which boat now?

Originally posted by tmoore but it doesnt feel right only sailing it every other week during term time

Most boats aren't sailed that often I reckon. Smart money is that a new owner won't sail it as often as you do, so I wouldn't regard that as a sound argument.

If cash is the issue you'd probably be better off deciding that you're going to become a hotshot crew during college years rather than get another boat. If cash isn't the issue keep the boat you like!

Originally posted by dics One of the reasons why the 300 is hard to get hold of becuase those owned by the occassional sailor are kept since they are a great boat to sail.

Really the only reason is that not enough people are buying new ones. I'm sure RS would be delighted to help out!

[Later]

Bethwaite highlights the problem in the new HPS as related to supply of boats for youth worlds.

Polyester/solid glass boats, for various reasons, go soft and get slower with usage at a slow and fairly consistent rate. Thus, given 2,000 really keen sailors in a class worldwide they'd buy 2,000 new boast every year, and sell on 2,000 slightly second hand boats every year, the class would grow at 2,000 boats a year and there were loads of boats about, slowly getting slower and more decrepit, but loads of pretty decent secondhand boats about that were perfectly usale for club and open sailing, if not Champs winners. In youth worlds terms that meant that the people building 2,000 new boats a year could quite happily subsidise 20 new boats for a youth worlds and sell them on.

Epoxy/foam sandwich boats, on the other hand don't slow up in the same predictable way, and as, we in the development classes found first, people keep their boats longer and longer. So 2,000 really keen sailors means maybe only 400 new boats a year, only 400 good second hand boats a year, all considerably more tired in terms of gear, sails, foil and the like. Suddenly finding the cash to subsidise 20 new boats for a youth worlds from the marketing budget looks pretty dubious, the supply of second hand boats has dried up and all the rest of it...


Edited by JimC

decided im going to let the 300 go. instead i shall be looking for crewing places at restronguet and then when back in n.wales i shall sail the club GP14 against the growing fleet already there. hopefully then i will get some tips from the top guys down at uni and be able to practise them during 'home time'. if things go to plan this should all be with minimum expense.....

however if there is a cheap foiling moth going for under 3k i may be swayed........

Edited by tmoore

£2200 is a steal for a foiling moth! im contemplating
having a go in one sometime this year to see if i can do
it. (they offer a pay for their petrol money only and
get a free trial deal at velociraptor HQ apparently so
its very tempting to ring up).

problem is the cheapest moths ive seen ar £5k and
upwards and im a poor student.

and more importantly know WHERE to look.....

i know where your coming from salty as a poor student myself