Merlin Rocket Sailing Dinghy

Merlin Rocket sailing dinghy

The Class was launched in January 1946 after an eight man syndicate from Ranelagh Sailing Club, on the Thames in London, had the previous year commissioned Jack Holt to design a lightweight 14ft., clinker hull with a 100sq.ft., sail plan and a moderate sized spinnaker.

The Merlin Rocket is a fourteen-foot dinghy which is light, fast and responsive. It is a pleasure to sail in all wind strengths and on all types of waters and a thing of beauty to own. It rewards skill and finesse rather than brute strength weighing only 98KG. It will not break your back when you haul it up the slipway after a sail and because constructional standards are higher than in many other classes, it will remain competitive for a very long time. Many Merlins built in the seventies are still very competitive at club level inland.

It is a restricted class built to a set of rules rather than a plan. Thus the hulls and rigs of individual boats vary within given limits enabling you to tailor your boat to suit your weight, sailing water and temperament.

When buying a boat, generally speaking, price reflects age, condition, demand and track record. If you only want a boat for pleasure sailing, condition is the prime consideration. Luckily, Merlins are built to last and an old boat, well looked after, will give years of pleasure.