Recent, but not specific, topics and other influences have had me thinking how dinghy racing can be accessible for older people.

This topic ran and ran on the wooden boat forum but was aimed at self builders casual sailing. 

There is clearly a very wide spread of fitness as we age so rather than get all hung up on a particular age it is easier to refer to ‘healthspan’ (the part of a person’s life during which they are generally in good health). I don’t believe that a person who has reached 80% of their healthspan has many dinghy sailing options. 

Speaking very generally the retirees are willing to splash the cash (lump sum from pension etc) but shy away from going out when the wind becomes moderately interesting. I don’t believe this is about ability but that capsize recovery is such an ordeal. The options I believe are:

What I think is required is:

I am sure there are people who believe that they sail the ideal class for an 80% sailor and though some classes have some good attributes nothing I know of is ideal. 

The key is probably to maintain fitness and agility for as long as is possible.  Some of our sailors have shorter leeched sails, righting lines and fit crotch straps to their buoyancy aids, all of which help.

I suspect that when I am no longer able to sail a Solo, I will need to sail with someone else, probably at the front end of a two hander since I will no doubt be a liability to other harbour users on my own!

Oddly, my 300 is a doddle to get back in after a capsize, but you need to be more reactive to make sure it doesn’t in the first place.

Part of the catalyst was a recent safety duty where I assisted  a couple of Solos, an OK and a Streaker all of who had righted successfully but simply could not get back onboard their boats.

The easiest boat I have righted were my ICs, and they are sailed by mature people but sadly not suitable for where we sail. 

There is an AYRS boat with a sliding seat with an outrigger at the end of each seat when the seat is fully extended the leeward outrigger tucks into the hull. 

The ICs only issue is how uncomfortable it is in light wind. I suppose with development IC you could prioritise light wind comfort. 

I knew the H2 would come up and it is a gorgeous boat but personally a bit of big boat with a big sail area for my image of an 80%. 

well Tink, I examined this issue in some detail a while back..... cast your eye over https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/188538/Silver-Dream-Racer

Dinghy sailing is quite remarkable in the fact that it can be one of the most 'un-ageist' of participation sports. Before posting, I reread my article and with another 3 years now 'on the clock' I'd not change much.....in terms of single handers recoverability out afloat I would say was now the must crucial aspect - that and ease of moving about on shore. I can still hike, waggle a tiller and pull in the mainsheet, so performance sailing is still possible IF.... you can get someone fit and nimble to do the leaping around in the front of the boat.

Still in reflective mode - it is sad that out of  the three boats I name checked as being better for the older sailor, the Alto, Icon and H2, only the singlehander is a going concern. I was RO for their Nationals again this year (second year in a row.....a nice class that are a joy to manage) and even in the difficult going, they were still recoverable by 'older' sailors - as in older than me and I'm old!

Bottom line - chose the right boat/boat+crew and there is not a lot to stop you sailing on into the 70s!

D

Remembered call, called a Quill

https://proafile.com/multihull-boats/article/quill-a-crab-claw-tacking-proa" rel="nofollow - https://proafile.com/multihull-boats/article/quill-a-crab-claw-tacking-proa

Having built 3 Proas I think a tacking proa has a lot of mileage. Bolger-esk dirty sketch, I doubt they would let me race it though.

It's light enough and 14' is not too long IMHO but I agree about the size of the rig (hence my 'reduced rig' comment). It is wide too which is a mixed blessing, and doesn't have a reputation for being quick in the light* (though it should be pretty comfortable). For me the downside is that even the oldest used boats are only a few years old and holding their value pretty well.

An H2lite with around 8m2 could be very attractive proposition but, given the lack of success of the (superb) Fire rig in the Blaze class I doubt they'll want to tread that path. And, I guess, the Fire rig is not popular 'cos the Blaze rig is just so manageable in a breeze so maybe the H2 rig is similar?

When I'm older I'd guess a boat that excels in F2 would be more suitable than one that comes into it's own in F5+ as I will be more likely to stay in the bar when it really blows.

* Which surprises me given the amount of Merlin Rocket in it's DNA, maybe I'm wrong about that though.

One to pull it up and one in water to stabilise and then one in to help the other aboard.  Plus, one to remember the course while the other drives the boat.

A single trapeze boat is also good, one to lounge on the wire while the other perches comfortably; works for us. 

Good topic. (I enjoyed rereading Dougal's piece from 2016.) This has been discussed in a previous thread but I feel that if you cannot recover your boat and get back in after a capsize you should change to one you can manage or not go out in conditions where the rescue boat is likely to be in demand.  

I would love to get a H2 but I suspect my Solo would be as fast in a drifter and less of a handful in a blow and I would lose class racing.  I really hope the H2 class continues to thrive and grow but with almost new 100 Solos being registered every year and high resale values, it looks a more reliable investment for my tapering stage of sailing.

As I'm responsible for our fleet of club Lasers and our older demographic don't like sailing them. I've just taken an old mainsail and shortened the leach by 37cm. This means the boom will be horizontal when  the mast is bent to the old block to block position with the traveller block on the gunwale. I'll see how it goes this year.

I have also moved the traveller 9" forward to remove the mainsheet around the stern thing. Works well.

There are other simple adaptions I can make to make the Laser easier for us older sailors for almost zero cost

I see no reason not to adapt boats to make them easier to sail within the club context. I'd rather have them used.

Good shout

Still possible to push ashore on the trolley, lifting keel makes it self righting, and the carbon rig is powerful and makes the boat interesting even in lighter winds

Nice ideas, I have frequently thought local  ‘benches’ a bit like the Maverick would make the Laser more comfortable while keeping the low free board and ease of righting 

A great boat, do you have a weed strategy? 

The wonder of carbon fibre, the light rig puts less demand on the deep keel so it can be lighter. The clever bit IMHO was not going too far and fitting an asymmetric but using a club boom allowing easy goose winging.

Not so sure about a trap boat, may be ok on the coast but inland they require a degree of agility that I no longer have. 

Thanks, a very good article that articulates my thoughts much better than I can  https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/188538/Silver-Dream-Racer" rel="nofollow - https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/188538/Silver-Dream-Racer

Back again.....I'm not sure if I am a journalist who does Championships RO, or a Race Officer who writes a bit - either way it is a good combination as you  get the best view in the house as the fleet are sailing. At their more recent even down at Arun SC, I was able to pull the racing forward as the forecast on Day 3 was starting light and getting lighter until 'nothing'.... so I watched the boat across a spread of conditions. The performance in the light stuff is fine.....for those sailors with the knowledge of how to change their rig from one mode to another. The difference between the leaders, who had this cracked - the mid fleet, who knew that changes were needed but didn't get them right and the tail.... who were still stuck in 'medium winds' mode was   so obvious to us on the Committee Boat to be a topic of much conversation. I've sailed the boat in a range of weather (as an 'older' man) and don't think the boat is over canvassed - if you really want to get the feel for this try the earlier H1 which begat the H2 - the rig is even bigger and makes the boat an even better performer in light to medium conditions, but more of a handful in breeze. Once you get used to the boat it doesn't seem too big.... a lot less than the Blaze and it is a much nicer boat than the Blaze (and the HALO) to sail in light airs. Like every new boat, people are still working out which way to rig it works best - there are people sailing with a centre mainsheet on a bridle, on a track, transom sheeting - unlike some other SMODS, how you rig it is left open, but it does result in a wider spread of how people sail it.

D

Agree with that, a 37 plus inch inside leg is tall order mind 

Just a morning coffee doodle, 

(Sorry about font size, don’t know why it sometimes does this)

I'm a short4rse and have no difficulty climbing from the board over the side when righting the Spice which s only 5cm narrower than the H2. I have had a lot of practice though 

I never found moving the seat on my IC much of a chore. It didn’t move under load but was easy to stand up on the gunwale, feed wide apart and pull a rope. That moved it backwards and the main sheet pulled it forward. The track was just jib track with solid Delrin sliders

A mate has a Toy and like Minisail the carriage is fixed. He says this isn’t an issue so perhaps a scow hull would be better and use a fixed seat. 

I was thinking of folding wings on the drive to the cub today, was trying to figure out how to stop them folding in violently. 

The thwart is the big one for me, watching guys kneeling halfway around the course today, not something for an 80%er

Thanks Dougal, missed this first time around but I have read your excellent article 

Have watched a few Minisail videos and looked at the class rule. The rule is very open and would allow development of such a seat. The rig would also allow foot roller reefing around the mast, Topper style. 

Here are a few previous topic links