B14

   What do people think of B14's?? 
My mate has just bought one and I think I may buy a cheap one. 
Does anyone know of one out there thats cheap budget of £1000 to £1200

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Olly4088 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 10 Jan 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 424	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olly4088 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: B14 Posted: 20 Dec 05 at 11:04am
	What do people think of B14's?? My mate has just bought one and I think I may buy a cheap one. Does anyone know of one out there thats cheap budget of £1000 to £1200
	Phantom 1298

Isis Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 01 Sep 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2753	Post Options Post Reply Quote Isis Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Dec 05 at 11:56am
	I love em Ive never managed to get a sail on one but would love to, theres something special about them for sure. The only thing that puts me off is having to bag the kite but im sure youd get used to it pretty quickly

Olly4088 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 10 Jan 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 424	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olly4088 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Dec 05 at 12:02pm
	My friend just bought one. I wouldnt even mind if I only used it onece a year I wouldnt care. I go to dinghy week every year and even if I only used it there I wouldnt mind
	Phantom 1298

boatshed Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 12 Apr 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 457	Post Options Post Reply Quote boatshed Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Dec 05 at 12:57pm
	They are great. They have a deceptively simple layout. They may be 20 years old but they have a very efficient rig and sweet hull. The kite is pretty big and can be bagged quickly when racing upwind downwind courses. The bag is much kinder on the kite than a shute Triangular courses are a pain but pursuade your race committee to give you upwind downwind racing and these boats come alive. They are a big learning curve, even if you a good Laser/Lark/Ent etc sailer. They are not very forgiving and severly punish mistakes. I 've seen crews get away with mistakes in RS800s that would have put us in the drink in a flash. The biggest challenge is keeping the boat on the boil. As soon as it slows, comes off the plane, you're a dead man.
	Steve

Olly4088 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 10 Jan 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 424	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olly4088 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Dec 05 at 1:00pm
	Thats the good thing about them, hopefully it will be a challenging sail
	Phantom 1298

fizzicist Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 06 Aug 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 305	Post Options Post Reply Quote fizzicist Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Dec 05 at 11:32pm
	I'm really tempted too. They look awesome and have a terrifying amount of sail.
	Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.

Olly4088 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 10 Jan 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 424	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olly4088 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Dec 05 at 7:47am
	They do. I may have tracked one down. Its always good for a laugh. Plus I havent been to hospital in ages and maybe sailing one may help me get there.
	Phantom 1298

high-lander Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 21 Jun 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 19	Post Options Post Reply Quote high-lander Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Dec 05 at 10:03am
	We bought one in April this year. After about a six year break from racing 420's competitvely we wanted to give ourselves a bit of a challenge. The learning curve is very steep and you need to be pretty fit and agile, but these boats are great fun, incredibly fast and relatively inexpensive (our one cost us £2000). Hopefully we'll be going to the training weekend with Chris Draper in March and doing a few of the events on the circuit next year. Can thoroughly recommend it if you want some cheap thrills!

Olly4088 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 10 Jan 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 424	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olly4088 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Dec 05 at 10:18am
	I'm not sure that myself and the guy I would sail it woth could be classed as fit an agile but we will have to have a bash.
	Phantom 1298

boatshed Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 12 Apr 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 457	Post Options Post Reply Quote boatshed Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Dec 05 at 11:17am
	I would agree you need to be pretty nimble about the boat but they are not blood and guts machines. They respond better to the delicate touch. Being a hiking boat, you can really lock yourself into straps, so, when it gets really exciting and your mates in their RS 800s are being thrown off their trapezes you can just hang on in there. The kite is 312 sq.ft giving a total downwind sail area of 495 sq.ft. This is why you need to be locked in before the boat takes off like a bullet.
	Steve