Thames Series awaydays have often plundered the silverware. But and this is a big but those boats are all incredibly sound and have been updated  with particular attention to the rig and are well looked after. It is a myth that these boats all cost about £500 to get on the water, with new  rig, sails, fittings , rebuild you are looking at £3-4k..............so buyer beware, but good luck.

amazing to see the tamesis winter series results, across the generations, and from the pics, it's clear to see the sails/rigs on the older boats are well updated!

Quite a few of the 40-50 year old boats at Tammy have 22" 6' carbon masts and modern mylar/kevlar sails and in light to medium airs on the river are all but impossible to beat with a modern boat

I think you'll find there is one with that setup, and one other one with a tall tin mast, the rest are pretty standard but plastic sails are the material of the moment so why not. Anyway "smily face" interesting observation but maybe over generalising.As one great Tammy sailor recently said. sailing an old boat is just self handicapping , it's all good fun thats the important factor.

Plus another tall carbon on the way eh Splut !!
Plus 2 further carbons on Omega & 1004 ??

Perhaps I should have added "All but impossible to beat......... in the right hands"

I am sure you are more than capable of handicapping yourself !!

I would say, the same is true of a wide boat, otherwise they just win some of the time...