Sailed a contender today.

It was fun! I spent more time swimming than sailing but I will get the hang of the technique over the summer. It's a very alien feeling to me, from sailing in toppers and laser's to stepping into a contender with its huge tiller extension and a trapeze. I kept trying to pass the tiller though the main sheet and getting all tangled up! Muscle memory at its worst!

I can see it's all about hours in the boat, and I have a lot of free time on my hands and most of it will be spent sailing contenders and I am looking forward to it! I may see a few of you guys at the opens this time next year 

I think I am going to buy a contender at King George. It's in need of some love and TLC, which I am prepared to to give. New control lines, a good scrubbing, pro-grip (definitely needed in the cock-pit!) and it will be a good club racing and a introductory boat. In a few years I will get a nicer boat, but for the time being this will suffice nicely.

Hope you enjoy it, though it will take a lot of practice, as you predict. Have you seen the video of a past Worlds at Garda? It used to be available from the intl website, iirc. It has plenty of good close-ups of a variety of top sailors - useful for "how are you meant to do...." type of moments. Of course, they all make it look very easy....

Col

Yep if it's Mark's boat then its GBR 500.

I should be sailing in the front of the RS800 on Thursday, say hello.

G

Originally posted by Ross I didn't look at the sail number, but it was Marks' old boat. The one with the yellow hull. I just found out that there is another contender for sale at a sailing club my scout group are members at in Rickmansworth. Little more than my budget but I'll have a look and work him down on the price if it looks good. I will be there this Thursday hopefully, I'll race in a club laser if i do.

If it is the lake I think it is, I have no idea how someone managed to sail a trap single hander on that tiny piece of water!

I managed to sail a Contender for a year in Bristol docks.  Not ideal but I reckoned it was good practice!