New Merlin Rocket launched

The new boat is an FRP version of the Ian Holt "Let It Ride" design, and the result of a partnership between Linton Jenkins and top Merlin sailor and wood Merlin builder Kevin Driver. The first four to be built are already sold and it seems that the Merlin class has another top-class builder adding variety to an already booming fleet .

Will Rainey and Phil King have the first two boats as co-providers of the launch finance together with FWFB. Earliest delivery for new orders is now October this year. Kevin and Linton are working flat out on the next hull for Phil King and three of the new boats should be on the water for the next National Championships at Tenby in August.

The hull shape is a development, in modern materials, of the Let it Ride design which has never been out of a top two places at the National Championships since its launch five years ago in wood construction.

The new glass/epoxy/carbon foam sandwich construction, which you can see in our earlier article of the build, is light ended with adequate and substantial correctors.

Millennium Falcon has 18 kg of correctors and Kevin is confident that this will increase on the next hulls as they refine the construction. The first boat was also clear gel coated to allow any laminate problems to be seen and then spray finished. Following hulls will be colour gelled with a saving in weight.

As well as weight saving the focus has been on making the interior 'user friendly' and the number of small design details show the close involvement of the builders in racing the Merlin.

The kingpost supporting the mast is formed by a wishbone carbon structure which allows the controls lines from the mast heal to be lead cleanly away. The thwart has an original centrally mounted control line binnacle with the control lines taken away within grooves on the surface of the thwart.

Although only sailed in light airs, the first trials showed the new interior layout to be a significant advance. The design is an incremental step rather than a leap in the dark but the construction and layout should provide benefits, whether it is faster remains to be seen on the Open meeting circuit.

This still looks like a Merlin Rocket - the straight bow, the extravagant width, the clinker style construction - and like all Merlin Rockets it has had a lot of thought and care put into the construction to produce a worthy challenger to a what is a considerable pedigree line.

Laser and RS might not be burning the midnight oil to stave off this latest high tech beauty but then I guess Ford doesn't worry too much about the latest Porsche.

First outing is expected at Abersoch open meeting next weekend (20 May 2001).

Anyone interested should call Kevin or Linton at FWFB on 01297 23434 or take a look at the Merlin Rocket Association web site.