cheap singlehander options
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Choosing a boat
Forum Discription: Ask any questions about the sport!
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11991
Printed Date: 05 Aug 25 at 2:19am
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Topic: cheap singlehander options
Posted By: sawman
Subject: cheap singlehander options
Date Posted: 04 May 15 at 12:50pm
I keep thinking about picking up a cheap singlehander, to race when my crew is not available. say £500-800 budget.
I suppose a laser is the obvious choice, I can probably find a serviceable one for the budget, and its a decent all rounder (I'm estuary & sea sailing) I have had one before so know what they are about.
But could I get something else that would fit the use and budget. I have always had a hankering for an ok but I suspect the budget might preclude a reasonable one (I don't want to spend all winter mending things!) Solos and streakers are an option, but can I get one in budget thats not knackered?
I'm just shy of 90kgs it that helps.
Any other options to consider?
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Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 04 May 15 at 1:06pm
I don't know that any boat you get for that budget is going to be anything but tired. What you may want to consider though is that there seems to be quite a big jump in performance where classes have adopted modern construction, so the difference between a 500 quid Laser and a new Laser may not be as big as the difference between a 500 quid glass Solo and a new foam sandwich Solo.
TBH though, I would be very wary of any pre sandwich glass boat. Old glass Solos, for example, tend to leak like sieves.
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Posted By: sawman
Date Posted: 04 May 15 at 2:26pm
Cheers Jim, I hear what you are saying about older solos etc, I suspect the line of least resistance is going to be laser, if I can find a dry one with a solid mast pot, and and XD pack in budget I'd happily leave it on the beach for days that I need it
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Posted By: turnturtle
Date Posted: 05 May 15 at 3:59pm
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for a couple of hundred quid more you could be very silly and very stupid and get an older RS600.... at least it'll have a bit more charisma than a beaten up Laser (which is obviously the only sensible recommendation).
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 05 May 15 at 9:55pm
I bought a Lightning when in this situation, as it was far better than any Solo for the price. However, at 90 kg you'd be quite heavy for it. Less so than a Streaker, mind, and there are 90kg sailors out there.
I suspect an older wooden or maybe composite OK hull would be fine for the money, but would need upkeep. Would have a tin rig, too, of course, but then that has no real upkeep issues, and you'd not be competitive with the top of the fleet anyway, I'd think while learning to sail the boat (or, in my case, at all).
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 06 May 15 at 8:53am
Hi Sawman
You may find an Old Phantom for that money and at 90kg you would be fine for it.
It would be wood or grp with a tin rig so not competetive but fun, or a Contender.
Cheers
Gordon
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Gordon
Lossc
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Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 06 May 15 at 8:59am
Hi Sawman
Just thought I would check what I had said and their are 2 on the Phantom class association website classsifieds in your price range.
Cheers
Gordon
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Gordon
Lossc
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Posted By: Woodburner
Date Posted: 06 May 15 at 11:16am
I should pitch in and mention the EPS, if you've got enough room to let it stretch its legs, I've enjoyed mine this past couple of years..
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Posted By: sawman
Date Posted: 06 May 15 at 7:31pm
Originally posted by gordon1277
Hi Sawman
Just thought I would check what I had said and their are 2 on the Phantom class association website classsifieds in your price range.
Cheers
Gordon |
the phantom did cross my mind, as there are a few sailing in these waters, but I figured that a sub 800 phantom is going to be further off the pace than a similar priced laser - although I may be wrong in that assumption???
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Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 8:08am
Hi Sawman
It would depend if you can get the club to give you an age related handicap, which for an old woodie with tin rig, about 1047. I would have thought any boat at about that price is not going to be competetive with a new boat, unless you stick new rig and sails on it.
Regards
Gordon
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Gordon
Lossc
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Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 9:49am
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I suppose an "advantage" of a dead class like the EPS is that they are all old and slow and off the pace, but there are a considerable number of drawbacks as well, not the least being that such a class obviously had a very, shall we say selective, appeal when it was being produced, so you'd be well advised to have an extensive trial sail on one before purchase to see if you are part of that select group that does get on with the class in question.
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 10:26am
The eps is great for small people - I'd say 90kg is pushing it. It is a very low volume hull. Trouble is, the sail is quite powerful, so they tend to be a handful in a blow for those suited to the hull. Lots of swims after about force 4, from what I've seen, till you really get to grips with it. Then you have a very fun boat.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Posted By: Woodburner
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 10:49am
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Well I took none of their advice, because they're stick in the mud dinghy sailors, they all told me the EPS was a waste of time, but it was quite the contrary. It does have a big sail, but there is a smaller version and sailmakers still producing it. The beauty of it, although the handicap for it is unfavourable because of the moronic attitude the bozos on the PYAG committee have to what they decide is a live or dead class, it has remained static. This does however give you the potential if you sail it in a slower handicap fleet, to make mistakes yet still get back in the mix and learn what's going on at the front of the fleet which is invaluable. Never listen to bullsh*t about class racing, all that does is provide better sailors (and most of the posters here are good sailors) with mid and back end fleet cannon fodder, you'll never catch them if you're still in a learning curve, so having a slightly faster boat can keep you in the mix much to their annoyance and given you are not going to win anything anyway, it also gives you an ego saving excuse of a crap handicap. Then, when the moment eventually dawns and you do find yourself out front or up there,you're prepared without those nerves you inevitably get if you do find yourself unexpectedly ahead.
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 10:56am
I'd say the EPS has a pretty reasonable handicap. It has dropped loads over the last few years - it used to be rated considerably faster than a Phantom, which was very unfair. I think, provided the returns get sent in, that the handicap will drop more over the next few years for the same reasons discussed for the Laser2, at which point it will be a total bandit.
However, in the context of this thread, I'd say it is the wrong boat for Sawman.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Posted By: Woodburner
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 11:06am
Well it hasn't changed in all the time I've owned it, 1024 when I got it and it remains there this what 3 years later during which time the laser has gone from 1078 - 1091 and the Phantom from what 1047 - 1008, for it to be a Bandit it would need to be 1050 or more imv if the main boat opposing it remains a stock Laser which is what is most common and what other boats are there around that give a bit of extra buzz for 800 quid was my logic, who in their right mind really wants a boring bloody Laser Std.
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https://www.ease-distribution.com/moses" rel="nofollow - Foil fun
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 11:40am
I can't remember the figures exactly, but it was 1012 or 1013, and may have been less than that at one point. Pretty close to the 300.
Surely the point of the eps has nothing to do with handicap, though? As you say, it is going to be more fun than a Laser for those looking for a bit of a turbo charge. The result on the spreadsheet is never going to be giving you more than a guide to how well you were sailing that day compared to normal, so why worry about it?
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 12:44pm
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According to my records 1013 on first appearance and for many years, then out to 1020 in 2010 and 1024 a couple of years later.
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 1:05pm
Thank you.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Posted By: sawman
Date Posted: 07 May 15 at 6:54pm
Originally posted by gordon1277
Hi Sawman
It would depend if you can get the club to give you an age related handicap, which for an old woodie with tin rig, about 1047. I would have thought any boat at about that price is not going to be competetive with a new boat, unless you stick new rig and sails on it.
Regards
Gordon |
you might be on to something here - the local phantoms seems to be racing off a py of 995but they are all pretty new machines....
pity theres no pics of those two in the association page
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Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 08 May 15 at 11:23am
Hi Sawman
I would drop them and email, I found it really difficult to get an image on the site when I sold my old boat, modern phones and cameras have to many mb for the site to cope with listings.
Get one of your local guys to let you have a go to see if you like the phantom.
Good Luck
Gordon
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Gordon
Lossc
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Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 08 May 15 at 11:36am
sawman
2 on ebay, with photos, one looks like a problem with a hole in it but only£150 at the moment.
The other looks really nice but £999.
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Gordon
Lossc
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