RS 500

Hi John

I have a 500 and its a nice boat for the money.

PY at 972 is fair, its a fast boat. For a fast boat it easy to sail, but dependes what you are used to.

Good in light winds, much better than 29er.

Windy, its got a lot of sail but not bad.

Martin

Will the 500 plane upwind?

Originally posted by Ross Will the 500 plane upwind?

 

dont think so.
not like the 29er anyway

I think depends what you are used to is the salient point.

I still have fond regard for the 500, but compared to my new boat and the
previous boat a laser 3000 it was not what I'd describe as an easy boat
once the wind tops Bft 4.

As to planing upwind, no, I could never say it actually planed upwind,
unlike the 3000 that used to if it was blowing hard enough.

The PY, the first year we sailed it to third place in our club series at 965,
had it been 972 that year we would have won at least one of the series.

We learned a lot about downwind angles in it, when to soak deep, when
to stay high. In a force three she's a fast little boat easily taking on 505's
and our nemesis in their 470's, but once the wind tops Bft five, we could
never beat them.

Now one other factor, we sail on the sea, when its' windy it's very lumpy,
I imagine sailing an RS500 on inland water would be a whole lot easier.

But our new boat, an Alto is like driving a Rolls Royce by comparison, no
heavy tiller/weater helm, more forgiving in the gybes. (Absolutely
opposite lock on every gybe as you come through or you will swim).

We never did sail it against anyone else so never really got to know
wether we were any good or not, I suspect we were a tad heavy.

oh thanks for the comments. I have been curently sailing a laser 3000, my daughter is 8 stone ans i am 10 and a half! I had been thinking of a fireball as our club has a fleet!     What do you think rs 500 or Fireball!