Edition
Boats for sale
| Laser 140101 Tynemouth |
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| Rossiter Pintail Mortagne sur Gironde, near Bordeaux |
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| Laser 28 - Excellent example of this great design Hamble le rice |
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List classes of boat for sale |
Laser Class?? |
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jeffers 
Really should get out more 
Joined: 29 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3048 |
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 Topic: Laser Class??Posted: 26 Jan 13 at 8:36am |
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Have you considered a Blaze Steve? The is(was) a good fleet of them at Bala and at 78 kg you should be competitive in most winds...
As for the Laser most UK people are not a member of the CA unless they regularly attend class open meetings. In my mind the Laser class offers very little value to your 'run of the mill' club sailor. This is a problem they have faced for many years. Jon Emmett who lurks round here on occasions might want to add more as he had a CA hat once upon a time I believe....before he went of coaching Chinese ladies.....
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Paul
---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
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Seasick Steve
Newbie 
Joined: 01 Apr 12 Location: N. Wales Online Status: Offline Posts: 20 |
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Posted: 26 Jan 13 at 8:46am |
Thanks for everyone's hep and suggestions Would the blaze be suitable for a smaller club water and in terms of popularity and resale how do they Compare with supernovas? Steve
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Rupert
Really should get out more
Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
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Posted: 26 Jan 13 at 10:10am |
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I'd say the Blaze would be a big jump from the Mirror - too big, probably, without some time in a boat like a Laser (or a Solo) first, especially on small water. If there is a Laser fleet there, get a Laser. If Solos, one of them. If both, borrow both (and if they won't lend, maybe that fleet isn't friendly enough to bother with) and see which one makes you happier to sail. Speed is meaningless, it is the "feel" that counts.
Most of the singlehanders are nice to sail, and most can be sold on through the Class Association fairly easily. I went for a Lightning because it was cheap, but I discovered a friendly, efficient CA and a delightful little boat to sail. I'm sure Streaker sailors would say similar. Solos have a really big, but really well run CA, or at leat they did 5 or 6 years ago when I owned one. Laser sailors seem to get by very well without theirs... |
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Seasick Steve
Newbie
Joined: 01 Apr 12 Location: N. Wales Online Status: Offline Posts: 20 |
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Posted: 26 Jan 13 at 11:57am |
I know at my local club the main single handers seem to be solos, lasers and A couple of streakers Is a laser a lot more difficult to tame than a solo.? Steve
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ColPrice2002
Far too distracted from work 
Joined: 25 Nov 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 222 |
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Posted: 26 Jan 13 at 12:46pm |
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"Is a laser a lot more difficult to tame than a solo.?"
I'll stick my neck out and say that a Solo is easier than a Laser.... Principally:- 1) Solo has a pivoting cetnreboard - not a daggerboard - so you won't hit the shallows and stop 2) Solo is more comfortable - I found that the Laser cockpit was too shallow. Sitting out was OK (strain in knees), but I found it difficult to scramble back in in a lull. 3) Solo has a centre mainsheet - when gybing it doesn't catch on the transom corner ... 4) Solo rigging is easier - Sail slides up the mast with a haliyard - Laser requires you to fit the mast together & sleeve the sail onto it - then "toss the caber" into the mast socket. It's a bit tricky in high winds! 5) The Solo mast can be varied (within limits) to match your weight (more flexible if you're lighter) and the sail should be cut to match (all within Class rules - of course). My oersnoal opinion is that you'll find the transition from Mirror to Solo easier than Mirror to Laser (having started sailing in a Mirror). Best advise is mentioned above:- Talk to the class members at a local club, and you should be able to cadge a test sail (might cost you a pint or two!). Don't worry about the details of the racing rigging just yet, see how comfortable you feel in the dinghy. I nearly bought a Europe single handed (nice to sail - and reasonably proced) till I tried to tack it. The boom is so low that I fond myself kissing the floor! Colin
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porkyman
Newbie
Joined: 13 Nov 06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 27 |
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Posted: 27 Jan 13 at 12:45am |
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I am a member at Shotwick, and WAS the sole supernova sailor there. Having just sold my `nova, i was in the same dilema as you. After much deliberation, i am now in the process of buying a solo, mainly because there are more regular solos, than any other boat at the club. In my opinion, a much better boat for that reason alone, AND the many issues of the laser have been stated by others on here.
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porkyman
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robin34024
Posting king 
Joined: 03 Jan 12 Location: Lincoln Online Status: Offline Posts: 116 |
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Posted: 27 Jan 13 at 11:30pm |
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A solo is probably a more user friendly boat than the laser, besides, if you are only just coming into racing, to some extent it doesn't matter what class you sail, as most of the advice will not be class specific.
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jeffers
Really should get out more
Joined: 29 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3048 |
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Posted: 28 Jan 13 at 9:12am |
Your boat handling needs to be good to get it to perform on a smaller water. I had one at Hunts for a few years, the sailable area is 55 acres, I would not want to sail one on much less than that. It does like to stretch it's legs as it tacks relatively slowly (compared to other classes). As for resale, they hold their value very well if looked after as the older 'Mk1' hulls are still competitive if looked after. The class association is small but active and definitely there for the members. As for whether it would be the boat for you my advice would be go and have a try in every class you are considering before you make your choice. If you want to develop your sailing and technique then going for a class where you have others with the same boat would be good as you can exchange ideas. If you do want to try a Blaze the drop 'Blaze720' a PM on here and he might be able to get you in touch with the guys at Bala.
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Paul
---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
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Seasick Steve
Newbie
Joined: 01 Apr 12 Location: N. Wales Online Status: Offline Posts: 20 |
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Posted: 28 Jan 13 at 4:44pm |
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Many thanks for everyone's input on this, I think my original choice of Solo looks like the right option and will carry on the search
Many thanks Steve |
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getafix
Really should get out more
Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2143 |
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Posted: 28 Jan 13 at 9:38pm |
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FWIW, buy a Laser and go sailing. Don't pay too much attention to what's written here, unless a) you're bored, b) you've got plenty of sailing experiences under your belt and you can discern the wheat from the chaff
Yes Lasers are plentiful, the tips endless, the simplicity laudible and the number of bimbles for them truly mind-boggling. They are easy enough to rig, easy enough to launch, sail and recover and for a newbie, ideal; because it'll be a miracle if you manage to find the sailing club in this country where there isn't at least a.n.other one out of a Sunday to sail against/with. No, they are not brilliantly designed, ultra-modern, super-light or fabulously constructed from space-age materials, they won't plane upwind and they don't foil (at least as standard). I've owned three, ranging from <£100 'rescue from weeds' to >£2000 'want to go class racing', they're a grin in a blow and you can roll tack/gybe them big-time to keep the interest up in a drifter. I don't own one now as I got experienced enough (notice I don't claim to be any good) and decided to faff about with more complicated craft and the joys of having a crew.
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