MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Cookham Weekend April 21st/22nd

Just a quick reminder we have our Merlin Open Meeting weekend at Cookham coming up on April 21/22nd

The format is:

On Saturday Vintage boat racing starting at 11.30 – any boat number older than 3299. This part of the DeMay Trophy series for vintage boats. Some of these boats are quite beautiful and carefully restored – and others are just old boats! We have a number of boats that qualify in our club and Upper Thames are promising to bring 5 or 6 so with the regulars from the DeMay circuit it should be quite a spectacle.

On Saturday afternoon there is the race for the Guy Pearce Memorial Trophy starting at 3pm – it forms the last race of the Vintage series and is also open to all Merlin Rockets of any age!

On Sunday we have the Open Meeting for the historic Cookham Shield, it is part of the Silver Tiller series and the regional Thames series.

I hope we get a big entry – the signs are good! You will be welcome.

http://www.cookhamreachsc.org/merlin.php

Posted: 10/04/2012 13:01:49
By: Pat Blake
Forcast is looking good with plenty of wind and from the South West, a good direction for Cookham.


Posted: 17/04/2012 08:45:24
By: Jez3645
Plenty on Saturday ..........


Posted: 17/04/2012 08:51:11
By: WP .
Latest predictions seem to be for this slow moving low pressure that is giving us such cold blustery weather to be filling by the weekend. So bring your sun cream and a spray top too, just in case! Wind looks gentle from the west, which is a good direction for Cookham Reach


Posted: 18/04/2012 16:04:19
By: Pat Blake
The weather gods look to be on our side!!
Fingers crossed anyway - westerly force 3 is perfect.
Sunshine too - although risk of showers on Saturday afternoon.
Should be a nice weekend of river sailing - come and enjoy


Posted: 20/04/2012 09:53:10
By: Pat Blake
Can't Wait!!! :-)  Is the bar open on Saturday night??


Posted: 20/04/2012 13:09:58
By: Alex 3556
If not Alex, we can open it!! We are debating what to do on Saturday night and if there is a demand I am happy to Open the bar.


Posted: 20/04/2012 13:59:26
By: Jez3645
Certainly need a drink after racing!
Some of us are going to Uncle Toms Cabin for some food and more drink in the evening - nice pub up the hill!


Posted: 20/04/2012 18:35:52
By: Pat Blake
I would certainly be game for some Uncle Toms action if noone is hanging around the club? :-)


Posted: 20/04/2012 19:34:16
By: Alex 3556
Well who won? Please!


Posted: 23/04/2012 19:03:14
By: Corkhead
Thanks everyone for coming - we enjoyed it I hope you did too!
Great turnout on Saturday, lovely to see Kate sailing at Cookham. The oldest boat with the youngest crew!
Slightly disappointed with Sundays entry but we think it worked out well. Those of you who didn't come missed a good day out I think.
Not sure if we lost many too Bartley - or whether such sudden changes to the program should be allowed! How did that go?
Discuss??

http://www.cookhamreachsc.org/merlin.php

Posted: 23/04/2012 20:34:09
By: Pat Blake
Thanks Pat and the other Cookhamati for a very well organised event (even down to a trolley service!). Great sailing conditions put on as well.  Thanks again.


Posted: 24/04/2012 06:34:21
By: DavidV
Hi Pat,
Glad you all had a good day at Cookham. Bartley results on their website. http://www.bartleysailingclub.com/results/2012/MerlinOpen.htm. 17 boats turned. out; Blithfield(7), Midland(3), Bartley(2), Redditch(2),Chelmarsh(1), Hollingworth(1), Burghfield(1). Obviously I can't speak for everyone but I am fairly sure the concensus was that we were extremely glad to have been able to replace the lost event at Banbury and that the short notice inclusion of Bartley and the recent addition of Chelmarsh later in the season can only be good for Merlin activity in the Midlands and will encourage the development of potential Silver Tiller participants for the future. I am fairly certain that Cookham did not lose any entrants to the alternative Midland event.
I am sure that encouraging active Area circuits can only be good for fleet development overall and will encourage the less experienced and owners of older boats to come out to play - 2410 came down from Hollingworth. Inevitably there may well be conflicts and I do note that had Banbury taken place it would have conflicted with the Thames Circuit event at Ranelagh. I would personally like to thank Bartley, Paul Hollis and Chris Martin for their quick response to the unfortunate, short notice cancellation of Banbury. The "late notice" insertion of Bartley was a consequence of the "late notice" decision that Banbury did not have enough water. In an ideal world Bartley would have taken us on the 15th and there would still have been a conflict with Ranelagh. In September there is a conflict between a Thames event and the Inlands and in October a Thames event conflicts with the Silver Tiller. I appreciate that these conflicts probably had longer discussion but their affect on attendances was evidently deemed acceptable. Very much looking forward to seeing you at Rutland and attempting to digest more of your pearls of wisdom and we can explore the planning conflicts at leisure over a few hop cocktails. Best wishes, Ian


Posted: 24/04/2012 07:54:05
By: Ian3346
Hi Pat,
Should also have thanked the Midland Circuit sponsors who I believe felt that the embryonic Merlin fleet at Bartley deserved support and reward for their short notice change of programme to fit an open event into their club calendar.
Cheers,
Ian


Posted: 24/04/2012 08:47:37
By: Ian3346
It's not really about who lost is it? At the end of the day both clubs had a good turnout, and 37 merlin rockets took part in mroa open meetings that weekend. Neither event by itself would raised that turnout.

Well done to both clubs, sounds Luke everyone who went sailing had a good day.


Posted: 24/04/2012 11:16:21
By: chris martin
mmmm....pearls of wisdom from the maharishi martin.....ching ching!


Posted: 24/04/2012 22:12:52
By: d.h
And some great photos by Demelza!!

http://www.sailfun.co.uk/2012/04/merlin-rocket-craftinsure-silver-tiller-event-cookham-reach-sailing-club-21st-22nd-april-201/

Posted: 25/04/2012 18:57:21
By: Alan Fuller

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