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Whats happened to the RS500
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ifoxwell View Drop Down
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    Posted: 04 Jan 16 at 11:10am
In our part of the world we don't see or hear anything about them now. 

Are they quietly flourishing some where or is it that the 29er has the youth market sewn up and average sized adults just don't want a single trapeze boat?

Ian
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JimC View Drop Down
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Posts: 6662 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 16 at 11:56am
More popular in some parts of Europe than the UK I think. They seem to sort of tick over but it seems to me adult trapeze boats in general seem to have stopped selling here.
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iiiiitick View Drop Down
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Posts: 240 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iiiiitick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 16 at 2:05pm
I wonder if the biggest selling single trap boat could be a Fireball?
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Saraband View Drop Down
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I finally managed to sell a RS500 during last season after a year of dropping the price, eventually losing more on this boat than any other class I have ever owned! The market for RS500 in the UK has virtually disappeared and I had more enquiries from Dutch and Czech sailors than any at home. 

It's a shame, because like most RS boats it was beautifully built and everything seemed well laid out with regard to fittings, straps etc. Would have been nicer if the chute was in front of the forestry but never mind!

Why do I think the boat is failing? I bought the boat to sail with a 14 year old son and we had some great sails. However we too soon found that we were out-growing the boat because it seems relatively underpowered on most days and as the 14 yr old became 16 he wanted bigger faster sails than the RS500 offered. Whilst a not as well laid out, the Fireball, mentioned above, actually gave a more exhilarating sail and in hindsight would have been a better boat for us. Perhaps if there had been local class racing, or I had been a much better helm (!) then we might have persevered but in a mixed handicap fleet it just felt boring.

I am sure there are couples or youngsters out there that the RS500 would work for but quite frankly nowadays I would have though any youths with enough money would be looking nowhere other than 29er!
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 16 at 4:22pm
We had three racing at Hythe this year, I think one has now sold and one of the two remaining is my old boat.

Not my favourite boat of all time but we did have some laughs in it. Compared to sailing the Alto, it's like making love to an ex girlfriend and calling her by the wrong name.
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JimC View Drop Down
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Posts: 6662 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 16 at 6:02pm
The more interesting question is what are people buying instead.

According to the class reports 16 Fireballs were built *worldwide* in 2014 and 20 in 2013. The 505 is 17 and 13 and the RS500 28 and 42. Numbers for the 470, BTW, were 127/149, 29er 80/93, 420 379/344 and 49er/49erFX 131/154. F18 Cats are 69/120. The laser sold 1700 last year.
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jeffers View Drop Down
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Posts: 3048 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 16 at 6:57pm
I think part of the reason for relatively few Fireballs is because they last so well. Any of the 'new' Winder built 'wide bow' boats will still be front of the fleet material with a new set of sails and the right helm and crew on board. 

This means the top guys are not constantly renewing their kit so until something better comes along their is no incentive to change. the fleet still attracts a lot of top sailors even if it is more of a 'hobby' boat than their full time boat.

that and the UK class is pretty strong, worldwide not so much aside from pockets in Europe and Australia. Some of the other classes above have much better followings outside the UK (the 470 and 505 are much bigger in Europe at least IIRC).
Paul
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Noah View Drop Down
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Posts: 611 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Noah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jan 16 at 10:10am
Jeffers is spot on with the reasons for few Fireballs being built - they just last so well.

I do wonder how many of those 500's that were sold went to sunny holiday locations? But that begs the question of where the used stock goes?
Nick
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Posts: 3011 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jan 16 at 7:15pm
The RS500 seems terribly slow for a boat with similar size and sail area to a 400, but having a trapeze.
If you want a single trapeze asy boat, the 29er and 4000 seem to actually work much better.
If you don't want full-on performance, the Vision and others are good alternatives.
It's a miracle RS ever managed to get it off the ground at all, 15 years after the Buzz and Iso.
Such is progress in Dinghy Development?
Don't kids sail the 500 with two wires abroad or something? At least that's a niche.
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iGRF View Drop Down
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jan 16 at 7:25pm
Originally posted by RS400atC

The RS500 seems terribly slow for a boat with similar size and sail area to a 400, but having a trapeze.If you want a single trapeze asy boat, the 29er and 4000 seem to actually work much better.If you don't want full-on performance, the Vision and others are good alternatives.It's a miracle RS ever managed to get it off the ground at all, 15 years after the Buzz and Iso.Such is progress in Dinghy Development? Don't kids sail the 500 with two wires abroad or something? At least that's a niche.


It'll blow a 400 off the water in the right hands and they include mine, only when it's light does the 400 have a prayer against an evenly matched crew in the 500.

Edited by iGRF - 05 Jan 16 at 7:27pm
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