Dinghy hull weights

Been said plenty of times before ... a good Mk1/2 is fully competitive.  Some classes that switch to vinyl-ester/epoxy from polyester end up with 2 sub-species of the craft.   Not as really true with the Blaze.  But I'm not so sure about Ian's comments regading the carbon mast though (but then he is not a really a 'heavy' )

We know several medium and  heavy guys who prefer the alloy mast.  One has recently ordered a new Hartley boat but has also quietly purchased a decent used Alloy mast as he is convinced, for him at least, it is superior ....  Recent years have also seen alloy mast equipped boats winning the Nationals AND good polyester boats beating all the newer epoxy ones at the Championships as well.  Not idle speculation this - the records are there.

Sure a new boat is more likely to be superior as it will arrive fully sorted  but its 'on-the-water' superiority is not always as certain....  against earlier hulls if they are well looked after and kept near/on minimum weight (with effort of course)   You can be very very competitive in an earlier Blaze (even though everyone would, as ever was the case, like a newer one !)         

Edited by Cirrus - 09 Sep 16 at 11:13am

Think you would struggle to get a good one with 'sort-out' potential for much less than £ 1500 ... covers, trolley, combi, rig , goodish sail ... and 515 would have been 20 years old so it may have had a tough life.  But you can get lucky - however ALWAYS inspect very carefully ... all the bits soon add up !

I'd not be so harsh on the Aero!   It is in part a measure of the huge success and numbers already sold.  A lot of people however rush into the latest classes carried away with the 'recomendations' of their new friends and today the social media chatter and noise of others - but this does mean that others can then benefit if the original purchaser subsequently decides the grass really was 'greener' elsewhere !

The boat itself is good - it is a capable all rounder (important to me at least) and goes well both inland and particularly on the lumpy/salty stuff.  It really does fit the 'laser replacement' slot and now has true international credentials on top.  It is imo directly chasing this slot closer than anyone .. if you believe that slot exists.    I like what I sail, (in case you have not worked it out .. the Blaze btw !) but I do really like the Aero as well.  I've sailed/raced all of them on your list except the H2... they all have +ve's dependng on what you are after. 

As ever 'each to their own' ....        

Edited by Cirrus - 12 Sep 16 at 6:02pm

GRF - think the aero is 'there' with quite a few kg to spare imo ... just saying and it is up to anyone to make up their own minds of course :-)  .... does not necessarily make it fastest of course but it is certainly the lightest.


Edited by Cirrus - 12 Sep 16 at 10:15pm

Solution and H2 are both pretty unavailable on the secondhand market. D-Zero too unless I drop lucky. I had considered the fact that RS had sold rather more Aeros than Devoti D-Zeros (and way more than Solution) and that was the reason for the equally large number on the used market. By the same token the Solution may well be the 'solution' if I could find one in budget.

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 12 Sep 16 at 11:09pm