Astute and technically-savvy Merlin Rocket sailors (that's all of them?)
will have noticed the total absence of Merlin images from the otherwise
totally excellent Fotoboat 2005 calendar at www.fotoboat.com 

Conspiracy or cock-up? Mostly the former,according to Mike Rice, Fotoboat’s founder and principal snapper. “There are so many excellent Merlin pictures in our galleries, including 100s from
Looe, that I gave up trying to select one or two for the calendar. I’d
rather do a whole calendar of Merlins”. To make sure he does that, email Mike at [email protected] and tell him what pictures you would like to see in a Merlin calendar. Receipt of the 10th email will trigger production of a Fotoboat Merlin calendar and an announcement to that effect on both the Merlin Rocket and Fotoboat websites.

The calendar will be in the same format as the Fotoboat calendar: an A4 wall calendar with a page per month plus a cover page, printed on high quality paper, spiral bound with a hanger. Price will be £14.95 per calendar plus £1.50 post and packing.

..........................................................

Please have a look at Mike's website www.fotoboat.com, choose your favourite merlin snap, and email [email protected]

As mike says. The 10th email he receives will trigger production, so get voting tonight!!

Three emails received to date - all very enthusiastic so far. Keep them coming!

Merlin calender is now available. 

Looks great!!!

sounds great! can you please advise from where they are now available?

fotoboat! - doh!

Nice one John!

Nice one David

Did they or did they not capsize in September?

Certainly seems they are taking the roll-tacking concept beyond the usual limit - when bum feels wet it's time to swap sides.

I've ordered my calendar already, have a look at the custom option as you can get your own boat on the front cover which is cool, would be cooler still if he had taken any pics of me at the nationals looking upright and in control ;->>

Pop Quiz - who is in the background of 'November'? hhehe

OK, hands up, the September photo is Matt Buckle and myself sailing 3576 at the Exmoor Beastie pursuit.  This was the same weekend as the Warming Pan was cancelled, so it was a little bit breezy.  Actually we were not tacking, it was simply a Salcombe style reverse gust.  Amazingly we did get away without capsizing thanks to a lightening quick dive to leeward (windward?) by Matt - normally he only moves that fast if someone is about to spill his beer! 

Mike Rice also took a great sequence of Jeff Vanderbought nose diving in his Phantom on one of the reaches, think it was on the Y&Y web site earlier this year.  There was much mayhem and several broken masts, I seem to remember only three boats finished in the end.

I think you have missed some great pics which were from the Blithfield silver tiller, there are several action shots, including old boats, and in particular 27B a great shot not to be missed, or unused?