the best boat ever

Originally posted by Contender443 The best sailing dinghy, skiff, cat etc is your own chosen class now..

The question was the best boat ever, not the best boat now. So it could be a class that is now outmoded but was highly influential in its time.

So I'd vote for the J24. Many of the world's top keelboat sailors have been through the class at one time and the J24 more or less created the whole "sportsboat" category. However these days, there are similar but better classes around. (I will now duck while Mark Jardine tells us why that last statement is wrong).

 

- Best Boat thread, started on 12th Feb by sailor.jon in For the magazine

- various biased but enthusiastic pieces of advice given in response to "What boat should I choose?" 

- many, many (and more) comments in the line of "Mine's better than yours"

Mark's right (contender443) - your best boat will suit your needs, your skills and your club... so go and have fun!!

Here we go again - have we not had this discussion before ????

The best sailing dinghy, skiff, cat etc is your own chosen class now..

It is a very individual thing and depends on your own personal preferences.

I'd say the Laser for standards of competition from begginer to olympic, and it's so accesible, raced vertually in evcery club in the Uk, international class etc. Although most of these things are more to do with the people, associons and competitions associated with the boat rather than the design.....