Osprey class on the rise at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show
by Alan Henderson, Osprey Class Association 7 Mar 2015 08:25 GMT
28 February - 1 March 2015
A Baker's Dozen of new orders at the 2015 Dinghy Show has certainly caused the Osprey class's fortunes to rise. Eager buyers queued on the Hartley Boats stand to secure their orders and build slots. Remarkably little dough was kneaded for customers to secure their brand new Mark 5 Ospreys, thanks to the amazing launch offer.
Hartley Boats took over as class builder in 2005 with the launch of the popular Mark 4 Osprey, and ten years later they plan a major refresh. In the new recipe, the Mark 5 will use the well proven Mark 4 hull shape, with a remodelled deck and interior.
The new deck design will allow big time and cost savings in the build, enabling more boats to be built each year. Epoxy construction will give a very durable and stiff product, well able to compete on quality against similar classes. Its new look deck, double floor and open transom will thoroughly modernise the look of the boat, adding showroom appeal for younger sailors.
The Mark 5s will be available from 2016, and it was a mark of Osprey sailors' confidence in their builder that so many signed up unseen for the new model.
The Osprey is a long established Ian Proctor design, which has been thoroughly modernized by builders Hartley Boats, and by the early adoption of carbon rigs. Production in epoxy will be another step forward.
The Osprey is a powerful single trapeze two person boat, with symmetric spinnaker, and it is a leading example of this type of dinghy. But its high performance does not come at a high price. Price for the Mark 5 Osprey will be a very competitive £11,995, while those who signed up at the Show gained huge discounts against this list price.
Osprey class chairman Peter Frith said, "The runaway success at the Show of the new Mark 5 has exceeded all our hopes, and this will give a big boost to our numbers at future Nationals and open meetings. Many of the sales at the Show were to existing Osprey sailors, but we think that many other sailors will start to seriously consider joining our class, which will boost numbers further. We're looking forward with confidence."
Or, you could say, the Osprey class is on a roll.