RS 500 or Laser Vago
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=3278
Printed Date: 05 Aug 25 at 7:53am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: RS 500 or Laser Vago
Posted By: Lysander
Subject: RS 500 or Laser Vago
Date Posted: 10 Aug 07 at 5:15pm
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All,
New to the forum and after some advice on the best boat for my circumstances. I have recently got back into sailing after a long time away and have basically started again from scratch over the last few months. I have been sailing mainly an RS Feva or a Laser. I will race (for fun rather than anything too competative) but mainly just potter about having as much fun as possible. Now the problem. I have 2 young children who love sailing with me (normally one at a time) so the Feva has been ideal. However, I want something that I can sail single handed that will give a bit more sport than the feva (and ideally be a bit of blast) but that I can effectively de- power so that I can take out a 5 or 7 year old for some fun and games whilst not scaring them witless. Looking around the internet (I am overseas at the moment and my club has lots of boats but not a very wide selection) and the obvious choices seem to be in the direction of an RS 500 or a Laser Vago. Grateful for any pointers on good and bad points of both and also what the second hand market is like for both. As an aside I am looking for something that is low maintenance and easy to launch/recover etc. Thanks in anticipation. Lysander |
Replies:
Posted By: runningfree
Date Posted: 10 Aug 07 at 8:35pm
| Well from my experience the 500 singlehanded wouldnt work if you were too light, how much do you weigh? Also if you have young children it may be a little bit scary if they arnt particularly experienced. But its a great boat with great build quality and is good if you sail in a place big enough. |
Posted By: FireballNeil
Date Posted: 10 Aug 07 at 8:43pm
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Or you could get a Fireball, be quick you've got 20minutes for a nice example on ebay! ------------- Neil 
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Posted By: English Dave
Date Posted: 11 Aug 07 at 9:03am
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There's someone in a similar situation to yourself http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3269 - here . There's a considerable amount of anti Vago feeling within this grp/carbon biased forum. As a 1 or 2-up boat the Vago is not a bad compromise, although I think the XD rig is needed to give the boat its best. Laser dropped a big clanger when they made outrageous performance claims that the rest of us simply haven't seen. But it's a sprightly boat and easy enough to move about the boat park. The deep cockpit and thwarts work well in terms of keeping you children in the boat. And everything is within reach if you want to singlehand. Give it a try. ------------- English Dave http://www.ballyholme.com - Ballyholme Yacht Club (You'd think I'd be better at it by now) Hurricane 5.9 SX RS700 |
Posted By: sailor_420
Date Posted: 11 Aug 07 at 1:39pm
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The RS 500 is great! As long as the place you sail is big enough then its really good fun! The rigging isnt too complicated, rig is fairly forgiving, good fun in 4+ (admittedly need a heavier crew or that). I havent sailed the vago yet but there was/is (not sure if its gone) that was at the local sailing school but they sold it because it was too hard to sail and not stable enough and then it went to someone at the sailing club who i think got rid of it because on a windyish day (F5 maybe) his crew slipped and ended up on the shroud and then the boat ended up with a horrible black mark from the crews shoes. But then again downwind they look a blast! ------------- |
Posted By: Lysander
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 11:40am
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Runningfree,
I come in at about 92kg (so not exactly feather light!). Not sure what locations I will be sailing at as I do not know where we will end up back in the Uk when we move back in the next year. In terms of the 500 and the kids. They are young and therefore not experienced although I make a point oftipping us all in every now and again to build their confidence I would want something that I know I can de-power as required (I wouldn't use a spinaker in any thing but a gentle breeze with them just yet) so that we can have a bit of a laugh without putting them off sailing for life. Sailor_420. Vago sounds a bit tippy. Happy for me to get dumped over the side on a reasonably regular basis but would want something that I can be sure will not run away from me when I have got one of the children on board. Sounds like a may have to go for 2 boats! A 200 maybe plus a Feva XL for the kids? Thoughts anyone? |
Posted By: Hobbo
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 2:12pm
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Sounds like the two boat idea is the best solution. The Feva would be ideal as the XL rig allows you to potter around with them and still be entertained and the baoat is also ideal for the two of them to eventually begin to sail together, I suspect you would need to buy the small rig for them to do this at the moment though. Feva gets a bit of a bashing on this forum though for what it is Ithink it is a fantastic boat, highyl durable and as entertatining as possible for its design brief. As for yourself you havn't really specified what you'd like. The idea of singlehanding a Vago or a 500 suggests you would like a boat that you are capable of singlehanding but in which the kids have something to do if they are crewing. Both the Vago and the 500 are viable choices, though if you do decide to go down that route you should probably have a look at the 3000 which is possibly cheaper - other people on the forum will be able to tell you more about it. For a complete alternative you may wish to look at the RS Vareo, which is a dedicated singlehander and may be a better option for you if you wish to get into racing/ push the boat to its full potential whilst still having a kite for your little ones to play with. If the kids really get into the Feva and you want a singlehander designed for your weight you could do worse than a Phantom, a relatively fun boat that'll provide good racing and a challenge to get it going fast. Good luck with whatever you chose  ------------- Contender GBR 362 Osprey 1318 - IVplay SSC |
Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 3:19pm
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have sailed the vago alot at work with the big and small rigs and found that is flexed like mad and looses alot of power from this. also the big rig is an odd cut with the leach hooking like mad no matter what you do. just be aware that it is built very cheeply and all the ropes and fittings are cheep. the smaller rig is ok very small but can be reefed so ok singlehanded. the vago for some reason dosent have a tapered mast which may work with the fat head main but not with the other sails the rs seems alot nicer boat and over the long run will be easier to repair. plastic boats take knocks better hower require plastic welding and can be dented and scraped so that the plasic peels off . a grp boat just needs a bit of filler and some wet and dry. ------------- TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala |
Posted By: Lysander
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 6:21pm
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olly_love & Hobbo,
Thanks for your thoughts. Feva XL sounds promising (and flexible enough if I pick up a regular rig that the kids can grow into and sail themselves in due course. In terms of what I want - something that will go v fast whilst not taking too much in the way of maintenance or specialist care. Ideally something that I will be comfortable sailing single handed but can get a second person on board at a squeeze (and has a kite). Regards Lysander |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 9:38am
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The current Y&Y has some good reviews in about the Xenon and the Vago (and the trio). Definitely interesting reading..... ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 30 Aug 07 at 8:13pm
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RS500 too powerful to single hand. Hardly any 2nd hand = expensive. Vago not very nice (see all the other threads) and also not many 2nd hand around. Feva the kids will love, but you'll soon find it very slow on your own unless its blowing a hooly. FYI - The 3000 is a stable, easy, asymetric, trapeze boat ideal for the kids to learn trapezing on. Faster than a Vago, probably slower than an RS500. Easier to sail than either. It may seem a bit small for a 92kg person - there isn't much to the hull, no thwarts and virtually no freeboard but recent mods have opened up the deck space a load. With the new North sails on, and single handing fromthe trapeze, my 78kg can manage in up to F4. With the original Hyde sails I'd be OK up to F5+ (the main reefs and the jib furls). At 92kg you could probably single hand it hiking! 2nd hand from £1600, new for around £5000 (£6000 with all the towing and covering gear). The 3000 was my ideal "compromise" boat for sailing both with the kids and alone (and they can now manage it themselves). Though when it's really windy and the crews won't emerge from cyberspace, I do sometimes long for a contender. ------------- Javelin 558 Contender 2574 |
Posted By: redback
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 11:05am
| If you want a plastic boat - I've heard the RS Vision is good and can have a trap for the kids to play with. A bit slower than the 500, 3000 but probably as fast as a Vago and a lot more flexible in type of use. Of course being plastic like the Vago its probably a bit too flexible - literally. |