Having sailed our new Merlin for the first time over Easter my wife and I wondered why we spent all of last year sailing a RS200. We sail out of Brightlingsea and two merlins have been purchased. We had four races and its currently 2-2. Can anyone give me any tips on rig and lower shroud tension. We went ok in the light stuff but as soon as it freshened up a bit we did not seem powered up.
PS I have sailed many boats in the past and the Merlin is by far the nicest boat we have sailed, my wife just loves it, its just a pity we had to remorgage the house to buy it!

Craig
Good to hear your enjoying sailing a proper boat.
Try Dick Batts tuning guide. Dick is based in Bosham (Batt Sails) www.battsails.com
He will be happy to talk to you.

Welcome to the fleet.
1) There are plenty of materials on the website about all sorts of things. 
2) Better still come to the (Race) training event at Rutland at beginning of May.

3) Regarding race tuning, the many variations of tuning depend on the set up of the boat from several mast arrangements to hull/crew combinations.  They are require different approaches.

4) A recent approach innovation I noticed at Chichester was a rapid mast change requirement. The idea appears to be to shorten the mast in stronger winds. I am not sure this development will catch on.

5) You dont mention your boat number but if you had to remortgage the house to buy it it sounds like a wise investment and will provide you with hours of fun.  The alternative is chimneys, plaster, painting, gardening, washing the car, shopping at Tesburys and visiting relatives.

6) Best make sure and buy a portfolio of Merlins, that way one can have them individually tuned for light winds, stronger winds, rivers, sea etc.  A further advantage is to avoid alternatives consideredc in point 5.

Alternatively, see point 2 above.

best wishes
steve.
Formidable Challenge 3379

Morning Craig,

Glad you had a good yacht - Jeremy and I were at Hayling and had a splendid weekend.

Our norm with shroud tension is to use loads of it in the light stuff to generate pre-bend, and then as the wind builds, and you are sitting on the side, to take up the slack that appears in the leeward shroud.  This seems to cover most eventualities.

With the lowers, none at all until you start using kicker to hold the leech tension, and then just enough lower tension to counteract the kicker and to hold the mast to the bend you want.  As you power up, the kicker goes on in armfuls, and to counteract the extra tension, the lowers will need to go on progressively more.  There is very little travel on the lowers, and it is very easy to overdo it in the lighter stuff, up to fully powered up, from then on it is obvious if there isn't enough.

I would say, if in doubt, ease lowers.  One indicator is the second telltale down from the top batten.  If this is not flying, I tend to think the lowers are too tight, and the mast is too straight, perhaps hooking the leech in that area, so a little ease may help, as will a little cunningham.  This does vary from sail to sail and is not definitive, though.

It would be good to see you at one of the meetings - the Sunday at Rutland will be great, even if you don't make the whole training weekend.

ATB

GGGGGGGG

Thanks for that, clearly I was not using enough tension and my lowers were to tight, when we picked the Merlin up I remembered Dave telling me that! We will start travelling but I want to be able to beat Ozzie first! He has been sailing Merlins for 8 years and after we beat him in the first race he stopped telling us how to set up the boat. I am now looking forward to next Saturday when we will do battle again.
Thanks again.
PS Jacko sails at our club in Pyefleet week when we both hope to be at his level which i'm told is very good.

He’s in for a shock!

I hear Jackos new boat is to be named SANDHOPPER (Tee! Hee!)

The B14's and Fireballs have won everything at Brightlingsea for many years, the Merlins have now moved in!! Early days I know and the weather has been light but I think one or two more may be buying there first Merlin. What a cracking boat. The wife is happy but very stiff and bruised, without doubt the crew has the hardest job. 
PS Still waiting for Jacko to turn up!! Not long till August.

Did you read that!!

Acknowledgement that the crew not only has a job but the hardest job!

Well done Craig.  
Recognise your crews.

Craig,
David Chivers at your club knows more about small boats generally than most people and has restored a couple of Merlins too. He lives but a step from your club I'm sure he would help.

Hi Graig
If you noted you’re crew working so hard! You were not concentrating on the back end
Both Wiggy and now Legs permit the helm the main string and the stick thing and to concentrate hard on the two!
Tough to do anything else.
Stiff and bruised crew! Best not to sleep with them
St Ann’s appears to be guttering short, Jacko must be nearly ready

I hear Jackos' taken to doing sit ups to get ready for the August challenge. Remember jacko, if the sails are blue it's the wrong boat you have trailed to Brightlingsea!