I have sailed my laser at Parkstone! It is a great venue . How the heck were there only 16 merlin rockets there for the open meeting. Honestly you get more at a club day at Tammy. It it time to rev it up , square top mains and move on. It's amazing how the thames raters have been happy to adopt modern technology but ther is something wrong with this wonderful. MR restricted class which seems'to be happybtomadopt at one design hul, sails etc etc. discuss.

mmm...jon turner must be doing something to another type of boat that looks just like a merlin....

Shall we start with the obvious. There were 27 boats at Parkstone and there are 104 entered for salcombe. I would say there is nothing wrong with those numbers!

27 boats launched for race 1 on Saturday. Some never made out to the start, some spent the afternoon washed up on the beach following various breakages during race 1. Only 16 Finished. 

27 entries seems reasonable to me, given the forecast a few days prior.

Great if you like flukey winds and expensive beer!

Is it just us or does the prospect of 5/6 hrs on the water with no realistic access to 'facilities' make some locations, such as Parkstone, unattractive to female crews?

No club can put toilets out at sea, Alistair. 27 boats is a good turnout despite the forecast, and everyone gave of their best, the organisation was spot on, on and off the water.  The Merlin fleet at PYC headed up by Class Captain Dave Bursey put their all into the open.No-one who actually went had a problem with the weekend (apart from breakages, which no-one wants, of course).Where are we going with this? How would having square top mains change anything?

I wasn't there with my Merlin because I was sorting out a road trailer in time for Salcombe.  Why weren't you there Phil with your Merlin?  Why don't you try a square top main.  You'd be out of class but at least then you'd be happy...

On a Saturday 2 out of 3 crews were female. 
With the amount of capsizing going on, a sneaky pee was only a gybe mark away.

Don't feed the trolls.........

Ben, No offence intended to PYC, or any other club with those logistical constraints. Just offering another perspective.

"No club can put toilets out at sea"

Not quite true Ben. Certainly I recall the prior Hayling Nationals (not sure about teh last as I wasn't there) having a support yacht with onboard facilities.

I've been to events where three or four yachts were moored around with the onboard facilities! And the seven hours out in Weymouth Bay on a warm day where most people were "swimming" alongside the boat between races. 
Time out isn't the biggest put off, it's the weather forecast and the cost of travel/accommodation/entry balanced against that. Given the forecast, 27 was a good turnout.
And we didn't go because both Merlins are in the workshop and we weren't in the country.