What would be the better boat to sail in heavy ish conditions in rough seas.

Would the MX Ray be up to it?

As a Laser Sailor, I would be saying a Laser.

It all goes back to your experience, weight and ability. How easily you will require parts and "how rough" the conditions are?

I can sail my Laser in a F6 with the radial rig on, at least the Laser you can change the rig, not sure you can with the MX

And for my biased opinion, if you're a big bugger the Finn is perfect, it's almost like a mini yacht and is more than happy in the waves.

I find the laser gets slapped around too much in waves, where the Finn has the mass and weight to go through them happily.

Well, i am 5ft11 and 11.5 st.

The conditions will be quite rough, i currently sail a laser 3k and an International 14,

I would quite like an MX Ray but the one thing worrying me is the lack of spares, i could make some of the spares if i broke anything but it would be a hassle.

I am also worried about the upwind performance, are they really as bas as people say?

Dan

Ok ignore my suggestion, you're probably too light.

Though i still think both boats are prob not too good in rough seas., Blaxe might be a good idea though.

I would love to get a blaze x but, i am a student and cannot afford one, even second hand, unless someone will do an exchange for a contender.

I cannot afford anything much more than a laser or an MX Ray, i have been given an offer on one.

Also the only way for me to but any of these boats will to be to sell my contender, as i dont get on with the boom clearance.

Dan

Well, i dont know.

I think that it will have to be a laser, and see how it goes.

The MX Ray would be lovely downwind but its a bit of a risky buy.

I have tried the supernova, worse than the laser going up wind in my opinion and they are expensive.

Redeye looks wow but, again, expensive. I am a student and cannot afford an expensive dinghy.

I am still trying to sell my contender.

i am not hoping for much for the contender, about £650.

So i only want something cheap to sail in heavy weather as i said earlier.

I also wont be doing any class events in it.

Yeah.

I have seen one for a good price, i will give the bloke a ring when the contender is sold.

If you want fun in big winds and waves in a single hander - Contender.

They are superb in those conditions and way better than most of the boats mentioned when it's breezy.

The hiking boats will fee like slow hard work after this classic.

I

A moth wouldnt really be suitable off of the sailing club where i sail, it wouldnt last a season, it gets verry rough in any wind in most wind directions and i thinkg it would be impossible to launch it,

An RS 300 is out of the question because of the cost.

wot about something like a 600, pretty cheao and a lot of boat for your money these days

Get in fast if your after a 600 though... exceptional value this time last year but prices are on the rise at the moment with a big boost in popularity.

I woyuldnt imagine i would be able to get a 600 under £1000

If i cant get it for about £650 -£750 its out of my price range.

looks like a fairly god example to be honest, there are a fair few older moths about you could even get a wider one and it WILL be able to take some rough seas and it will be well within your price range. If you like the look of the 300 then why not, after all the 300 was designed and its construction was overseen by one of the builders responsible for some very succesful wider moths hence the very very very similar under water sections on the 300 as some of ther wide moths around. A wider moth will go pretty quick aswell, quicker than a laser and its going to have a better rig than the MX Ray. And if you really wanted you could stcik an assymetric on it, it wont be class legal but if your just wanting a boat for blasting around in then why the hell not.

You can be lucky with old Lasers but £650 isn't much of a budget. Check that the deck doesn't have any soft spots and that the mast step isn't disintegrating; not good in a blow.

I can't see any real difference between the Rooster copy and the real thing apart from the heavy sub that you have to pay Laser. Does your club really want to support that?

I couldn't agree with your points about older Lasers more, Merlinboy. I just can't see the sense in clubs preventing their members from using copy sails for club racing...

However, despite some of the views expressed in this thread I don't think it's impossible to have fun in a Laser in a good blow... 12-15knots downwind isn't impossible and it requires more skill than some people would give credit for!

Can it get to windy for a 14 ?

I windsurfed to MB and tt's standard.

It's a great option when ther's too much wind for a boat. If you have the balance for a 14 ( I assume you mean International rather than Topper or Skipper) then you'll find the crossover easy enough and will already have a good idea how the rig works. Windsurfing kit drops its value like a stone so you should be able to get fairly modern stuff for your money. 

yeah especially when its too gusty for me to get out on the trap,and there are no hiking straps, i nearly fell out, it was most nervewracking.

Good fun though, as andrew said, a very steep learining curve, i can see why people sail them.