Another which boat next thread

They are selling plenty of boats so I think the classes future is fine - they are just not travelling at the moment - although they've just had a reasonable Europeans....

Ian

Gary,

The lack of comment from 500 owners may be due to them being on the way back from the Europeans at Garda and the general lack of interest of RS sailors in this Forum.  How many 200 sailors are there on here - considering it is such a big fleet nationally?  May be they are working or sailing rather than reading endless What Boat threads?

It is curious how after 16 years of the “asymmetric revolution” the boat that is at the top of the table on the previous page is the Fireball.  I suppose the 29er would have been second if you hadn’t made your comments about Youth Boats?  It looks like it is the class that is taking over where the Laser 2 left off if you look at the 186 boats it got at the recent Worlds.  I wonder whether it is just sailed by Youths in the rest of the World?  Is it time the UK Class Association did something to make it appeal to people over 25?

The RS 500 has sold over 300 boats in the time the v3000 has sold 15 (I may be exaggerating as so far the highest number I have seen in any results is 3608 (the v3000 started at 3600?)) so I think I know where I would place my bet as to which is more likely to succeed.  There seems to be a bit of a hiccup with 500 open meeting numbers this year but they are still are looking good compared with the open meetings of the other single trapeze asymmetrics.  Whether this is due to the combination of the recession and the lack of second hand boats on the market or the ill feeling generated by the new sails debate is difficult to tell.  With the majority of people at open meetings being  in the over 25 age group there is a good chance that it will take off as the UK’s Adult 29er once a few more get through to the second hand market.

In the meantime may be trying to create an adult 29er scene is worth a go.  At least they are cheaper second hand and are very likely to keep their value whatever.  Is it time for a “Can we create an Adult 29er circuit?” thread under Dinghy Development?

Mike

Mike I take your point re the 500 and thanks for your take on things, it does look the way to go. I shall be very sad to get rid of the L2, we've had some serious fun over the last few years, a fantastic boat. A real shame to abandon the symmetric kite as well. But as was confirmed a short while ago we need to be sailing in a fleet of the same boats on a regular basis if our racing is going to progress.

Would you suggest I hang on to the boat for a year or so, maybe the propposed new rule changes will make a difference.

Re symmetrics, Just counting up the attendance figures. In the top 20 boats for 2008 there were 363 symmy boats and 255 assy's (excluding keelboats and this was a quick scan so I probably miss counted some). Is this because most people prefer older boats or do they prefer the symmy or is there another reason.........It still seems the symmy has a wider usage, are manufacturers missing a trick

TT, your post seems to reflect my own thoughts quite accurately, I hadn't considered the Cherub though. tempted but not this time

Anyway, so far it's between the 200 and 500 but probably the later as the trapeze is quite important for my Wife.

These "what boat" threads do seem endless but they are seriously useful. Not many people can think of all the angles without some help, well I can't anyway.

I would say the 500 would be just what your after, I haven't sailed one but i really like the look of them and if i sailed on a bigger stretch of water i would love to sail one with the bread-knife!  The 29er is a feisty vessel and is seriously quick for what it is, the problem is i don't think its a club/open sailor friendly boat (certainly not as much as the 500)  The open events are bound to be full of squadies and that certainly would be a big cross in a box for me!  I can only see the 500 class growing, the second hand boats seem really cheap (if you compare them to equivalent aged 200's)  With it being a smaller class then the 200 i should imagine that the CA would be friendlier.  I found the 200 class really hard work and not very welcoming to newcomers (i like their new buddy scheme though)

A friendly and competitive class is just as important to me as the boat I'm sailing!

Often the opposite is true. Second hand boats are usually cheap when everyone is leaving the class.