The World's best race boat

Well, I've spent a couple of days idly wondering about Charlie's interesting question.....still no idea. Cross a Laser and an Int 14????? Sounds a bit like an RS800 with an option to sail singlehanded as well (which, off topic, may be more of an option with newer designs and is great in cats).

Re "Oh yes! I'd still like some thoughts as to why people sail whatever it is they sail. Anyone?"

Here goes.....

Laser....the ultimate in big fleet racing. A brilliant boat if you are either just messing at club level (simple, cheap, plentiful) or going hard for it (extremely competitive, cheap at top level, and it's great to have something so simple that with a LOT of work you could get to a level impossible in more complex boats, and play with the top guys). A great boat for close-quarter racing, roll tacking etc. Have much more respect for the design after learning about hull shapes etc and knowing why it is the way it is, and how the "simple cures" lead to their own problems.

Bad points - not sociable (here) above club level; everyone is well mannered on the right end of the racecourse but runs away to their masseur after the race. Nasty in mid-fleet at champs. Weather helm even when sailed right. I still race regularly, though, and will get stuck right into it for the '08 Masters worlds.

International Canoe.....the ultimate upwind performer. An amazing feeling to be suspended right out and playing with 49ers, yet have a featherlight helm. Wonderful history. A stunning way of carving through the water and obviously enormously sensitive yet (unlike some other boats) stable enough that you can turn off between races. Stunning to look at, very different. Must get a kite fitted!

Bad points - not really what I personally consider the best boat to race (slow to tack, speed-dependent, small fleets). $$$$$$$$ to win the nats with a competitive boat. On the trailer due to lack of time to clean up the old boat and lack of incentive due to lack of fleet; must get ready for nats soon.

Tasar - Great fleets here in Oz. Tactical and tweakable. Beautifully balanced upwind. Incredibly durable as a competitive unit. Efficient rig, light hull that slices like a charm. Lots of women in the class = make your girlfriend into a sailor, or make a sailor into your forward hand into your girlfriend (or vice versa for women skippers of course). Tweakable but strict OD. Very sociable class here. Reaches quickly in a breeze. Comfortable hiking.

Bad points - you need a crew and mine is too busy sailing other craft so the Tasar is loaned out. Used to have expensive sails but new ones are cheaper. Not the world's best boat to tack IMHO. Was thinking about selling it as I was too busy with other boats, took it out for the first time in ages and thought "oh wow this is a great boat". Main bad point......takes time to train with a crew.

And then of course there's the windsurfers, cat and yacht......

Combining the Merlin class and the Rocket class might make for a good 14 foot boat - oh, rats, been done already...

only 2?

There are two questions that should be asked before complaining about the cost of keeping up with the jones's in any class but especialy a dev class

Could I win in the champ's boat?
Could the Champ win in my boat?

If the answer to the first question is no then you need to sort yourself out first. Practice till you nail every tack, start, shift, hoist and drop. Once you have done that you will probably find yourself alot further up the fleet.

If the answer to the second question is no then look at your boat and decide what needs to be changed.
Blocks ropes and sails. these are consumables and need replaced over time no matter what class you sail. Foils you just need to spend time out with the filler and wet and dry sandpaper (I bet the champ has done that even on new foils)

Maybe that is too much work and it is eisier blame your boat for your poor performance and then complain that you cant afford a new boat.

As for what is the best race boat? it is obviously the one I sail. or possibly a different one that I want to sail

Nicely balanced posts, Charlie and Neil, so I'm just trying to throw a few ideas around in response rather than to argue with you.

"So would you say that a class that never considers it's rig control to this level was giving it's sailors enough of a challenge?"

Maybe the answer could be "yes"....and "no".

        In the development classes and loose OD classes I sail, I sometimes have LESS control (in one way) than I do in the SMODs. It depends on your definition of "control". You can't control when the other guy's sailmaker creates a leap in performance, so you actually have less control over your performance on the course (without buying new sails =$$$$). You can't control it when someone flies the world champ's hull in and therefore gets a speed advantage....well you CAN control it, by spending $$$$$$$$$$$$, but not otherwise. That could be seen as a loss of control that more than compensates for being able to control mast bend
       If, as Charlie said, the German rig in 505s is now "totally dominant" in one sense everyone who hasn't got one is "out of control" in that their performance is affected by someone else's new gear, aren't they?
       In a Laser, I feel totally in control of the rig in one sense, because I have exactly the same gear as the guy next to me and therefore spending power, ability to ship the world champ's gear in from Europe or get the Olympic medallist's hull etc doesn't count.      
        As far as the challenge....it's enough of a challenge to beat guys like Robert Schiedt and sail in big fleets anyway! The loose-class guys don't generally do all that well in SMODs, therefore indicating perhaps that there is a distinct challenge in sailing SMODs that is often discounted.
       Yes, SMODs have flaws as boats, and probably more than development classes or other ODs. But every racing boat has flaws.....John Westell admitted that the shape of the 505's flare is "flawed" compared to the Coronet's shape, because he had to cut the 505 down to Caneton restrictions. This doesn't mean, of course, that the 505 is not still one of THE great boats and vastly respected by even current designers.....we just overlook that slight compromise Westell made.       
        The free-est of classes, the Moth, has restrictions based on the width of the Austin A40 and it may well be faster if it was wider (it would certainly be quicker if longer, just like the 18s would be). But we don't spend too much time sl*gging off Moths and 18s for being "too short".      
        There are several restricted classes that are, objectively speaking, simple too short for full design efficiency. The fans say that just makes them more fun, and they are right in that most important of respects. But the same people who can happily overlook the fact that their steed nosedives or struggles in some winds 'cause it's so short, then feel free to complain because about the cleat placement on SMODs.....it seems strange to be able to overlook a major "flaw" yet highlight a minor one.

        As Neil said, isn't it just that we all have certain likes and dislikes - don't those dictate what we see as a major flaw, the things we find as interesting challenging restrictions, and the compromises we just choose to overlook?

        So everything's relative and has to be seen in perspective IMHO.....

      




Edited by Chris 249