Vintage Merlin Rockets at Frensham Pond Sailing Club

Once upon a time - many years ago - beautiful wooden Merlin Rockets and National 12s were commonplace at Frensham Pond, but with the development of SMODs, the desire for less time spent on maintenance, and with a careful eye on the budgets, these amazing craft have become a thing of the past. So, it was with joy in our hearts that Frensham welcomed back a fleet of handsomely crafted vintage wooden racing machines on Sunday 30th June.

With a beautiful day, a good westerly wind direction and the stunning surroundings of Frensham Great Pond, the local team was joined by four visitors, from as far afield as the Norfolk broads. Many of the locals admired the beautiful old Merlins (the youngest being a mere 44 years old!) and commented how nice it was to see them sailing on the pond once again.

Three races were run in moderate wind conditions testing the skills of all. Richard and Alex proved their pedigree with three straight bullets but the racing was much closer than the results appear and all the participants had a great (if tiring!) day with almost everyone having a turn at the front of the fleet at some stage.

The hard-fought sailing was followed by a friendly drink on the veranda overlooking the lake in its evening serenity. With thanks and safe travels home wished to all visitors, all the participants look forward to growing the event further next year.

Overall Results:

Vintage Merlins at Frensham Pond - photo © Lindsay Burns