Easy to learn, hard to master: What class?

If it needs to be not white plastic then the Merlin Rocket or a wooden boat is still top of the list as you can paint it any colour you like. Or buy a grey one (with all grey ropes) like the dinghy show exhibit!

Originally posted by andrewwilde (a development class - I assume expensive to be competitive, ever moving goal-posts?).

Largely a myth. Consumables like sails and so on get used at much the same rate and much the same cost in any class. Competetive lifespan is pretty long too. If you compare the ages of the boats at the front of the fleet in development and one design classes they don't in general seem to be very different. No dount lots of people will be along to claim that their class is uniquely cheap or something, and the Twelves have got a bit of development on with trick winged rudders at the moment.
Fireball or 12 ought to be an easy decision as they are utterly different in equipment:-)

If nothing takes your fancy at the club already, I'd agree about the Fireball. £500 should get you something which stays together, but will likely be a bit heavy and have tired sails. Get you started, though.

As you have decided on a club, I would strongly suggest looking at the boats already there, looking at the people who sail them, and ask yourself 'who do I most want to race against?'
You will get up to speed much faster if you have direct comparison of people racing the same class of boat. You know your improvement is real and not just some fluke of yardstick. At least look for comparable boats, you don't want to be disadvantaged all the time except the one day a year the course and wind suits your boat. E.g Fireballs are great for a) racing other Fireballs, and b) Windy days.
Also look at the class association, are there opens you might want to do? Is there any coaching? Are they supportive of old boats?
Look also for availability of secondhand sails, some classes there is a ready trade, other not. This can help a lot if you are trying to upgrade on a budget.

spending £500 on something that falls apart or is impossible to sell may be more expensive than spending £1500 on something you can sell on easily. We paid £3500 for our RS400 five or so years ago, you might get one of the same standard for £2500 now. It can still do very welll against brand new ones. That is cheap sailing. Although you have to weigh in the odd sail, insurance, a new cover, boat park fees etc etc.
Don't dismiss the asymmetrics, although it's less string, the skill of getting the most out it is still there, and the tactical aspect of downwind is good. And it's fast and fun. But if the main opposition is Merlins, get a Merlin. It's about having people to race against mostly.

Merlin Rocket ticks most of those boxes (apart from the trapeze) - would have had one myself when I was in your situation but the missus wasn't happy with the idea of me spending hours maintaining a wooden boat....!

They're a lot prettier that Fireballs as well, and have a lot more space to move around in.





Edited by MattTrinder - 21 Jun 12 at 8:32am