Merlin Rocket

This article is about the boat. For the rocket engine family developed by SpaceX, see SpaceX Merlin.
The Merlin Rocket.

The Merlin Rocket is a 14 foot (4.3 m) dinghy sailed in the United Kingdom. It is an active class, now with over 3800 boats built.[citation needed]

The boat designed around a box rule, meaning that all class boats need to be within a certain length and width, but can be any shape. This allows for quick modernization of the class. The great advantage to this is quick adoption to new technology and the ability to change a boat to a person's weight and ability. Although the rules allow for many sail plans, many modern Rockets have similar sails. Most have a high batten allowing for a large roach in the sail. Although the rules are open, they are not unlimited. Use of a Trapeze is forbidden in this class.[citation needed]

When competing in a mixed fleet, the Merlin Rocket uses a Portsmouth Yardstick handicap of 980[1] in the RYA scheme and 77.9[2] in the US Sailing scheme.

  1. ^ "Portsmouth Number List 2023" (PDF). Royal Yachting Association. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Centerboard Classes-Inactive". US Sailing. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2022.