Hi,
 I hope you can help. I am looking to purchase a Merlin but would like to know how competitive the wooden Merlins are compared to the GRP?
 
I am looking to sail at Benfleet YC  on the Thames but intend on competing at opens etc.
 
Thanks in advance.
 
Rich 

 In club racing you probably wont see much difference, the only wooden boats built in the last few years have been a couple of Hazardous, and some Jon Tuner Genii.
Otherwise its a Winder CT.
Wicked 3708 in the hand on new comers to the MR class finished 5th in 2013 at the Inland champs and had some decent reults at various open meetings,
Jon has had decent results too with his boat.
 
If you like wood, the I would say that the latest ones are competetive with the Winder plastic but unfortunately cost a darn site more when new, and there aren't very may on the for sale lists.

The usual questions are what is your budget and where do you sail, along with what your aspirations are.  If you are intending to get in the top 1/3 of the major events you should be buying a fairly recent foam sandwich boat as the few competitive wooden ones hardly ever come to the market.  If you are starting in the class and are intending doing a lot of river sailing then an older wooden boat will do extremely well; condition and record would be what I would look at as fixing old wooden boats or even replacing a lot of string and fittings can be expensive & time consuming.