V3000

The new Vandercraft 3000 looks like a great boat for lightwieghts.  The builder and the class association seem to have developed the boat into something quite attractive.   When you consider what a great boat the Vandercraft Phantom has become because of the quality and lightweight building techniques its certainly worth a look.

I spoke to the builder at the Southamton show and I've pinched the following text from the builders website.  I'm particulalry impressed with the space liberated by the 49er type sheeting and the gnav.  But a lighter/stiffer hull and those high tech sails and the new shute arrangement are all good and its not expensive for a thoroughbred.  Here's a link to the site http://www.vandercraft.co.uk/

"The all new V3000 (formally the Laser 3000) is now built in vacuum bagged epoxy / foam sandwich, just like the VanderCraft Phantom. The all new V3000 is now considerably lighter. The new boat will be water ballasted to enable a level playing field at the class open meetings.

The V3000 has numerous changes, amongst which are:

• Asymmetric spinnaker pole now comes from the middle of the bow
• Jib tack moved aft, allowing a 'tack bar' so the kite exits from the bow
• Fully sealed Seldon aluminium mast
• Hounds lowered a little to improve gust response
• GNAV, replaces VANG - freeing up space in the cockpit
• Boom end sheeting option "

Lightweights and single handers even.

At present they're a little under £5k including a launch trolley - but said to be going up (sharply?) very soon.

I've been dithering about the new laser Vago vs 2nd hand L3ks, buzzes and 29ers and even thinking about shifting to cats ..... but this little beauty puts all that into a new perspective and ought to knock the Vago for 6..  

Plus the class association will now allow different mainsheet rigging options .... and if they could be persuaded to be less dicatotorial about the position of sail controls ......(the kicker, outhaul and cunningham that can never be reached by the helm) ....

..... it's a laser 3k with all the problems knocked out.  Though presumably the hull will still pummel the helm with spray, but that's half the L2, L3k fun.

Sorely, sorely tempted.

Sounds like a winner to me if they market it properly.

I was quite surprised when the 3000 died out, it always seemed like a good little boat to me but the manufacturer/class association just seemed to be too fixed on the whole 'one design' thing and a couple of easily corected faults let it down, Faults which now seem to have been sorted!!

Im interesed about this water balast though, does it just involve the new boats leaving thier bungs out on the trip to the startline or something? why not just suply an optional 'lead kit'?

Ah, somebody else thinks like me.  Yes I'd agree the V3000 will knock the Vago for six.  However there is probably room for both - just as there seems to be room for the Phantom, RS300 and the Blaze.  The Vago will appeal to the beginner who's looking for a trapeze and an image, the V3000 will appeal to the more experienced lightwieght who would notice the lack of stiffness in the Vago.  You have to remember the V3000 has the pedigree of a Bethwaite hull, could well be a little longer and yet lighter.  It has a more sophisticated rig and more room.  It's a pity the V3000 wasn't around a few years ago it could well have become the youth performance boat, but know it will have to compete against the 29er.

And just to mention another improvement which I suspect is going to improve its light air performance quite abit.  Because of the gnav, the lower shrouds go much higher up the mast this opens a space for the crew to go forward of the mast in the light stuff.  I bet we are going to see its PY number as even more advantageous and in time it will have to creep down a couple of points.  Does anybody know how it compares with the Vago?  I'd say it has to be almost as fast as a Fireball now and 20 to 50 points lower than a Vago.  This is however conjecture since I haven't sailed either.

I think they are missing an opportunity here in sticking with single-source or builder-supplied sails.  Without knowing the background it is easy to criticise.  It maybe that Sobstad helped with some of the rig development and bore these costs hoping they would get pay back later.

I personally prefer the supplied hull and spars and free-choice of sails ( like the B14).  Sails wear out quicker than hulls and therefore development/ obsolesence is less of an issue.

The advantage of letting sailmakers in is that it normally encourages an influx of good sailors hoping to sell sails while competition keeps the sail prices- honest.  Admittedly measuring sails is an unavoidable consequence, but doesn't seem such a huge inconvenience.