Merlin Magic Essex (Brightlingsea)

For the first time this year four Merlin Rockets came to the line at Brightlingsea to contest who is cutting the custard. It was a full on event sailed in the bests of conditions; sun 12 to 16 knots across the tide. Each team had the lead at one point and also thrashed about in last place. It was noted that all overtaking was off wind with mostly boat handling errors. In the current sailing climate the volume of chat about boats, strings, crew weights and sails, it should be said that the boats sailed are of no consequence in relationship to the people sailing them and the skills required to win a sailboat race, as opposed to just sailing around the race cans in the shortest time.
Eyeball to eyeball dinghy racing can hurt; it does damage your sense of humour! There can be only one boat that crosses the finish line first, great to win but the pits to lose. And then we have the post bar inquest as to how the race was lost. It is at this point we can see that no one loses, each team is keener, sharper and more resilient for the experience, each gains some tips and knowledge and wishes to prove just how lucky the lead boat was to be lead boat at the finish!!
It would appear to me that racing a modern Merlin is about sailing skills and not what boat with what string. The art of stating and going the right way is everything. Boat handling and teamwork cannot be bought. Being extremely polite to your crew when things are going tits up is an essential part of keeping the marbles on the tray.
I can tell you that my crew looks stunning laid sunny side up on the fore deck whilst hauling out the spinnaker from under the bow in the Colne chop, but alas a helm needs to sail twice as good with a flat boat, gob shut and head up the mast.
For Ozzie and Mel (race winners and winners of the day) having upped the kite on a beam reach and powered to the front from last place, the trump cards where down, and for Jacko and Lorna having stonked the start and led at the first mark, dropped to last and pulled up to second (the word lucky has a new meaning)
The newest members to join the fleet, Dave and Celia Charlton, whose racing skills can only be said to be red hot are a welcome addition the Merlin fleet, finished in third place. For Craig and Jayne the understanding of the words “you’re never lonely in a Merlin” and “the fight for last place, it’s never over till it’s over”, plus Craig being responsible for having the club restructure the PY handicapping sum, is doing his uppermost to put more onto his race elapsed times, but with only 90 seconds separating the four Merlins I am not sure that it matters at all as boat on boat racing is what sailboat racing really is.
The Merlins are set to race in Pyfleet Week with a class start this year, the week itself has much to offer the Merlin sailor, the venue is ideal for the Merlin Rocket and you don’t get ripped off, and the club even lets Jacko sit at the bar, well some times if nobody’s there. The next race in this cutting the custard series is on the 8th June at 11:00 HW at 16:19.
If you’re feeling lucky give it a go.
Now read on dit dit dit

Thanks to Al Wigg for the Pics