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Dangerousday View Drop Down
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Joined: 20 Jun 06
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Posts: 79 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Dangerousday Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 20 years later
    Posted: 24 Nov 18 at 10:41am
In 1998 I bought an MX-Ray. Perhaps not greatest decision I've ever made, but still enjoyed it for several years.
As I'm looking for a singlehander at the moment a few of the options, for the budget ,appearing are boats that were launched at around the same time. There seems to be have been a lot of innovation around the time, late 90's. Some have stuck, some haven't. Perhaps it was RS pushing things (think it was still LDC at the time?) or maybe the sailing community was ready for something new and different.

MX-Ray
RS300
Laser EPS
Laser Vortex
Blaze
RS 600
RS Vareo

If it had been launched a bit sooner than the 'ray think I would have had the 300 instead, just based on that press photo of the black hulled boat sliding along.
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getafix View Drop Down
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Posts: 2143 		Post Options Post Options   Quote getafix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 8:56am
my 3p worth of your choices

RS300 if you're looking for a challenging but rewarding ride and don't mind plenty of swimming when the wind tops F5

Blaze if you're a larger chap and want blasting upwind and down in F5 or more

RS600 if you're after a challenge and don't want to hike

Also consider RS100, D-One, D-Zero.
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Dangerousday View Drop Down
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Posts: 79 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Dangerousday Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 10:56am
Wasn't really looking at any in particular, thanks.
More that as I've been looking at used boats, a few come from around that time period and it just seemed that there was a glut of 'different' designs - performance singlehanders being put to market around then. I can't think of much choice in singlehanders before then - but thats probably as I wasn't sailing anything much then.
Is it comparable to the 60's growth in number of classes? I don't have any figures so just guessing really over a cuppa. I suspect the quantity of boats being built will be greater back then though.
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Joined: 07 Mar 12
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 11:37am
Singlehanders around in the late '60s?

OK
Finn
Solo
Contender
Int Canoe
A Class Cat
Moth
Optimist
Europe

There were others like the Sabot and Sunfish and I think the Toy came along around then but the ones above are the boats that I was aware of at the time (as well as I can recall anyway).
Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"
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Dangerousday View Drop Down
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Posts: 79 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Dangerousday Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 11:56am
They were around in late 90's too, and still are.. Moth has changed since then.

Had the Laser made such an impact in the meantime that there wasn't anything much else in the intervening 20 years? Phantom maybe? Or anything to do with a change from wood to plastic?

'Laser' inevitably gets mentioned...
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 12:59pm
Originally posted by Dangerousday

They were around in late 90's too, and still are.. Moth has changed since then.

They were indeed and, as you say, still are. The Int Moth has changed significantly since then while the British Moth has not but both are still active classes (for a given definition of active, neither are 'dead/lost' classes by any measure).

Had the Laser made such an impact in the meantime that there wasn't anything much else in the intervening 20 years? Phantom maybe? Or anything to do with a change from wood to plastic?

'Laser' inevitably gets mentioned...

Laser came along in 1971 and was a game changer but the Phantom, designed that same year doesn't seem to have suffered too much from the competition (unlike several others I'd hazard). Laser also spawned many copycat designs (Splash, Comet, Byte etc.), some of which went on to become established and others have disappeared into the mists of time.


Edited by Sam.Spoons - 26 Nov 18 at 1:00pm
Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"
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423zero View Drop Down
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Posts: 3420 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 1:50pm
Sam,
You haven't mentioned the Minisail
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getafix View Drop Down
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Posts: 2143 		Post Options Post Options   Quote getafix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 2:04pm
Topper was what, late late 70's or early 80's?

Think the Streaker and possibly Supernova go quite a way back as well.

Unicorn?
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Cirrus View Drop Down
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Posts: 590 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 2:25pm
Blaze if you're a larger chap and want blasting upwind and down in F5 or more

Partially true and sortof in the right direction  ... but you don't have to be that large (Champions have been as light at 70kg and as heavy as 97kg) .. or sail in a true F5 for that matter.   Once the wings come into play upwind, and that is well before a full F5 and without depowering, you can sail to 'par' with practice.... and when you get to fully hike offwind it really flies.   Not for everyone of course ... but well worth everyone at least trying once.   
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 18 at 2:46pm
I was thinking pre Laser/1971 I guess (in answer to Dangerousday's implied query), those were off the top of my head, boats that were around in the clubs I sailed at back then. I'm sure there are others I've missed, keep em coming. 

FWIW Streaker was introduced in '76, the Unicorn was an A Class designed in '66 (I seriously lusted after one of those). Topper was designed in 1977 and Supernova a veritable newcomer from 1996. And, yes 423zero, apologies for missing out the Minisail (1959/60).

Interesting discussion.

edit :- I love my Blaze (even on a little lake) it's definitely one to try especially if you sail on open water. It is, as Cirrus says, a flyer offwind in a decent breeze but is still remarkably forgiving and the rig is controllable up to winds I would not take a Laser out in.


Edited by Sam.Spoons - 26 Nov 18 at 3:17pm
Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"
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