My wife and I have just bought our first Merlin. Its by no means new but with a little work which we are doing at the moment we should end up with a fairly good boat. It is a Bad Company, 3232, with a low front bulkhead and a hog stepped mast. But we sail on restricted inland water and to be honest could only dream of attaining what you all consider as Heavy weight status. After some considerable dieting we may manage an all up crew weight of 32 stone. Add to that that our combined age is well beyond the century and I am beginning to wonder if we are entering our second childhood. Now its not all bad, we have got over sixty years of combined experience in dinghies and sailed an Osprey on the curcuit for many years, all be it a little while ago, more recently, Phantoms, Supernova's, Albacore's and Flying fifteens.
Some one tell me that I do not need to seek out the men with the white coats and can any one give us some advise on the Bad Company. I know that they are supposed to be in league with the devil down wind in a blow, but why. Is it a nose diving problem, a stability problem, the design spec would suggest a rapid build up in bow wave as the speed increases leading to a possible broach, or is it just a case of doing a considerable amount of God bothering off the wind in a blow.

Welcome, My last boat was a Bad Company (3218 If Only !!! aka Breakfast in America).
Good points  carries weight well good in light to medium wind great upwind, I never had a nose diving problem in a breeze just that I thought I was planing fast,  a snail overtook me off wind ,well maybe not that bad but it had trouble staying with its peers offwind had to make sure I had good starts to be close to the front at the top mark but always lost if planing conditions offwind, not planing then no problem at all, went well at Salcombe as there were/are great long beats, went well at my local club in club racing as it never really blew enough to let the flatties disappear and could catch them to the finish.
Good luck, where will you be sailing it?

We raced against 3232 in our local club (Fishers Green SC) on Wednesday evenings throughout 2009. Allthough there was less weight in it, it went very well in light to medium wind (up to a force 4 - it never blew more than that). I don't think she was at any disadvantage to our boat (2997 might be older but has had a lot of modifications and a modern rig put on her). In the last race of the season she beat a Solo and a Phantom in light shifty winds by some margin.

Thanks for the rapid reply, we sail at Manor Park which is only about 5 miles from Blithfield, but we used to be there for many years and had a thoroughly enjoyable membership, howver we had to cahnge clubs because of a move and when went back some years later it was not the same. They do say never go back to the places where you have had good memories, they are never the same, and it is true. Apart from that Manor Park is a lovely club, 130 acres if some what tree lined and courses tend to be mainly beats and runs, so I hope that it should suit the bill.

dave you should join the association and get all the magazines, i have and im a dog

Megan we will be only too pleased to join, we are both great believers in Class Associations, having been committee members for the Osprey Association for many years, we were going to join at Alexander Palace but are quite happy to do so now. When does the membership year run from?
Interesting that you consider yourself a dog, we have been known for some considerable time as the Dogs, but that is another story.

Dave,

Welcome to the class, if you click on the link you will find a membership form. Our membership is done by calender year. You should find an address for Colin Brockbank on the form (Megan is his Dog!)

Jeremy

Glad to see that others put their dogs first, often think they are far more intelligent that us, often make better committee members as well.

Has any one sailed a Bad company with the bigger spinnaker, and if so does it make much of a difference.

I havent but I would expect it to help things

...woof woof!

Funny you should say that for that is what I want to find out, is the Bad companies bark worse than its bite.

Really don't worry, they all capsize. You will get the hang of it in no time at all. Honest.

I must admit I think I had more capsizes in my earlier Merlins than my Bad Company and per sail, even more in my new boat. Maybe I'm just getting old.

membership year runs from 1st January, if you join now you can read the back mags while looking at it snowing outside

or walk the dogs

remember the annual training event at Rutland. 30 pril, 1,2,3 May.

It will get you faster up the fleet than anything!!

dave, get your backside on the midland circuit,you know it makes sense,ideal for trent valley, earlswood etc,go on do it!!!

Having just finished four years as Commodore I am looking forward to spending more time sailing than running a cross between a Zoo and a Kindergarten (anyone that has been a Commodore will know what I mean). But it has left us both totally unfit,we are looking to get a few meetings under our belt later in the season once I have remembered which way I point the sharp end.

Or you could join the band of Monkey's on the top bank and have all the fun of sailing without even getting wet and save the Merlin for summer days and open meetings like me.

I am of course refering to the ever growing band of Radio Sailors at Manor Park.