I am looking for a merlin,fit for the river and wonder whether a Starrocket would be a suitable dinghy - any advice would be most welcome. Alternatively, has anyone got a Proctor they are looking to sell?

welcome to this Forum Nicky

Hi Nicky - they seemed to have built about 20 or so - so they must have been quite good - if a boat is a real dog usually at best 3 or 4 are built - I dont know anything about them but for sailing on the river I expect it will be fine. Havn't had time to see if any of them actually featured in the champs of silver tiller results - Stuart

I had a Star Rocket for a short while on the Thames at COokham. It went well and seemed to be a good River boat. They are slightly broader than allot of the boats of her time which is why I went for one as I intended to some pond sailing in it too. I decide fairly quickly though to up grade to a full on wide boat to do the champs in. Very nice boat though.

Alan Warren's Cotopaxi 1584 (1963 - 1966 -Sold to Larry lougborough at Upper thames.) was the second  Star Rocket and she went well in the heavy stuff and went reasonably on the river too, that was back then though.

Alan & I won the Silver Tiller in 1964 and came joint 1st at the Plymouth champs in 1965 with Cotopaxi a Star Rocket design from Mike Nokes. Built by Whyche and Coppock. I think the centre main on Cotopaxi had more to do with it than the design.

My 2404 is a development - Monn Rocket. Don't know haw this design compared to the star rocket, but to my inexperienced eye she moves quite nicely, especially in light airs - even with my bulk aboard. 

Was very quick downwind in a blow the other w/e too

I'd like to get some feedback on the design, just out of interest

Agree with the Gurn with previous response - Owned and Sailed the second "Shaft" Design called Space Oddity - was Really quick upwind with convex lines from bow to shrouds? Third at first mark once in Salcombe however downwind a different matter as a case of not how but when are going to nosedive? Lots of fun though?? Possibly the reason only 2 were built???

if it was good enough for Barry Dunning and Alan Warren it must have been a good design - but take heed of what I was saying last night - it might be a good boat but the condition it is in is everything at that age!