MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Its Friday - so something a little more light hearted - 'Stupid things i've been lobbed for'

I was once lobbed from a national schools competition for wearing the wrong type of life jacket - not no life jacket, the wrong type!  I had won the event in a laser and the mother of a competitor pointed out that the rules required a 'life jacket' ie the type that goes around behind your head rather than the 'buoyancy aid' that I was wearing, most people wore then and everyone wears now.  I had to retire -still hurts!

Any others?


Posted: 18/02/2011 11:32:05
By: dv
I remember somebody was once disqualified for wearing an old Flotherchoc (remember them, the ones with all the little air 'capsules'?)which consisted of simply the outer skin of the buoyancy aid and not one intact air capsule!


Posted: 18/02/2011 11:50:42
By: Alistair
I was once forced to retire because another competitor hit me whilst I was on port on a dead run, I didn't do a 720 out of principle, still galls me.


Posted: 18/02/2011 12:05:08
By: TC
I was crewing in cadets with a guy called Peter Baldwin at Frensham Pond. We had a minor coming together with another cadet sailed by Karen Vidalo. I think Peter's life-jacket brushed hers. She was in the wrong but Peter didn't protest her because he fancied her.

We won the race and would have won the meeting but Ian Brown (never forget the name of someone who's done you wrong) protested us for not protesting her and we were disqualified. Technically correct but didn't stop me from hating him for a long time (I was about 9 at the time)

www.justgiving.com/williamharris

Posted: 18/02/2011 12:08:24
By: William Harris
I once did a 720 after a port and starboard incident even though that same white Merlin had hit me whilst on port in a port and starboard incident the race before and failed to exonerate itself......


Posted: 18/02/2011 12:22:45
By: WP
I remember back in the '70's being lobbed PMS at a Whitstable Twelve Open meeting - I was easily identifiable as I was the only boat that had a blue tinted jib window!

It went back to Westaways the next Monday and a clear one was put in.............


Posted: 18/02/2011 15:29:10
By: John Murrell
I was disqualified at an East Anglian club, for inciting the fleet to cheat!!!

Let me explain, the start gun went, the launch slip was to windward,of the windward Mark so we roll tacked all the way to the slipway, the rest of the fleet copied, but when they saw we were heading for the slipway, suddenly behaved... We were not informed of the protest, and so left.... I believe it went to RYA rule 69, and they upheld us, went to the IYRU (as was) and we were also upheld.....

I have studied the rules since, and can find no precedent for incitment, I still have the prize....

But, if someone was roll tacking big time, would you copy? or protest?


Posted: 18/02/2011 17:28:50
By: Jon711
slightly off subject but, 
I once sailed in a class and used twin poles when the rules were worded as singular only. I also had a digital stopwatch when all electronic aids were still banned.

nobody cared


Posted: 19/02/2011 07:52:01
By: exMerlin
That's nice - think the merlin class is still alot like that today.  Surprised no one even commented about the twin poles though, expect there was a reason. Don't suppose you tried turning up with a suit of ( non performance enhancing) Kevlar sails ?


Posted: 19/02/2011 09:23:47
By: Mischievous
Thinking of 'roll tacking', in the 1950s Brian Appleton sailing at Minima Y.C. owned the first quick tacking 'banana boat' called 'Lucky' no. 177. A short distance upriver from the Minima start line was a trot of moored boats maybe 200 yards long and perhaps 20 feet or so from the Surrey shore. In no wind with a nimble crew Brian could roll tack up 'the trot' in a couple of minutes. There was chatter about protesting him but most of us ended up doing the same. We liked to think we invented 'roll tacking' but I doubt if that was true.


Posted: 19/02/2011 12:30:51
By: Robert Harris
most people in the merlin fleet had twin poles, I think somebody spotted the poor wording and the rules were changed.

I struggle with roll tacking, since the rules say (imply) a tack doesn't start until you are head to wind or beyond and the acceleration in a well executed tack is in the initial roll and luff, then it is very unlikely you will exit the tack quicker than you went in.

To me it is a well executed, seamanlike and skilled part of the game. It is doing it repeatedly/in the absence of external water/wind changes that is cheating.

oops off topic again


Posted: 20/02/2011 08:14:40
By: exMerlin
Tbe differance is in the spirit of the class rules. Fireball rules are closed, therefore the rules imply by their referance to "pole" there there will be only one. However i've seen plenty of them with two!!


Posted: 20/02/2011 08:20:37
By: Chris M
I had a minor startline collision in force seven +.We came in on port and tacked below a guy named John Pullsen and the boats sucked together. John stood up in the back of his boat and a wave pushed the back of the boat down below the water and they were swampt to the cheers of the GP14 fleet waiting for thier start. We completed ouer turns and completed the course, but lost the protest on the grounds that no one could do turns in the conditions and survive.


Posted: 20/02/2011 14:18:24
By: broz
University team race where my crew fell out arriving at the finish line and swam back to the boat. We were protested and lobbed for 'crew not in usual position' crossing the line.


Posted: 22/02/2011 15:30:45
By: Geoff Wright
505 Europeans, Abersoch 2000. Coming up to the finish line, tacked under a starboard boat to try and squeeze ahead of them on the line, called it a bit tight and hit the mark. Did my turns but got lobbed because I didn't recross the finish line. Having sailed for almost 2 hours in a 4-5 I was understandably a bit miffed,...so sold the boat a week later.


Posted: 22/02/2011 16:02:44
By: Alex
Disqualified at the Tasar Nationals at Babbacombe. It was a windy day 25+ knots with  huge seas , I elected not to have my boat weighed as I didnt think I would win a race. However this particular day played to our stengths, in a three race back to back day , I won one , second in another and I think third in the third. All winning boats are impounded on return to the beach for rules compliance and my boat was found to be under less than 0.5kg under hull weight. It was a genuine error on my behalf as  at that time I owned three tasars and put the incorrect lead into the boat , all weights were moulded in a tin can and looked nearly identical! As a Tasar committee member the only course of action at a National event was to retire gracefully!! I dont expect the 0.5kg would have influenced our results.

It was a memorable day and event. That days sail has to be one of the best, a real balls out blast with amazingly close friendly competition. I have never made the weight mistake again! at the time I enjoyed a plentiful supply of beer from fellow racers who thought I was hard done by. I still own a Tasar, love the boat, the class and the people and cant wait till the 100 boat entry Worlds in September 2011

I also own and race Merlin 3704 at HISC and watched the events unfold for Matt and Ben with interest.


Posted: 23/02/2011 10:34:38
By: Under Weight
Disqualified at the Tasar Nationals at Babbacombe. It was a windy day 25+ knots with  huge seas , I elected not to have my boat weighed as I didnt think I would win a race. However this particular day played to our stengths, in a three race back to back day , I won one , second in another and I think third in the third. All winning boats are impounded on return to the beach for rules compliance and my boat was found to be under less than 0.5kg under hull weight. It was a genuine error on my behalf as  at that time I owned three tasars and put the incorrect lead into the boat , all weights were moulded in a tin can and looked nearly identical! As a Tasar committee member the only course of action at a National event was to retire gracefully!! I dont expect the 0.5kg would have influenced our results.

Rod Merlin 3704

It was a memorable day and event. That days sail has to be one of the best, a real balls out blast with amazingly close friendly competition. I have never made the weight mistake again! at the time I enjoyed a plentiful supply of beer from fellow racers who thought I was hard done by. I still own a Tasar, love the boat, the class and the people and cant wait till the 100 boat entry Worlds in September 2011

I also own and race Merlin 3704 at HISC and watched the events unfold for Matt and Ben with interest.


Posted: 23/02/2011 10:35:45
By: Rod Merlin 3704
I was asked to leave a club for failing to select the correct gear. Not of the racing variety but more first over reverse, and made an awful mess of the car and the wall :)


Posted: 23/02/2011 12:40:05
By: Bob Lobby
Ian Batt and I got lobbed for starting on the minute gun at the last pwllheli champs, just as the RO raised the black flag.I only mention Ian as he was wearing the watch...


Posted: 23/02/2011 14:00:50
By: Ben3634

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