Many thanks for a great mag, especially under the current circumstances!
 
 

Best one yet, great reading..! Ell done everyone who contributed

Awesome magazine, well done guys. 

Thanks for your kind comments. 
We have ours now too. It is always worrying when I open the envelope, sometimes in print you seem to notice all the little mistakes that you didn't notice on the computer screen - but I am not going to draw your attention to them!
I would like to thank Colin Stokes for letting me use his super cartoon on the front cover - he captures the details of situations we have all probably been in. Great talent.
Louisa put her heart and soul into her interviews that seem to capture the mood of this pandemic so well - thank you Louisa and everyone she spoke to.
I forgot to credit everyone who took the photos on the 'Death Roll' piece but Michelle Dalby took the amazing one of all the boats out of control at Salcombe, reprinted from 2008.
Lots of people put a loads of effort into it so thank you all. 
 

Thanks indeed to all the contributors.  An excellent edition particularly for these times, could even be renamed the bimblers edition!  Now is the time to try to completely restring your boat with some new system as with a bit of luck by the time we can all get sailing again you will have actually got it to work!  And now there is no excuse for crappy tacks and slow gybes, though I was dismayed to read that there are even more things I have to do as a helm setting up for and exiting the gybe what with presetting the jib sheet and holding the old guy/new sheet.  I only seem to have 2 hands and one is on the tiller, one on the mainsheet, how does everyone manage this at the sharp end?

Thanks Pat for another brilliant magazine.  However, our famous picture at Salcombe of the boat spinning out is correct in saying 'this is what it looks like' but in this case, after the gybe.  The tiller extension was in my hand and not
attached to the tiller.  This will do the same job.
Hope to see us all on the water soon. 

Best one ever! Well done all concerned.
Dan Alsop 

Sorry Steve, I except there were extenuating circumstances but it is a great shot.
If you had kept quiet no one would would have known it was you - could have been another yellow boat! 

Are you after sympathy Steve? 

Oops I am in trouble.
 
The shot of the young lady leaning on the yachts shroud on page 43 has caused offence.
I really didn't mean to cause anyone to feel offended, it just seemed like a bit of a fun to me. Just something to lighten the mood.
So, I am very sorry if it upset you.
I suppose in hindsight it may not be that funny.
 
The truth is that I had a quarter page space left because ClamCleats usually take a quarter page ad but decided to have a half page this time to promote their new product. That left me with a little space and I looked back at old issues and saw this from 2006! It was well received then, but it is interesting how much times have changed.
 
Please accept my apologies if you didn't like it. 
The only good thing I can find from this saga is that you actually got through to page 43! I hope you found other contributions to inform or entertain you.
 
 

Pat
The only thing that you need to apologise for is that it is on a yacht not a Merlin!!
 
Excellent issue otherwise and it would be good to see more good cartoons. 

I have another admission to make.
The ad for Senior Service cigarettes on the back cover played a part in causing me to suffer from a life long addiction.
This addiction has cost me endless amounts of money and time over decades. It didn't even come with a government warning!
It's a good job I didn't take up smoking as well. 
 

I have some more information.
On page 26 the shot of 3037 blasting along is actually of Rob Holroyd sailing his Laurie Smart built 'Mustard Seed' design 'Highly Spiced'. Rob tells me it was taken at the Hayling Island Champs in 1977. I should be able to remember that.
Sorry Rob and Mark, I was clearly working on some 'fake news' with the caption, but it is a super shot. 

I have the original photo mounted on my study wall, along with my Laurie Smart built Hazardous 09, Wicked

Hi Pat.
I have not seen the photo of Bungay Taylor and me at Salcombe before. Any chance you can send me a copy for my archives. (7) on page 27.
Great magazine edition. Enjoyed it thoroughly! 

Barry, I had forgotten you sailed with Bungay Taylor. It is a great shot by Robert O'Neil isn't it. I will check with him before I forward it on. What year was that?

Great Mag Pat. 
It would be great if your work could end up in an online archive, on the website for future generations of Merlin sailors to enjoy and benefit from.  

Thanks John. 
Yes it probably would be, it's something we have discussed but there are a few issues. Copyright and maybe some censorship, etc
There is quite a lot of work for me but I think we could sort it out - maybe in the Autumn/Winter
We are promised a new website soon with more space on it and a members area - perhaps we can get it on there. 
 

What an awesome edition! Something for everyone with loads of great articles to get stuck into! Well done to Patrick for putting the mag together - what a professional magazine! 
Great job!