RS 400, 600, 700 and 800 Nationals

A lot of the reasons behind the 300 revival have already been mentioned; it was sold to the wrong target market initially and got an undeserved repuation for being an ill mannered boat to sail. (and I don't mean it swears a lot).

The people sailing it now have come from a variety of classes - Lasers, Contenders, RS600's, RS400's, etc etc. The class is a very friendly, open and enthusiastic group who all share the same view of the boat 'it just puts a smile on your face'. The boat carries a wide range of weights (Nationals sailors ranged from 57Kgs to 105Kgs) and there is enough demand out there for used boats that prices are bouyant enough for some owners to swap for new boats, despite the fact that older one's are still as quick as new ones.

It's certainly a marmite boat, but most people who know what they're doing will love it if they have a go - there's a whole list of people willing to lend their boat for a demo sail on the 300 website: www.rs300.com

Here endeth the shameless promotion - I'm not affiliated with LDC or anything; I bought a 300 last year and it's totally rejuvinated my love for the sport - it's one of the best, if not the best boat I've ever experienced!