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Black no sugar View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Black no sugar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Contenders
    Posted: 02 Aug 05 at 9:32am

AAAAAAAAAAH for expert advice, ask BWD when he comes back! He's got first-hand experience on both!

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Black no sugar View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Black no sugar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 05 at 8:43am
So tgruitt, have you go it? There have been a few Contenders for sale recently, some at a decent price. Did one of them catch your heart?
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Matt Jackson View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Matt Jackson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 05 at 5:20pm

Well Tom. Where do I start?

The Contender is great on the sea/sheltered inshore I sailed the 03 Worlds at Plymouth and it was great. You need to be 11.5 stone plus to be really competitive but the rig is really easy to depower. You have to give yourself at least a full season at it as there is a 'click' at some point where everything falls into place. I wouldn't buy a really new one at first as you will scratch the hell out of it with your trapeze harness as you flounder around, but you can get a club competitive learner for less than a grand, a peach for around 2k and the dogs for about 4k.

Everyone complains about; the low boom (let the kicker off to tack or get more supple), the weight (none of us are slim as we used to be but it does help in the heavy stuff), dog-like performance in light airs (no offence to any dogs reading) but these things are easily outweighed when the wind gets to 12-15MPH and you cruise past Laser sailors with the anticipation of pain showing in their eyes.

You have to stick with it in light and heavy but once again eventually something clicks and you start stringing results together to make reasonable series.

Have a go in one - you arn't too far from Graham Scott at Wavelength who make the only sails worth having and is an all round top bloke. Check out the BCA website (address in the classes section on Y&Y) and especially the 'How do you sail the damn thing?' section. If you're ever at Weston SC in Southampton have a word with Alan, Simon or Phil who can arrange a go in the club 'Spare' boat. Or if you're up near me have a go in mine.

Anything else?



Edited by Matt Jackson
Laser 203001, Harrier (H+) 36
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tgruitt View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote tgruitt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 05 at 4:16pm

I wouldnt mind crewing a B14 though. Hint Hint

 

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tgruitt View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote tgruitt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 05 at 4:14pm
but I dont want a b14, I would rather have a cherub becasue they're not 1 design! and I wanna twin wire or just trapeze! Anyways I like fiddling and changing things and you cant do that with a B14!
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Phil eltringham View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Phil eltringham Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 05 at 4:03pm
Get a B14, there are a couple down there already, and the way things are looking mine may be there soon too.  You wont be the first person to come to the class from cherubs. 
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tgruitt View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote tgruitt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 05 at 1:31pm
i sail in the sea at plymouth sound or just a bit further up the estuary. have sailed L4000, merlin rockets cherubs and N12's. Its either a contender or a cherub but i can't decide!
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HannahJ View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote HannahJ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 05 at 11:56am
OK. Where do u sail? Sea/lake etc? Which boats do ur club sail? What hhave u sailed before? Height/weight? If ur cherub champion...
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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist hopes it will change; the realist adjusts the sail
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tgruitt View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote tgruitt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 05 at 11:01am
I'm thinkin about getting a boat. A contender springs t mind so come on guys what info do you have!
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