Beginner boat choice advice please

Single trap:

Buzz ( small class now, but a great boat ) I'd go for this one.

Laser 3000 / Laser 2 ( class not as big as once was )

420 ( your a bit big but not much )

Hiker:

RS200 (more money than your budget but worth it)

Lark (big student following - lots of drinking)

GP14 ( a bit more family focused )



You'll be fine going straight into boat ownership / sailing with rescue
cover. Sail in the light winter winds and build up you skills as you go.


edit: 140kg is fine for all these boat. A bit heavy for the 420, but you are
learning so it helps to be over rather than under weight. As your skills
get better you can go up the power to weight range.





Edited by Jack Sparrow

Originally posted by portlandboy A friend said a laser 2 would be ok for the time being. Your opinions all welcome.

Laser IIs are Extremely good value for money. You would get a good one for £1500 with good sails. You are the top end of the optimum weight range for the boat though.

Edited by GK.LaserII

about £300 a year apparently......you do get use of all facilities for that mind.

Still a bit confused as to what to do. I'm starting to think that maybe we'll get a couple of picos and get lots of sailing in on them to reinforce what we learnt during our rya2, carry on help crew our friends laser 2000, with the long term aim of going for a 2000 next summer perhaps?!

Or would we be better of taking the plunge and going for a 2 person boat straight away. A friend said a laser 2 would be ok for the time being.

Your opinions all welcome.

140 kg isn't very big at all? What is it - 22-23 stone? Certainly too small for a 505, which are pretty powerful boats for a beginner. Well worth a sail in some of the older classes as well as new ones, though, to see what tickles your fancy!