New Look RS200
by Martin Wadhams, RS Sailing 12 Mar 2015 13:33 GMT
12 March 2015
In the nineteen years since its launch the RS200 has established itself as one of the most successful modern classes, with competitive racing at club, circuit and championship level, plus a lively social scene.
That success is set to build into a new era following an extensive collaboration between the RS200 Class Association and RS Sailing to identify and make targeted updates to the RS200, whilst retaining the one-design performance, crew range and the handling enjoyed by so many sailors.
The most visible change is to the sails, with a radial cut clear Mylar mainsail replacing the original cross cut white sail. The jib also changes to a radial cut lower section and the spinnaker becomes tri-radial to match and to increase longevity through improved load paths.
Subtle changes have also been made to the hull. Under the surface, the internal structure is now constructed from foam cored GRP laminate, replacing the old plywood construction. This reduces the weight of this structure, allowing the laminate strength to be increased in historically vulnerable areas without any overall weight difference.
The RS200 was originally designed with a square running system for the asymmetric spinnaker. Usage proved minimal and most of the equipment had been removed from the spec, but a complicated bowsprit system remained. This has now been tidied up, with a simple bowsprit set in a recessed foredeck channel which also adds form stiffness and saves weight for better use elsewhere. Recessing the pole means a full width spinnaker chute can be fitted, with a larger mouth to reduce sail loading and distortion resulting from hoists and drops.
Further back in the cockpit, the opportunity has been taken to smarten up the thwart design and fit – a purely cosmetic improvement taking advantage of the opportunity when a new deck mould was made.
The first new-look RS200 was a popular attraction on the RS stand at the recent RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show. The boat is clearly the RS200 we all know and love, but it has gained a smart, fresh new look with significant underlying technical improvements. If you missed the Dinghy Show opportunity to see the boat or place an order, please contact RS Sailing's Charlie Merchant – 07990 573503 – who is poised to help.
The process for updating the RS200 has been a model exercise. A group of sailors was picked by the Class Committee to represent a mixture of expertise, fleet position, helms and crews. The group worked alongside RS Sailing, the manufacturer, to clearly define the aims and success criteria for the process, communicate with the members, perform extensive testing and finally put forward proposals for changes ready for voting – with the vast majority of members subsequently in favour.
Look out for new RS200s appearing on the Circuit over the coming weeks as the full and exciting 2015 calendar builds into full swing.
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