Messages

Perhaps what is needed here is for a builder such as Winder to offer a single bottom option. They have developed a very stiff Merlin along this theme so I would think a 12 could be easily adapted. The problem of going it alone is one of investment and the risk you run of spending a lot of money on a boat that maybe you would find hard to sell, if it has the backing and name of a builder like Winder then you mitigate this I think. I know of some crews (mine included) who refuse to sail a double bottomed boat a problem that probably was not considerd at the time the decision was made to go that route. I watch this will great interst as I'd like to take up regular 12 sailing when the kids move on from Cadets in a few years time.

Well I did say "tongue in cheek!". Seriously though we did get woken up at some ungodly hour when a bunch of drunks arrived back on the late, late bus from Kingsbridge a few years ago.

I would dispute that the Merlins think Salcombe is their premier week, it's a close second to their champs but I will admit that they don't have any similar, competing weeks (like NW Norfolk for example) to dilute the entry. Having just sold my Merlin (a Canterbury Tales) I was thinking that a well sailed Satisfaction or similar would be a good bet at Salcombe and Meds has proved this to be the case (I wonder if it will be up for sale after??).  I think things would have been different if there had been a low pressure system or two this week.

Shame they haven't banned the seagulls and the late night bus bringing the revellers back from the fleshpots of Kingsbridge!

John,

I thought trailer parking was free if you left them in the park n' ride up the top or has all that changed now? How many boats have entered this year? I would be worried that the 12's would get moved to a morning start if the numbers are small. I hear the RS's are getting keen on the regatta despite the fact that an asymetric isn't the best down-wind configuration for the estury.

Dave

Shame about Tom's OCS. I see he got his bullet yesterday so that must have fired him up! Anthony and Fran had an 8th I see.

I can't understand how the Merlins can get nearly 100 entries but we struggle. OK I've been off the scene for a while but Salcombe is a great venue for a family holiday mixed with some competitive racing and where both modern and older boats can compete on equal terms (on some days at least). It's not that long ago we had 30+ on the start line. Is this part of the problem? - the modern boats don't like the idea of being challenged by some oldie?? ........ooooh getting controvercial now!!
Dave (tongue-in-cheek)

Funny-  no matter how big a fleet you are in you end up racing your mates!  Meads could do well in that old boat he's sailing if the wind stays light.

I see Tom had a second yesterday.

OK Answered my own question! see:

 http://www.salcombeyc.org.uk/content/racing-results/^merlin-rocket^Marchand_Petit_Merlin_Rocket_Week_Competitor_List_2006/

in Brief, Tom is 5th with a 3rd on the first day, Antony/Fran 33rd with a 17th and Meads 63rd with a 32nd. They race in flights as you can't get 96 boats on the line at Salcombe! It's scary enough with 40+ believe me!

Sadly for us this is the third year we haven't manage one of the Salcombe weeks, once again we'll be spectators at the Cadet champs.

It would be nice to know how some of the 12 sailors are getting on in those boats with the funny mainsails this week. I haven't seen any results so far but I would put a few quid on Antony and Fran (Fran being a x-Cadet sailor won't have any problems with that third sail). Dave C

It's a long time since my boat got a mention here! My Cat was one of only three built by Dave Proctor, at the time Mike Jackson joked that they were the closest ones to his lines! My boat does have a short centreboard too. In terms of light weater performace the Cat has to be up there as one of the all-time clasics but I do believe that when the wind drops to a real drifter the Paper Dart has the edge, similarly the Cat seems to have a bit more power when there is wind. Mine is at it's best on those days when the helm is sitting out and the crew are mid-ships. Pipe Dream is excellent too but I don't think they carry weight, come to that the Tiger/tigress is better at carrying a little more weight. All very subjective but lots of fun! Dave C

A common problem with modern jibs is the tension in the luf. If your jib luff is too tight then it will pull the flow too far forward and you won't point. Put up the jib under tesnion thenplay with the luff tension by adjusting the string that ties the tack of the jib to the luff wire. I have had to do this on most of my N12 jibs and also recently on my daughter's new Cadet jib. ALso chaeck the sheeting angle fore and aft, I like the top tell-tales to lift a fraction before the lower ones which means you have some twist in the sail and the slot is not choked. Good luck! Dave C

John,

That is sad news indeed. As you know we have been regulars at Salcombe for many many years. Stan would always pass the time of day. I suspect that like me he also had a soft spot for wooden boats.

Dave C

Thanks Antony,  I didn't think to look under the Dinner tickets! We probably won't decide in time for the dinner but we hope to get there for some sailing.

Is there a programme of events yet for the Northampton 70th anniversary week-end? We might get there if I can persuade the Cadet sailors in the family it will be more fun than the Cadet national indicator at Draycote on the same week-end! Cheers Dave C

John,

Long time ago and a long time since we've been in contact what are you sailing now???

You could be right about 5 Cobra's but I thought King Cobra wasn't one of the Thames Services hulls (put it down to old age and poor memory!). Ogre ended up with Will and went very fast with him but then any boat goes fast that he sails. I rememeber Caroline Martin having one for a while too. It's a shame the fleet died out but then 12's have always been open-meeting minded and not very clubby (at risk of being contentious!).

Dave

Hi Sam,

Back in 1973 I was the proud owner of 2711 - a Cobra designed by Mal McDougal, hull built by Thames Services. The design came out about 6 months before Paper Dart and was quite similar - China Doll/ Whisper sort of shape underwater but with a smooth hull and quite wide (over 6ft if I remember correctly). The main problem (unlike Papaer Dart) was that the hulls were not foam constrution GRP and so were not stiff enough. The good news is that for an older boat it makes for easier repairs. The lack of stiffness made them slow off-wind and slow to plane. The other problem was that they didn't have a lot of feeboard and so were very wet up-wind in a chop. The wide beam didn't help much on the river or inland.

Troubleshooter was originally owned by Peter King who sailed at Staines SC on the river. He was a quick sailor and I belive Mal McDougal was keen to get him in one of these boats to get one near the front (he didn't have much hope with me!). I think Peter got a 4th place in one of the races at Burtion week that year (Plymouth??). Peter was a frequent Thames Area competitior in the 70's when the Thames Area had over a dozen open meetings. Like me he didn't keep his Cobra long.

I think there were just 3 moulds taken fro Mal's oroginal wooden boat. I don't know what happened to the third hull or where my old boat is now. 2712 was green 2711 was grey, I think the third was a blue hull. They all had wooden decks and were finished by Bob Becket who was almost Mal's personnal boat-builder at the time (he had a new design almost every year in those days).

I haven't heard from Mal for a number of years, he was living in the Lyminton area and was a memeber of Royal Lymington. After he retired he was a IORC measurer for a time. Most 12 sailors who were around in the 70's and early 80's will have known and/or remember him.

Cheers,

Dave C