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andymck View Drop Down
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Posts: 397 		Post Options Post Options   Quote andymck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: RS200
    Posted: 25 May 07 at 2:27pm

I have found the 200 quite easy to depower upwind, a bit of rake, and loads of kicker and cunno allow the main to blade off nicely. Need to be a bit careful about the slot between main and jib, to avoid backwinding and tripping the boat up.

Down wind the rig is a bit strange, as its almost deck stepped, with no deck level support, so lots of kicker causes a lot of sideways mast bend. It could really do with a set of lowers. This means you use less kicker than you would in other boats, but it is still pretty fast, and a rewarding sail.

A well sailed 200 is going to go well on handicap, it is relatively light, has a wide beam for its length for when the wind gets up. In my experience with the 200, it does really reward smooth sailing, not too much use of the large rudder, which means slow tacks and gybes to avoid stalling. You only have to look at who sails them on the open circuit to know its a good boat, and the 2nd hand values. Wish the fleet was developing at our club, but most of the famillies think the GPlaser 2000 is the way to go.
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SetSail View Drop Down
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Posts: 100 		Post Options Post Options   Quote SetSail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 07 at 9:51am
Originally posted by ChrisJ

But once you need to tack to keep out of the tide, or to out-manouvre other boats, or to avoid the odd Laser or Enterprise during club racing: then the 400 comes into its own.



i know from first hand experience how the 800 in small spaces can be a pig. try narrow harbour entrance, wind blowing straight onto the bow.

having such a big main (the 400) as is said bigger than the 4k, doesn't that mean you have to be a serious crew weight to get it flat or does it de-power well?
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redback View Drop Down
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Posts: 1502 		Post Options Post Options   Quote redback Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 07 at 12:18am
The 400 does have quite a large mainsail - larger than a 4000s for instance.  But getting back to the 200 they do seem like an excellent and racy boat for a couple of lightwieghts and they sail well to their handicap over a wide wind range.
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ChrisJ View Drop Down
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Posts: 337 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ChrisJ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 07 at 2:49pm

The 400 main might well be bigger! (Its probably not: the 800 main costs about 8% more than the 400 main).

The 800 being a skiff type of boat it tends to fly over the water more than the 400, which sails through the water. So once the 800 is up and flying (planing up-wind etc.) it would need less power to drive it than the heavier 400.

But once you need to tack to keep out of the tide, or to out-manouvre other boats, or to avoid the odd Laser or Enterprise during club racing: then the 400 comes into its own.

What ever the size of the main is, it is often the sheet load that matters - and that is a combination of sheeting position on the boom, bendiness of the boom, purchase in the main sheet, bendiness in the mast, and how the boats are sailed.



Edited by ChrisJ
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Posts: 100 		Post Options Post Options   Quote SetSail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 07 at 12:13am
thanks for that, very clear. i think im right in saying the 400 mainsail size isn't that far away from the 800, or so it appears.


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ChrisJ View Drop Down
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Posts: 337 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ChrisJ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 07 at 9:22pm

The 400 is less "frisky" than the 200. It is probably an easier boat to sail, but the sails are bigger and therefore the sheet loads are heavier.

Weight in a 400 is somewhere between 21 and 30 stone - the top guys are 23 to 24 stone, but the boat carries weight very well, so the range of weight is better than in a 200 - and being a keel stepped mast with a ram it is more controllable than than the 200's deck stepped mast.

The 400 being less frisky gives you about a second longer to control it in a gust with the kite up - but only a second! If you delay the bear away when the gust hits then both can send you swimming.

Inland in very light (<7 mph) the 400 is much better than a 200, and in > 25mph the 400 allows a slightly longer response time. In between (most sailing conditions?) there is little to choose between them for nippyness - both tack quick, accelerate quick and have the fun of the asymetric. Less than 21 stone: go for the 200. More than 24 stone: go for the 400. In between: that would depend what else is sailed at your club.
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Posts: 100 		Post Options Post Options   Quote SetSail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 07 at 7:49pm
if i could go off topic slightly, how does the 200 compare to the 400? i would guess heavier crew were needed, but does it feel as nippy? 
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Gray Daze View Drop Down
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Posts: 35 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Gray Daze Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 07 at 6:27pm

Would anyone say the PY is right, the one at the club is always near the front of the fleet racing against laser 4000s etc. They seem a lot faster than the 420s and ents etc but is that just my imagination or are they really that much faster? Also beats the vago on a regular basis. It also looks like it flies downwind in F4ish. How easily are they de-powered? And does it make a lot of difference?

Are there any alternatives of a similar speed which have a lowish crew weight?

Thanks again

 



Edited by Gray Daze
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Fans1024 View Drop Down
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Posts: 177 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Fans1024 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 May 07 at 11:44pm
When I first got the RS200, me and brother capsized a lot.  For two reasons, inexperianced and we were also chronicly underweight for the boat [I think the all up weight was 95/100kgs].  Basically we were bored stiff with the mirror and at this point there was no fevas etc that would have filled the gap.  We knew it was going to a very steep learning curve and it was.  But I learn more in the first year of sailing it than I did in all my mirror years.  When we sold the boat, we barely capsized, even in the strong stuff - at this point we a had an all up weight of about 115kg.
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redback View Drop Down
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Posts: 1502 		Post Options Post Options   Quote redback Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 May 07 at 11:35pm
Oh - that's good it matches their weight and good advice about the owners club.  I guess they should also look at the RS site too. http://www.rssailing.com/fleets.asp?fleet=RS200
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