Why RS300 aren't really selling....

I only ever hear positive words about the 300 on these fora. Which in summary would be "Rewarding to sail, but have a steep learning curve at the beginning". This has never sat comfortably with the fact new boats aren't selling (although to be fair 4 seem to have sold this year). I never could understand this contradiction, because never a word on the downsides has been spoken.

Anyway was over in SA and found this quote from Iain C (who presumably is the same of this parish). Apart from being funny it's the first time I've heard downsides:

I've sailed Cherubs, campaigned a 12 for a few years (that's me in the avatar in 30 kts), sailed 18s for a couple of years and currently have a 49er. However, the one boat that just seems intent on murdering you given half a chance in a blow, is the RS300. From the moment you put it in water, it wants to fall over. Then all the sail controls work in reverse...if you flat out overpowered on a reach, you pull MORE kicker on to lose power. By which time the sail is so flat you can't read it. Going downwind the silly nose wants to bury all the time, and just at the point that you get far enough back to make a difference, you run out of gunwale. I don't know if it's because it's only got one sail and one person in it, so if any of it is in the wrong place it's going to bite, but gybing the thing is a sod. And when you inevitably piss it in, the thing inverts almost immeadiatly and the daggerboard falls out. Getting back in over the front of the wings almost always ends up in squashed b**locks, and getting in over the back invovles 10 knot bodysurfing. And don't forget it looks like someone has thrown a kayak and a windsurfer rig into a skip. Pretty, it ain't. In lighter winds the boat is an absolute joy to sail, it's fully powered up in a F2. But I just hate them in a F4 or more...they just make you look like a total amateur. I'm practice would help (I've only borrowed one a few times) but I'm not sure I'd make it through the pain barrier!

This certainly does provide a counterbalance that explains the sales challenge.

BTW: Not trying to knock the boat as I really like the shape, it looks good sailing and was considering one earlier in the year.

The last sentacne somes it up, i have only borrowed one a few times, if you refer to one of my ealier posts, it takes about 4 months of sailing everyweekend.  It is after all a bloody quick single hander (PY 1000).  Not many if any you can take out in a F4 without expecting issues.

I remember trying one when they were first launched, at the time I had an Int Moth and found the transition fairly straight forward, but watching some of the Laser sailors have a go made the boat look at a little more interesting. Not saying I could jump in one now and it would certainly take a few months to get up to speed.

Originally posted by Rockhopper Why knock it if you have not tried it bit like the 100 really loads of them sold but a lot of people selling them soon after as they seem too much for them as for 300 i took me three months of sailing it then i could sail it all the way the course up to thirty knots without too many problems overtaking a contender upwind when it was blowing was a highlight for me ................. anyone else had one like that

Don't mean to come across as knocking, cause I was seriously considering one. I just couldn't reconcile the massive positive feedback from this forum with low sales - it suggests the whole truth isn't out in the open.

I don't know Iain C, but given he sails a 49er and has sailed Cherubs and 12 ft skiffs he can't be a bad sailor. Have you kept your 300, if not, why not....if you could change something about it to make it better, what would it be?

These are the kind of questions all classes are asking all the time and usually do something about it if sales stagnate. Exactly the kind of debate classes need to survive.

Trapeze sailor having problems with a sitting down boat?