Pleased to read in Y & Y Racing Classes review that 19 new boats are on order.Does this mean new designs and builders are on the way ?

In case you missed it Mr Dot Rob Holroyd has stumped up to get a new Merlin built by Laurie Smart to Keith Callaghan's design, the 1st Callaghan boat to be built since the last Hysteria in the 70's.  I'm sure Jacko still has his frames if anyone had ideas about getting a modified Joyrider built.  Trouble is that the competing product from Winder is a known entity and it's unlikely anything else will wipe the floor with it, you are talking about a big chunk of cash.

Quite right, but as we are a restricted class decided to try something slighly different.
Having owned a variety of Merlins over the years, have tried many of the designers and since I liked my old Hornblower thought I would give Keith a chance again.
It is based on his Hazardous 170 but with Lauries input, and looking at the present Winders, he has adjusted the lines and widened it, They look very good.
The design will be called something like Hazardous 2009.

I'm very much looking forward to getting it and returning to my favourite class although I do have an old satisfaction which I bought to do up but then decided to go for broke so if anyone would like to acquire a Rowsell satisfaction which unfortunately requires quite a bit of work to get sailing again please let me know.

I'm surprised no one has thought of giving a commission to Bim Dasser who has designed a number of very quick 12s

So the rest a winders then ?

No its a totally original design but has been compared with a Winder to try and work out what makes them quick, other than increasing the beam and freeboard it is basically as originally drawn.
It will be wood, not the foam cored wood, and although not as light as the latest Winders is still projected to need a fair amout of correctors.
It will have a fairly standard rig setup as per the latest thinking to minimise the differences so we should be able to see how well the hull performs.
Probably, sleeved Chipstow rig and Dynamic sails, Smart CB and rudder

19 was a bit of a surprise as I thought it was 13. Linton is building one, Laurie the one above and the rest I believe are Mk4 - 5 Winders. However, if you start at 3700, it is down to 11 or which 9 I think are Winders with ours 3704 - 3707, one before Alex's.
BFN

Rob has indeed taken a courageous step in ordering a completely new Merlin Rocket design, and I have to say I was over the moon when Rob chose the Hazardous 170 as the basis for his new boat. In consultation with Rob and Laurie, I have modified my original Hazardous 170 lines slightly to minimise wetted area and also to increase the overall beam to max. This is the first Merlin designed by computer (as far as I know!) and Laurie's input will be invaluable in the building and fitting out (Rob's and my experiences in that area being not recent!), I am looking forward to seeing the first 21st century Merlin Rocket on the water, and maybe (if Rob obliges) some old hands may see, for the first time in thirty years, a grey Callaghan sailing at the front end of one of his designs. Rob - how about calling the design "Hazardous zero-9"?

Barnsie thought you had Feb 09 build slot and us March 09 is Winders production rate increasing to meet demand ?

Who is linton building one for?

Will it be painted green like your Ablacore Rob?

I havent thought of colour yet, possibly Red with a cream interior, Alb is being refurbed by Laurie too but still staying a light green.

Actually thats not such a bad idea it is a nice green

Rob, make sure you get Laurie to fit a plate raking system as is now becoming the norm in Winders. Definitley worth the extra and very easy to fit when building. Best of luck, now the Joyrider was a shot in the dark, but it worked and the rest is history.
BFN

Sorry chaps, I know it's not a merlin but interesting none the less...
http://www.cowes.co.uk/zonexml/story?story_id=5509;cp=0#

Interesting...

Trim tabs anyone?

I like the idea of the helm toestraps pulling the traveller to windward.  I might copy that!  Wonder if it works?

Alloy tiller extension!!!! The T foil does not look as if it is adjustable, so only good for one wind/wave band (very early 2000 - 2005). Jib tack set well back, not sure why unless for ease of fixing the bolt. Also double bottom shallow, presumably to keep stringer weight to a minimum but strength up (not a weight carrier then). Also chined forward to give the wake a clean cut off the hull. On the whole interesting, but cannot help feeling that Joe has done it on a very tight budget and so not invested in the periferals, ie rudder system and controls. Shall be interesting to see how he goes though.

Mark,

I think, if you look closely, you will see that the bottom pintle can move fore and aft slightly on a pin to adjust the angle of the wings.  The upper gudgeon will be on some sort of hinge if i am right.  This seems to be becoming accepted as better than the complications of a rudder blade with adjustable wings to achieve the same objective.

I suspect, although i do not know, that the floor looks low but that in fact it is pretty normal and that it is the freeboard of the boat that is lower than in the current crop of Bim designed boats.

I do not think that the boat has been off the Island yet, certainly i do not know anybody who has seen it.  I am not even sure that it has been measured.  We all hoped that it would show up at Pitsford two weeks ago but it was not to be.  My guess is that there are too many new variables and that Jo will sail it in the right direction but leave us all unsure of how fast the boat itself is!

Antony

p.s. To somebody else on this Forum I did consider the merits of having Bim Daser design a Merlin and might have done so if we had kept M3627 for longer and gone on to look at a new boat, but time is too scarce and I ended up visiting the class for one fun year only.

Jo Richards designed a Merlin a few years ago - I remember racing against him at the Warming Pan.  It had very low freeboard and a spinnaker chute in a "drainpipe" through the bow tank.  Whatever happened to it?

There will be at least two new boats at Starcross next season, neither built by Winder ;)

Rob


Well done for having the balls to break the mould and try something different. As Laurie is only a couple of miles down the road I might pop in and have a look at developments. 

Either way what comes out of Lauries shed will be damned impressive and fast!

I've always had something different, my last Laurie boat was a Mustard Seed (from new) so i'm looking forward to this one as I've always liked Keiths designs having owned a Bob Hoare Hornblower too.
Also I'm still a bit heavy I believe for a CT variant which is why I had a Alb made for me by Jacko (still got it). Really looking forward to next year.

The Joe Merlin your thinking of is still very much alive & sailing, She is VIRTUAL REALITY 3503, Joe kept her in various sheds for years loaning her out to the odd friend to race locally. She was then acqiured by a friend & colleague Guy Whithouse and still races when time allows at Gurnard. I sailed her with Guy in 2006/7 but we never had the time to devote to her that we should. This past season whilst I was acting like a delinquent sailing(swimming!)an AC, Guy was able to put more time in on her. Every year we make the comment that we should bring her over to an open, but time is always against us. She is still a headturner & quick in certain conditions, she doesent like the steep solent chop being low in the freeboard department, but is a flying machine downwind. Glen T sailed her with Joe in a race at gurnard in 2006? & reckoned that with a carbon rig she could spring a few surprises but either way shes still a good advert for the class down here.   All the best Barry Watkin X3236 & occasionally 3503

On a tangent Guy Whithouse now works with Joe Richards (Guys the Computer WiZ!)& Chris Stimpson and I wonder how long it could be until a Merlin proposal comes out of their minds?
 Maybe with their Laser contacts? who knows, could you imagine it the new Laser Merlin 3800?   Well I thought it was time I wound someone up! it would probably have a carbon bucket in it!!  Once again regards Barry.

Out of interest where is me old Bateau 3236 and do any of the two "Shaft" Designs still exist?? PS Come on England to wip the Wallabies????????????????

Alllllleeeezzzzzzzzzz,

Sadly I think not, bot of the Shaft designs are no more (though I'd love to be proved wrong). Out of interest, the subject of the two boats came up just a week or so ago with a comment or two from the Ancient Geek who actually said 'Shaft' in an Evening Series race at Hamble River. The last I heard of Shaft it was left in a dinghy park somewhere up by the Thames and had probably reached the point of no return - which generally results in the viking funeral. As for Space Oddity, the second boat build to the design, that too is rumoured to have fallen apart to the point that it was scrapped.

But..... you just never know! IN the last week a real rarity, a Don Woof one off, has been saved from the knackers yard and is now in good hands.

So, there might still be hope...............

D

Alllllleeeezzzzzzzzzz,

Sadly I think not, both of the Shaft designs are no more (though I'd love to be proved wrong). Out of interest, the subject of the two boats came up just a week or so ago with a comment or two from the Ancient Geek who actually sailed 'Shaft' in an Evening Series race at Hamble River. The last I heard of Shaft it was left in a dinghy park somewhere up by the Thames and had probably reached the point of no return - which generally results in the viking funeral. As for Space Oddity, the second boat build to the design, that too is rumoured to have fallen apart to the point that it was scrapped.

But..... you just never know! In the last week a real rarity, a Don Woof one off, has been saved from the knackers yard and is now in good hands.

So, there might still be hope...............

D

Such good news - Keith Callaghan is returning.
I am so excited about this new boat - but I am a litle worried about the colour.
Possibly the best boat Keith and I ever had was 'Myth Isle', we only got 2nd in the ST and 4th in the champs - we clearly deserved beter so it must have been the 'British Racing Green' colour!

Pat, I had some recent news about Myth Isle - she was sold on ebay to a chap called David Conner. The dear boat is in appalling condition, with many of the glue joints having failed, so let's wish David all the best in his project! But, yes, she was a beautiful boat - do you remember winning that last race at the Falmouth Nationals (1972) - in spite of the fact that I had blinded you in one eye when I pulled the spi pole from under the foredeck!

So Patrick, are you going to get one?

Well I suppose that depends on how fast it goes - I certainly wish the project luck.

and

Yes Keith I remember that Falmouth Champs well - my eye is much better now thanks?

Heh Pat, I would have thought your hair made adequate protection at that time,- or maybe it prevented you seeing the pole coming!

We still keep the pole under the deck on Hysteria, and Jo is so enthusiatic about pullng it out that on one occasion she recently threw it clear out of the boat, so we had to go back and pick it up. Not fast.

Not knowing Pat, but working in the same office as Keith and reading Mark Barnes list of the top 20 Merlins sailors in the latest magazine, I was impressed by the age range of the sailors, from 15 to 73 and Keith knew most of them!
If you can get to 73 and still be a top Merlin sailor there is hope for me yet!

Pat, I promise you that it wasn't me who asked "are you going to get one"!
 
I have just rejoined the MROA and Colin Brockbank has already sent me a bumper envelope full of goodies, including the current and several past editions of MR magazine. What a brilliantly produced publication - it is so well put together, and so vibrant. 

Craig, I must be careful what I say in the office from now on! But that list of the top 20 Merlins at the Nationals is inspirational in many ways. The best bit, though, was the oldest and the youngest being in the same boat. And that must make young James Warren a 4th generation Merlin Rocket sailer.

Two posts above reminds me of the one and only time to date Hampton SC did the Southport 24hr Race in Fred Keen`s GP14. Think it was Tom BP crewing for Dr Mills in one of the night time shifts and Tom did the same I believe under the understanding poles were stowed on jeeps the same way as on a Merlin!! Needless to say it flew out of the back of the boat however cos it was dark retrieval at time not likely!! Understand Millsy did go looking for it as soon as dawn broke but decided he didn`t fancy sifting through the mass of empty bottles, beer cans and used con?oms from the previous sat nights activities!!!!

Guy, in fact I was not helming with Tom, Hywel was.  I had the misfortune to be crewing for YOU!!!

We had some fun with the spinny gear as our 1st hoist was at about 9:30 pm in pitch darkness, couldn't identify which sheet was which etc.etc. and then the pole was thrown away at about 1 am and Steve and I put the right fittings on our spare.  We did another stint just after dawn and once in the boat were sentanced to carry on going round and round for what seemed like about 16 hours but was probably just over 2.

I assume that new Merlins are 2.5% cheaper from next Monday?

Hate to be perdantic but as 1.15 as opposed to 1.175, will onlt be 1.35 percent cheaper, but every little bit helps.
BFN

We have all been given a weeks holiday as no one is going to buy anything until next Monday...........then the phones will (we hope) start ringing, well that's what Mr Darling has told us!!!

Maybe I don't understand the maths but isn't 100*(1.175-1.150)/1.175 = 2.1277 % approximately

If a Merlin was eg £17000 ex Vat today the total cost would be £19975

On Monday £17000 ex Vat would give a total cost of £19550 ie £425 cheaper

A spare spinnaker I would think.

Re: the fittings, boat builders will have bought in the fittings at 17.5% VAT, now they can only charge 15%, so who pays for the 2.5%?

I thought VAT only applied to luxury goods (e.g. it is charged on cakes but not bread). So surely a Merlin is exempt, being something of a necessity in my opinion?

The great thing about VAT is that as far as the consumer is concerned it is VALUE ADDED so if done properly will get passed down the distribution chain lets face it though 2 1/2% is not going to persuade anyone to buy things it's relatively minute even on a new Merlin Rocket. I do agree with MAGS sailing is a necessity it saves the NHS a fortune too, I though Sporting Goods were going to be zero rated  but clearly the RYA failed in that too.

1. Mags you are too young to remember

"By 1974, Labour's Denis Healey signalled his intentions towards the rich by imposing a special 25 per cent VAT rate on "luxury goods" – yachts and the like. When Sir Geoffrey Howe and Margaret Thatcher wanted to shift the burden of taxation away from incomes in 1979, they did so by (almost) doubling VAT, from 8 to 15 per cent on most goods."

In those days, as stainless steel bolt from a hardware shop has 8% VAT and the same bolt from a chandler had 25% VAT. 

2. The issue of buying at 17.5% and selling at 15% doesn't arise, due to the VALUE ADDED (hence the name of the tax), unless the value added is less than 2.5%.

The real threat in all this, is the European Communitys' intention to unify the VAT rate over the whole. Given that most of the others are 20-25% my guess (God I'm cheerful today!)is that when it goes up again as it surely will it will be to 22.5% which will pay for bailing out the bankers pretty quickly, also remember the UK is one of the few that doesn't levy VAt on most foods yet! It's always been the case that you could order anything at a given point and then oops up goes the tax, it's the tax point that matters which is when you collect the goods,-not when you pay/paid, though proving it might be difficult for the Revenue Authorities! It's already true that if VAT is paid in one country then it's paid across the community, or you can opt not to pay it when you get say a boat from Holland and pay it on import into the UK. It is so ballsaching a procedure it is as Garry points out hardly worth it. To take advantage of the current low UK rates though you do need to be a UK resident. Though in MR terms there are not as yet any overseas commercial builders though people might buy sails from overseas as they have in the past.

Those of us who remember when VAT was first introduced, may know that it was designed to replace ALL other taxes. Successive governments have completely changed that resulting in the ridiculous multiple taxation we have now. 
As for the suppliers who bought at 17.5%, well, they reclaim that VAT on their VAT return against the VAT they've collected in at 15% as the process is a balance sheet with the government only receiving the tax on the difference i.e. added value.
I thank the government though as this rate change and the next rise will keep us computer software specialists in well paid work for some time tracking down and changing the deeply entrenched 17.5s - almost another Y2K and just remember how costly that was for business!!

If you are VAT registered you could try claiming your new MR as a business expense. A large plastic container perhaps? Maybe not.

In Belgium, that can,- or at least did,- work. Some years ago, I authorized my one-man consultancy company to buy me a drysuit, prepared to claim that the former was making a sound investment to protect its principal, but reckless, asset. The argument was that the company tax inspector,- if he noticed it at all(specialized protective clothing?),-  might well refuse to accept this as a tax-deductable item, and as such could then feel pleased that he had a little something to justify his inspection, but meanwhile it’s still the company who paid, - not me. 

He might, of course, contact the people responsible for individual tax assessment(not the same office) and get them to register it as a perk, but then why should he relinquish his minor victory and give his colleague,- who he might well detest,- something to justify HIS work, which in fact he never did!

Ah, the good old days; nowadays they (theoretically) make the tax assessments connected, -presumably to stop this kind of malarkey.

I should have added that this was not my idea, but had been 'suggested' in a professional publication, and was a good tip.

VAT is boring. yawn.
The prospect of new wooden Merlins is very exciting.

Belatedly picking up on the thread about the Shaft design, David Robinson loaned us the original Shaft once for the winter series at Shoreham and we returned her via the Warming Pan. 
After sailing a Smokers we found Shaft to be almost impossible to keep upright to windward as she had no form stability - we were Knackered by the windward mark - and she was a dog downwind - apart from that she was wonderful. Definitely one design not to be repeated - however she was extremely resistant to pitching as were all of Stephen Jones' big boat designs

Was the don woof boat referred to earlier 2920 Fazination.Used to be fantastic after a Pete Gallagher paint job

Yes, it was 2920. It had been languishing in a garden near me for some years. Though the decks were shot, the hull seemed reasonably sound, and the owner finally offered it free to anyone who wanted it. John Gardiner has taken it on, and though there was some damage done to the hull, I believe, when they tried to move it, it should be savable.

Nick

My new boat is now being planked up by laurie, see attached video of him at work.

Its has been tweaked a little more and now has less wetted area but wont carry quite as much weight although still enough to cart me around in the back.

previous link didnt work

Whos boats are on the  merlin stand at the dinghy show ?

I think Laurie's new one is going to be there. Probably a Winder too?

Coolio

Boats to be on stand currently under negotiation.
We will present our best foot forward as a development class.