RS300 vs Blaze

RS600's are very reasonable these days - a lot of bangs for your buck.

The Contenders a good choice too, much more stable but second hand examples were pretty rare when I sold mine last year.

What else is sailing around your area?

Ian

RS700 GBR912

Jeffers check out http://www.rs300.com/ and the vidoes under RS300 media to see what the 300 is about.

The 300 is a hard boat to sail if you do not sail well. It is unforgiving and won't let you get away with sloppy sailing, becasuse of this the 300 will improve your sailing on all points so much and will make you a very competant sailor. However, the rig is easy to depower, lots of righting movement due to the leverage on the wings and the cockpit is a great design with all the bits of string always at your fingertips. The 300 will take about a year to get used to and then still lots of learning but the fun starts straight away. You will swim but after a couple of capzies you will be able to right the boat in a matter of seconds without getting wet (unless you nose dive! Once in four years is not bad going for me). Don't worry about the capsize becasue everybody drops the 300.

Try both boats serveral times and remember that the 300 takes time. In the past all too many people have bought one and sold it within a year. Those guys have just scratched the surface of what is remarkable boat has to offer and have missed out on the best parts.

Whatever you get I hope it's the right boat for you and enjoy it.

Dics

Oh yes you don't need to be fit to sail one either! The 300 will make you fit!

I heard of a 300 selling within the day of it's advert for sale not so long ago. Doesn't sound like a sticking market to me!

The RS300’s reputation as an unsailable boat is totally unfair! I believe it is a boat many more people could master if they would only give it a try. I don’t find it much different from my laser radial.

I think the 300 has got the reputation as a tricky boat from people who have taken one out and spent the whole time swimming because they haven’t known how to set her up for safe sailing. The 300 is relatively easy to sail with the kicker tight, as this takes masses of power from the rig and also prevents nose diving! The boat is also far easier to sail if you sit a little too far back. All problems solved in two easy steps!

Most people underestimate how much kicker the rig can take & the amount needed certainly at first seemed excessive, but this is compared to the laser where at the windward mark if you don’t let the kicker off you get a bent mast & a bucket load of weather helm! Then as you improve you can sit further forward & the settings can be released to a faster setting. Steve Cockerill points this out in his article on the boat when he says: “…speed or stability. You can go for either... but not both.”

I was lucky enough to be told when I started off in the 300 to “flatten the sail & keep her flat” by the other 300 sailors at my club & this is certainly good advice. If it was more widely known I’m sure the boat would not have such an unjust reputation!

85KG shouldn't be too light for a modern rigged Phantom.  A common mistake is people don't realise how much mast rake and kicker to use when its windy.  There is a video on the Phantom web site showing Nick Beloe tacking at a windy open, he has to release kicker prior to the tack to allow the boom to clear the side deck!

I sold my Contender because it was just no fun on a small ish lake, they great on the sea and in steady wind, but its very difficult to get them to race to handicap on confined waters.  I nearly bought a Blaze (Mike you may recall me emailing you about 2 years ago) but I was badly let down by a seller - I drove 100 miles to view one only to find the owner didn't turn up, and then told me he had sold it and probably should have phoned me when questioned!  So I bought an old Phantom to see what they were like, loved it and then bought a new one.

But as has previously been said everybody is different.  The RS didn't suit me - I found it uncomfortable and frankly I didn't understand how the rig worked.  I was used to wires holding up the mast. 

I am sure it would be possible to arrange a test sail in any class you choose, thats the best way.