view on topaz?

Originally posted by Win or Swim That said though, the topaz tres' havent really stood up that well to use and need just as much maintance if not more than my 420 did.

Bet the hull gets hurt a lot less than a 29er's would if bounced on the cobbles on the edge of the reservoir, dropped off the launching trolley or T boned by one of the other training boats though:-)

But I agree, ropes, fittings that sort of stuff is pretty much the same for everything, and a poor layout and cheap fittings will probably wear out stuff faster.

I dunno that I'd care to maintain 29ers as club boats unless there were paid staff. As a pedigree race boat they do require a bit more care and attention than a club boat tends to get. Tupperware is definitely the material of choice for the everyone jump in club boat.

The issue of course is that it needs just as much if not more r&d and attention to layout, interior design, fittings location etc as the pedigree boat. And when it comes to fittings etc they do suffer because they are so price sensitive. Wait for the expensive bolt on Tres race kit fittings some time soon [grin]

the hulls flex too much, when the gust hits you can see the front of the boat start to twist off. They're a bit crap I think

I have to teach in tres' too and its a right bloody nightmare!

None of the systems work, spinnies get tangled and wont gybe, battens on mainsail wont 'pop' even with the hardest of rolls and all that adds up to lots of swimming.

It eventually turns out to be one on one training with one student & one instructor in the boat just so they can sail without capsizing for 5 minutes.

We paid a bomb for them, and only had them a couple of years, and now the loss we've made on them is a joke.  People should learn there isn't an easy answer in life and that we should stick with the popular training classes (such as 29er) as they actually work!

Topaz =

get your mate to sell it before he loses to much money on it!!!

topaz trez = dog poo