Which boat for me and the nipper?

   Albacore.
Sail with either crew, or both for some "quality family time"-legaal in class rules. Not weight dependent, get some Firefly sails for the breezy bits and great on handicap.
Stewart

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Stewart2880 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 06 Jun 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote Stewart2880 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Which boat for me and the nipper? Posted: 25 Sep 07 at 8:07pm
	Albacore. Sail with either crew, or both for some "quality family time"-legaal in class rules. Not weight dependent, get some Firefly sails for the breezy bits and great on handicap. Stewart

Matt Jackson Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 21 Sep 04 Location: Darlington Online Status: Offline Posts: 962	Post Options Post Reply Quote Matt Jackson Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 07 at 12:41pm
	One of the reasons a Wanderer is a possiility is that it's quite close to the GP PY and there is a few GPs at Scaling Dam giving at least some chance of a race now and then... and I'm thinking of becoming an old fart at some point. I'm of the opinion that a Mirror isn't for me I'm afraid - too big and no other boats at the club. Edited by Matt Jackson
	Laser 203001, Harrier (H+) 36

Jack Sparrow Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2965	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jack Sparrow Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 07 at 9:56am
	I'm sorry but the chaps 15 stone and he says his wife isn't that small if you think a Mirror is a good boat for them that's just plain daft. Enterprise: At 15 stone + 1 - 4year old (2 stone?) an Enterprise will be good until it gets proper windy. In fact this was the case at Burghfield last weekend where a Father ( 15 stone ish ) was sailing with his tiny son ( 6 years ) in gusty strong breeze and doing well in the open meeting until his kicker broke. The Enterprise will also be great for sailing with the chaps wife and is recommended as a safe family cruiser by the RYA. Not only that you can get some really competitive racing. N12 not suitable at all. Unless he wants to scare is son off sailing. Graduate: too small, low event turn outs no good for 4 people Wayfarer: too big, but great for cruising, racing involves a kite, OK for racing with the wife but not with kids. Wanderer: maybe if you want to sail in fleets with old farts wearing worn out sun hats. Edited by Jack Sparrow
	Farr 3.7 Class Website Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group

Simon Lovesey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 30 Nov 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 349	Post Options Post Reply Quote Simon Lovesey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 07 at 8:57am
	Great to see the support for the Mirror, and as stated by several people with real life experience of young family sailing the Mirror is only real serious choice for taking small children out without scarring them whitless. At 45kg the Mirror is seriously light, this means you can easily handle the boat ashore on your own. This light weight means they only need small sails, so again can safely be handled by one adult in all conditions. This means you can take the nippers out in all winds, or if the breeze comes up whilst some way from the shore you can get back with parent and child's confidence intact. The small sail area means light sheet loads, so the nippers are not just passengers they quickly get to trim the sails and will soon be taking the helm, try that in the bigger boats mentioned here with a four year old. The Mirror also has a Tardis like interior and far more roomy than many bigger boats The Mirror Class has a couple of demo boats in the North, one of these is based in Ripon which has a thriving fleet. Ripon is part of the MCA Armada programme and you can go aong to one of their Mirror days as a guest. If you want I can put you in touch with the local contacts http://www.ukmirrorsailing.com/ARMADA/ripon/ Starter boats from a few hundred and will hold their value, so negligble real cost. Good racers from £1000, and if you get really serious Winders have just started producing fine Mirrors with a makeover from Phil Morrison
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Barty Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 16 Mar 04 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 240	Post Options Post Reply Quote Barty Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Sep 07 at 11:36pm
	Remember the Mirror now allows gnav's which make the front much more comfortable. It is a squeeze at 6'2" but when the breeze is up they are great boats. I agree with redback, I won a club race in my second outing in a force 1. It's all too easy now to look at modern assy boats and forget the older boats that make you think!!!!
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HannahJ Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 23 Jul 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 861	Post Options Post Reply Quote HannahJ Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Sep 07 at 10:30pm
	Mirror (although I'm very biased). www.ukmirrorsailing.com Great boats for sailing with little kids, and if you're the helm then height doesn't matter, it's the crew that gets cheese-wired... or fallls of the thwart backwards as mine did yesterday
	MIRROR 64799 "Dolphin" The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist hopes it will change; the realist adjusts the sail

redback Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 16 Mar 04 Location: Tunbridge Wells Online Status: Offline Posts: 1502	Post Options Post Reply Quote redback Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Sep 07 at 10:20pm
	For a 4 year old you need a Mirror. When mine were about 8 and 5 we had a Mirror and the kids loved it. We used to take it all sorts of places and row it. We explored great lengths of the Medway and all the little bays around Bough Beech. Its quiet big enough for two adults and a couple of small kids and not too difficult to car top and launch in rivers, lakes and beeches. They are very light. The sails are small so when you actually do some sailing they are not too heavy for the kids and as they get older they can helm and a collision will not do too much damage. In light winds they are probably as fast as a Contender and have a much more favourable handicap! Ours won its first race in a fleet of 35. We bought ours for £200, painted it up, sailed it for about 4 years (by which time we were racing it) and sold it for £300.

mike ellis Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 30 Dec 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2339	Post Options Post Reply Quote mike ellis Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Sep 07 at 8:15pm
	what???? how barty? im 5'11" and 11 stone and struggle to sail one. how do you manage??? by the way i would think a 2000 if you want a modern boat but im not very sure about older classes. I would think a GP ould be too big for you and a small child but fine for you and the wife.
	600 732, will call it Sticks and Stones when i get round to it. Also International 14, 1318

Barty Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 16 Mar 04 Location: Scotland Online Status: Offline Posts: 240	Post Options Post Reply Quote Barty Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Sep 07 at 7:37pm
	Matt I'm 6'2" and over 15 stone and fit in the Mirror fine
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craiggo Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 01 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1810	Post Options Post Reply Quote craiggo Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Sep 07 at 6:33pm
	I'd say Graduate if they ever get around to asking someone like Phil Morrison to design a modern one ! You can sail it singlehanded effectively, so your little ones can sit at the front and pretend to crew, with little effect on performance, as they get bigger you can give them the jib sheet and train them up. No spinnakers in the way, no genoa, just a nice simple beautifully balanced little boat.