Which catamaran for my 14 yr old son?

   My 14 year old has been sailing cats for a year or so now (dart 16s) and is becoming very proficient so wants to get his own boat to race etc. There don't seem to be any dart 16 races locally so could really do with some advice on what boat to get for him. Is it a spitfire and if so, are there any available (as I cant find any on the web).? If not, are RS cats or Topper Topaz cats any good? Would really welcome some advice. Many thanks

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sailingmad Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 09 Jun 15 Location: Cornwall Online Status: Offline Posts: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote sailingmad Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Which catamaran for my 14 yr old son? Posted: 10 Jun 15 at 7:59pm
	My 14 year old has been sailing cats for a year or so now (dart 16s) and is becoming very proficient so wants to get his own boat to race etc. There don't seem to be any dart 16 races locally so could really do with some advice on what boat to get for him. Is it a spitfire and if so, are there any available (as I cant find any on the web).? If not, are RS cats or Topper Topaz cats any good? Would really welcome some advice. Many thanks

pondlife1736 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 17 Jan 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 106	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondlife1736 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 15 at 9:21pm
	If he wants to race others with the same class of boat then the best chance is Dart 18 (2 up) or Sprint (Dart) 15 (single-handed) as these have the biggest fleets nationally. The Spitfire is another performance level with twin trapeze and spinnaker. Check what is raced in your local clubs, as this will have a big influence on the choice. If there are no significant fleets around you, he will be sailing on handicap anyway, so the choice is wider.

Rupert Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rupert Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jun 15 at 10:46pm
	My son has sailed Dart 16, Topaz 16 and RS Cat, and was surprised to find he liked the Topaz best, though the RS one looked like it should be. I don't think he found much between them, and I'm sure they are less fun than lighter weight, more racy boats like the Spitfire, but it depends what he wants from it. In dinghy terms, they are the RS Feva, sort of.
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ASok Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 26 Sep 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 739	Post Options Post Reply Quote ASok Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 11 Jun 15 at 1:17pm
	Parent / child combinations work really well on the Dart 18 and you have decent numbers of them down in Cornwall. I know the class would really welcome a youth helm. They normally have youth prizes at the bigger events, so a bit of trophy hunting to be had there, which would keep him interested. Otherwise the Sprint 15? It might feel a bit dated compared to the others you've mentioned, but could be a good fit and are pretty cheap.