A number of Merlins on e-bay including 3003 (The Girl Friend) a Richard Roscoe one off.  Does anyone have memories (good or bad) about this boat? I hasten to add I am not interested in bidding!

I still have contact details for Richard Roscoe. Knowing him  as well as I do, his Merlin "The Girl Friend" will have been incredibly well built. As to her performance, I have no idea. Peerhaps Robert Harris might know.
Mike Stephens

Dosen't ring any bells with me.

The year book says she was built by Bob Hoare not surprising since Richard and Bob were close. Richard's National 12 "Squid" was a flyer but perhaps as so often this was a flyer by a less talented sailor.

I think "The Girl Friend" was sailed by Bob Hoare for about a season at Parkstone in the early 70s, the sailed by Peter Fox for a year or two at Queen Mary, then bought and sailed at QM by someone else whose name escapes me. Never went very well, I thought it was a derivative. Sorry to be so vaque, but it was not the most memorable boat.

Well she went for £67.99.

Hi everyone......I bought her!  Just so that anyone interested knows where she went, I am in Havant near Chichester.  I am not sure what I will do with her yet, not even inspected her properly, but I like working on wooden boats, so it seemed a shame to let her go to waste.  I may be back to ask around a bit more, but if anyone else has any info I would be inyerested to hear from you on the email address above.  Many thanks, Sami.

sneaky bidding as well... 
I was winning that one with 20 seconds to go.... 
well done !! 

hope you have fun restoring her! 
Jim

When Peter Fox had it Mark Sancken crewed for him; and I think he and John Bell sailed it at Salcombe one year...  

Bit of a hound, iirc.

It was indeed up at QM back then. I sailed it with the late great Peter Fox a couple of times. Must have been about 1977 when I was 13. It was quite new and shiney then.

Well done Sami - welcome to the class.

Can I recommend that you join the owners association.
If you do will get a load of bumff - much of it really useful!
And your boat will be logged on the register so Tony Lane will be able to tell us all about it in years to come.
As well as supporting the organisation that runs, amongst other things, this website.

Seriously it is £25 well spent (only £15 if you weren’t a boat owner - perhaps you better get in quick)

Amazed and delighted to see a post on the Girlfriend.
I owned her for a good 10 years as one of my first boats.  Probably over 20 years ago.
If you have time, I would Love to know how she's getting on.
I sailed her at Worthing, Bognor and Chichester.  Preferred her in the sea.
Then had my arm twisted in to Tornado's

Well done Sam, your boat qualifies as a Vintage Merlin and can sail in our De May series which starts in April, full details on merlin web soon.

Last April I was contacted by Richard Roscoe as he was desperately trying to find a home for Squid. This was his 12 that was very successful and he had kept all these years. I did collect the boat and passed it on to someone very keen on vintage 12s. Sadly his reason for the urgency was that he had terminal cancer and died not long after. We did discuss his one and only merlin which must have been this one and I remember him saying that although it was designed for the sea he felt it performed better inland than the sea. He had built Squid himself as a young trainee naval architect and had to lower it out of an upstairs window from his house. It was very well built and very good looking too. (I have a few photos if anyone is interested.) Although he didn't build Girl Friend I'm sure it would have been a great looking boat. Most of his designs were larger boats some based in Poole harbour.

Here's the link for Squid - great story, lovely looking boat