How hard is a 700?

does this mean you'll be selling the 300? will be a shame to lose you from the fleet so soon after meeting you!!!

as with all things russ practice practice practice and you'll be fine be prepared to swim at the start but dont give up. If your handicap racing then i'd say the musto is a better bet as has a better handicap over the 700 although they probs are still dearer

 

I sail my 700 on the River Severn at Thornbury SC, just upstream of the Severn Bridges and race within a fast handicap fleet ranging from PY1015 down to 692ish (F18s and A-class), so a fairly large spread of classes, with Fireballs & RS300 at the slower end and the F18 and A-class at the fast end. Our courses are generally mixed throughout the year, but generally we have a bit of everything either with a large triangle or a trapezoidal course, and over the last few years I have won more than my fair share of races and series.

If you can already trapeze then you are one step on the way, if you have helmed from the wire on a two man boat then you are on step 2, the final step is sailing the boat!

In terms of initial problems, most people struggle to tack. Its a problem with most high performance singlehanders, as they always want to luff up as you come out of the tack. Loads of cunningham makes it easier, as does easing some kicker. The rest is down to balance, and the ability to balance while carrying out all the other tasks. On a two man boat the crew has an enormous damping effect meaning you can get away with more errors but in the 700 as with the Musto Skiff, 600, contender etc. you will swim.

Once you can turn the corners everything else is pretty easy to get to grips with. There are little tips here and there about dropping the kite without wrapping it around the forestay, gybing with the main cleated in lighter winds etc. etc. but in general its a pretty predictable boat.

Thanks guys, any idea how they perform on handicap at all, on a wl course and round the cans? They are faster on PY then an Assy Canoe, but are they faster round the course??

I can answer this one!

How hard, the more you sail it the easier it gets. I sailed it inland about 4 times in different wind conditions, the water was small so couldnt really get a lot of trapeeze practise. i have sailed it twice on the sea and had issues tacking in waves, something I am learning at the moment.
Putting the kite up is straight frward and getting out on the wire isnt that hard, but I have yet to master anymore.

As said I currently have issues with tacking so getting round is slow!

I believe the learning curve is large, and the boat is predictable as you need wind awarness.

I'd say have a go on one or do what i did and just buy one and learn at yur own rate. The only issue (as per this weekend) is it was blowing a F4 and I don't have enough experience to go out in that wind, so missed a day of sailing.