Best handicap boat

£500 probably find an Albacore or a Classic Merlin? Bit more in the budget i'd say the RS200 is bandit handicap boat (see Weston Grand Slam results)

or maybe talk to sailing clubs to see if they are selling off (letting go) any boats abandoned in the boat park where subs are unpaid etc - saw a 49er in this state recently

Edited by r2d2 - 18 Apr 12 at 9:49am

for £500... I'd probably recommend an old Mirror as the renovation costs are going to be limited.

Originally posted by winging it I just love this delusion that a restoration project is a cheap way into getting a boat.  It so isn't.

An example... I was looking at a vintage Moth the other week. The hull was in astonishingly good condition for its age and needed no work at all beyond cleaning.

I then priced things up to get her in what I consider reasonable club racing order...

New cover £250
replacement second hand mast - maybe £100
new standing rigging - £100
ball bearing blocks, decent rope, new cam cleats, ratchet block - £200-300
trolley refurbishment £75
new sail - £750

So nearly £1500 on a purchase price of around 300 quid, so its getting close to a £2,000 boat. And then after say a season of use you could sell her for maybe £400...

For £500 you should get something that floats in most classes, but look out for something where the sails are still OK, or you can easily spend more than the boat cost getting a new set.

Before buying an old example of a development class (a National 12 might suit you well, for instance) make sure your club is willing to set a handicap which reflects your boat, not the 30 years + of development that has hapened since.