Orkney Image Library

Tommy Brough was a relation of mine,in his early days he formed a very successful sailing partnership with Jim Thomson and Ian Mackay,the name of the centre board Dinghy was the"Dot".Ian took home the very first Rocket to Orkney and it won every race it entered,sailed first by Ian and Roy Thomson,she was called the"Njord",Ian was a son of the owner of the Kirkwall and Sromness Hotels'.When Ian left Orkney the Njord was sold to Jessie Ellen Newlands,Roy still sailed her for a while,she also bought the "Naughty Girl" when George Arthur died.Jessie Ellen was very interested in Sailing Boats and Motor Boats.

Phil, I don't know when the "Nord" wid been built I was of the opinion that owld Davy Wilson O Ore Burn built the first Rocket in Orkney for a man called Barbour and Jimmy Wylie fae Lyness.
Alan Besant wid mind on aboot hid better than me- I do mind it was something o a revelation in dinghy sailing here aboots. The boat is still in Hoy although she hisna sailed for a lot o years. Miby her name is "Orcadia". She is laid up in light wood clinker, I dont think in ply as that maybe came later. This peedie boat has been spoken aboot on this site afore I think in relation wae ither boats owld Davy Wilson "bigged". I dinna want tae enter inta a argument aboot it but it wid be inresting tae find oot aboot hid, I think wae wid be speakan about early 50s??.

Hi! John, the "Njord" (thats the spelling) was taken in to Orkney from London for Ian Mackay, and followed by the Merlin Rockets, "Ferrylouper"and the "Rock-n-Roll for Pat Sutherland and John Tait respectively. Willie Groat from Longhope had a Redwing Rocket called the"Saga" slightly bigger than the Merlin Rockets. I am not sure if Willie took her into Orkney or had her built locally. Leslie Wylie started building Merlin Rockets for the local sailors,I think he built about five. To name two, the"First Attempt" for Dan Grieve and the "Freya"for Ronnie Drever. The name "Njord"is Norwegian for the god of sailing and he was the father of Freya in Norwegian mythology. Added by Phil Brough.

The Merlin Rocket was called the " Orcadian" John. I'm sure you are right when you say that she was the first Merlin Rocket in Orkney and she was sailed by Jimmy Wylie and crewed by James Barbour. In the first few years, she won just about everything, but after that , more up to date Rockets came on to the scene.

I thought the first rocket built in Kirkwall was the First Attempt built by Leslie Wylie for Dan Grieve in the Girnel E.S.

According to the Merlin Rocket Association website this class of dinghy came about in 1951 after the classes Merlin and Rocket merged.
The National Redwing is a differet class of dinghy and although similar in size to the Rocket was not part of the Merlin Rocket "family".
I have this idea in the back of my mind that Dan said that First Attempt was based on the Rocket Class rather than the Merlin. But by the time they came to register the boats to get a sail number they had to register as Merlin Rockets.
Biggest difference is weight - First Attempt as I soon learned hauling through Hatston by hand is a heavier dinghy than Rock-n-Roll and more so Tyste.
Tyste (I think) was glued plywood construction, had a wooden centre board.
First Attempt was solid planks nailed on ribs, with metal centre plate.

This thread is fascinating.

In my earliest recollections of points sailing at Kirkwall pier, I can only recall a few boats regularly sailing. Dan's "First Attempt" and Willie Groat's "Saga" were regulars as was Ronnie Drever's "Freya" and John Laird's "Corona" (another Leslie Wylie Rocket). The "Njord" wasn't sailed at that time and was stored in a shed behind what was Dave Keldie's cafe, opposite what is now the British Legion. That would be when she passed to Jessie Ellen's ownership. I think John Tait acquired her after that and that was when she started making regular appearances at points meetings. I had the impression she was lighter that Leslie's boats so was fast but was also "cuppy" and went over several times. I even remember John Tait getting a dooking at the West Pier when he tried to walk round the mast to step ashore on one occasion!

I seem to remember that John Downes (dentist's son) built a Rocket (I think) towards the mid 50's.
He made the mast hollow to accomodate the halyard.

Ron Celli was just speaking about John Downes the other day, Ron thought that John had a Snipe, not a Rocket.

I would not argue about that. Memory is not what it used to be! I am a bit more familiar with Orkney yoles.
I sailed with him once & when I saw the forefoot coming out of the water, I was a bit worried.
I have a vague recollection that he made the mast hollow (by gluing the two halves together) with the halyard inside to make it more streamlined.

Yes John Downes' boat was a Snipe called the " Merrie England"

John Down had a snipe which he boxed in the crew space so that any water that came in went out through the centreboard slot.