Well it had to happen, I am no longer a Virgin !

10 years of Salcombe, watching merlins and only doing the 
drinking (lots of) beach cricket (a little of) and the long walks (too many of)

I have taken ownership of my first merlin 3408. Which needs some special loving to get it ready for it first date, a little make up , a little touch up and maybe some new clothes and stuff.

I have spoken to young Laurie Smart and if I can steal some more money from the kids piggy bank it can have a bit of Lauire Love too, if not I will just do a bad job on her myself.

I used to Love plastic boats with big kites but I'm now proud to be a Merlin Man, I mean how hard can it be ? 

Now the good news is that I am a dreadful sailor, So watch out as I have to learn this steering thing, because I normally sit at the other end. 

But I now have hundreds of new friends because you have all moved up a place in each race I enter now.

Ps. Rising Tsar , the Name has got to go,  just want to check with everyone if its ok,  Any suggestions or bits for sale, top cover, poles etc mail me 
See you all in front of me soon

Well done Tony !!!

Is that Daisy May?  The Shoreham club bar will be in profit now!

Rowan owned this one for a while - nearly caused a divorce !!

Just stay clear of the Wayfs !!!

Otherwise good luck

Mad jack What are you doing reading this stuff
Have you nothing better to do  ?

Saw the  launch of this good ship into the open waters of Shoreham. Last seen going out of the harbour sailing to France....crew, alas Champion William taught Fat bloke his first tack and home they came. Well done! He he!

Best talk to Chairman GGGGG about the name - he and the late Nick YoYo renamed it Rising Tsar following it's previos name - Lovebyte - which it was named from new by Shaun Frolich.....

Will be good to see you out in it Tony!  Glad Willie taught you how to tack!!

Jude,

Hope you are well?

Shuans previous boat names seem to have the word 'Byte' Lovebyte' 3408 and my old boat 'Terrabyte' 3478. Any clues?

Shaun owned a computer & software distribution business based in the SE called Bytes. Sold up several years ago at the height of the boom for lots of cash !

...and now there are all called Exabyte...

Shaun never missed a trick when it came to publicity.  Remember the hot water he got into when he arranged BASF to sponsor the champs in 85? Now sponsorship is commonplace. I texted Shaun to tell him of Willie's win, he was naturally delighted.

Hi Jude,

I think I should point out I still have a massive way to go and very excited about the chances of hanging around and sailing a merlin. I think I can add something into the fleet, even if it is only the abililty to take the P*** out of myself and deer beer.  

I would really like to do a massive learning exercise at the front of the boat ( yes I know I weight the same as a fiat Uno ) As it would be great to do a few races learning at the front end, 

So if anyone knows someone who would offer some help to me and sit me at the front of merlin for say the Inland champs what a better place to formally start my merlin career 

I think if the boat was called LoveByte originally I wouldn't really be changing it if I went back to the first name would I ?

How about "Toomanybytes"

Very good 

But I think Lovebytes is a really good idea because it makes it all so worth while at the nationals next year 
Why I hear you ask ?

Well is there not a "come as your boat name" Party ?

Very good 

But I think Lovebytes is a really good idea because it makes it all so worth while at the nationals next year 
Why I hear you ask ?

Well is there not a "come as your boat name" Party ?

Why not call it, Williams Fat Mate - no need to dress up...

Hi Guys,

Sorry to be pedantic, (and Jude should know better...) the old ship used to be called Dynabyte before we got hold of it.  Lovebyte was 3334 (I think?) and was the boat that features in the photo on the wall at Shoreham.

In the right conditions, the ship flew off wind; along with Dangerbat it was arguably the fastest planing machine on the water, and I well remember some classic racing with Dick Batt at around that time.  Gavin Willis also had some great results - Torquay I think it was when he lead a race comfortably only to have the spinnaker halyard jam on the drop.  Same year as the fog, when the Cowes Torquay powerboat race came through the fleet and scared me s*#'@^ss, and when Chris Rutter and Willy Champ wer inflating condoms on their heads, much to Nick Aubrey's disapproval.

Ho hum.... Must be getting old to reminisce like this...

GGGGGGG

GGGGGGGG

How about "DinnerByte"

Or why not "Funnel" in honour of one of your favorite recreational habits.

Then we can call it the "Red Funnel"............do you need a pilot for berthing ?

How about reality bytes....

Reality  Me yeah right !


Red Funnel very good , winking prawn I am amazed that you are able to still mail as I thought with your wit you must be
in a one man show at the Edinburgh Festival.

Obviously got that wrong when seeing stars due to new love when I first met GGGG and he was sailing that boat!  Always thought it was called Lovebyte - heyho, you live and learn!  Slapped wrists from the Chairman as Hon Keeper of Class Records should know better!!!

Mr GGGG - it was indeed 3334, then Lovebyte 2 was 3383,I think, then this one. mine were of similar ages 3336 and 3388.
Enough of lantern-swinging, back to the renaming of the large gentleman's boat.  Real names, these, YottaByte and YobiByte - get there quick before Shaun F buys yet another new boat!

.................or how about a mix - funbytel

Pillow Byter..?

I have recently purchased MR 3408 [ex "Lovebyte", "Rising Tsar"] which is now named "Hairy Poppins" - that name has to go as she is moored alongside Int Canoe called "Cunning Stunts" and invited adverse comment!
O

3334 is definitely lovebyte, i crewed in her for about 5 years with Marcus Robb at Cookham where she still lives (sadly rotting away in the boat park now)...

O just realised how old the other posts were.... :-S

Who owns Lovebyte now? I remember seeing her at the 97 champs at Whitstable in the hands of Marcus and she looked in fine fettle then. I will take her off the owners hands if she is no longer being used? Shame to let her rot!

Very sorry to hear about Lovebyte Alex as I well remember you and Marcus sailing her years back - definitely a boat to rescue as in the same batch as Elusive, Desiree and Paranoia and still great river boats and a beautiful bit of craftsmanship from Laurie.

She is not quite rotting away Alex!! She is owned and maintained by Kevin Singleton although his kids are otherwise engaged with school work at the moment and so she is not sailing. She is still solid but does need some TLC to get her back in to the condition she was in. 

She is a good boat and I keep an eye on her although I have a suspicion she was actually Lovebyte 2 originally but seems to have lost the 2 over the years.

Clearly I have not posted from this machine for a while!

Lovebyte squared was 3383 (if I remember correctly), but I notice that the name doesn't appear in the yearbook. Maybe she's changed name over the years. I am sure I sailed Lovebyte 2 back at Burghfield in the early 1990's when she was bought by Peter Sullivan from Shaun Fraulich.

3334 was the original Lovebyte.

3408 was Dynabyte when Shaun Frohlich had her from new..

Extremely fast boat in breeze in its day. Spent a whole windy season in '93 locked in combat with Dangerbat.. joined by a piece of elastic it seemed.

GGGGG