new boat
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Beginner questions
Forum Discription: Advice for those who are new to sailing
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5200
Printed Date: 09 Aug 25 at 10:09pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: new boat
Posted By: desteve1
Subject: new boat
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 1:56pm
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I am a very light 13 year old (40 kg to be exact) and am not sure what boat to buy. I live in germany and we dont have very many classes over here so I was wondering if i Should get an English class or a not very good german class. (by the way optimist is not a choice)  |
Replies:
Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 2:01pm
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The Topper. Fantastic class, right weight range and loads available over here. If there aren't any in German, a quick trip over on the tunnel, throw it on a car roof and drive back. The Laser 4.7 would be a handful. Another boat could be a Laser Pico, but I think you'd have more fun in a Topper. ------------- |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 2:11pm
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You may not find that the English boats are that well suited to your sailing conditions anyway... If you were in Britain I'd recommend a Topper, but you really don't want to be the only person in your area with one. Apart from anything else you'll probably onmly want to keep a boat a couple of years, and if you get some obscure english class the chances of selling it are low...
If you're in Northern Germany I think I saw an press release saying the Danes are buying lots of RS Fevas, which are nice two handers for your sort of agegroup, so there would be a market for them over the border at least. They're also getting the RS Tera singlhander, which looks a bit less of a packing case than the Optimist, but I don't know a lot about them. Other than that diffcult to say: there's the nasty Laser 4.7, which is a big lump to pull around the dinghy park if you're 40kg... |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 2:27pm
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ive sailed toppers in england and they were pretty fun but where i live there is almost no wind and so i want a good boat that goes like a rocket in low wind. Ive sailed laser 2s they are pretty fun but it is about 10 years old. |
Posted By: coleyy
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 2:37pm
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yh the best boat for a 13 year old like yourself is either a laser pico, topper depends on how much sailing experience you've had laser for the more experienced. callum |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 2:42pm
| thanks ill mabe go for the topper but then I wont get to race it |
Posted By: stuarthop
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 3:26pm
| sorry, but it has to be an optimist. best boat fro your age and weight, can learn a hell of a lot sailing them and they're a very close and tactical class to race |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 3:47pm
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Best bet for you is the 'Splash' or Optimist. http://www.splashdinghy.org.uk/ - link to splash uk website http://www.splashworldwide.org/index.php - link to worldwide website http://www.splash-boat.com/ - link to splash global distributors list http://www.splash-flash.de/ - link to German splash association far superior to toppers, pico's etc  Splash is built in Holland and is a very very big class in Europe. Optimist... well it's huge everywhere. http://www.optiworld.org/ - link to Optimist global website ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: coleyy
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 5:12pm
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aha but from a 14 year old like myself i have sailed optimists but they are jus to small even for myself, topper is easier to rigg, and the topper are easier to tack and gybe trust me if your lucking for a first boat topper much better than an optimist and cheaper, you can pick a second hand one for about £350, my friend is selling one race spec to. callum |
Posted By: dave.blakesley
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 5:14pm
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Remind me again how oppies are difficult to rig, tack or gybe? ------------- |
Posted By: coleyy
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 5:24pm
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did i mention it was difficult i said its easier. plus you have to basicly lay down, to try and tack or gybe . |
Posted By: stuarthop
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 7:50pm
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I sailed optimists at national squad level until i was 16. One of my freinds in the national squad was 6 foot tall and just under 10 stone when he got too big for an optimist. Most junior sailors leave the class too soon |
Posted By: coleyy
Date Posted: 23 Feb 09 at 9:26pm
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yes i know what you mean but once you mastered the easier boat, why not go on to something challenging, like my brother he had a listang 25, and now hes sailing open 60's. |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 24 Feb 09 at 7:58am
thanks but the optimist sailors in our club are realy stupid (they try to sail against the wind). anyway there usually isn't much wind to sail into.
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Posted By: English Dave
Date Posted: 24 Feb 09 at 2:39pm
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Have you considered crewing in a larger faster boat? ------------- 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: desteve1
Date Posted: 24 Feb 09 at 3:12pm
| ye but its going to the ocean gods |
Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 24 Feb 09 at 10:56pm
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Oppies suck and toppers aren't much better. These two boats only survive at all because the RYA (the UK's training people) adopted them many years ago when there wasn't much else around. The oppie is a small uncomfortable square ended tub, the topper is a nasty flexy plastic thing with a floppy battenless sail. No-one over the age of 10 should be in an Oppie IMHO and you'd soon grow out of a topper. Get a crewing job! Or get a laser 4.7 with a Radial rig for light wind days. In truth, the laser isn't such a great boat either, but at least it's a proper racing boat not a square ended bath tub - and though relatively expensive at first, you can keep adding bigger sails to the same hull as you get bigger and better at sailing, so never grow out of it. The laser pico is fun too - but HEAVY and pretty slow in light wind. ------------- Javelin 558 Contender 2574 |
Posted By: coleyy
Date Posted: 25 Feb 09 at 6:12pm
| yeah the laser pico with main and gib is good fun on a breezy day! |
Posted By: Contender 541
Date Posted: 25 Feb 09 at 7:00pm
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Laser 4.7 with a Radial rig It's the conventional route for a reason ------------- When you find a big kettle of crazy it's probably best not to stir it - Pointy Haired Boss Crew on 505 8780 |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 25 Feb 09 at 9:29pm
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In this country it is. In Europe it isn't. 'Splash' or 'Flash' ( bigger rig 'Splash' ) is also a conventional route in Europe after Optimists ( 45kg to 65kg more for the Flash ) and is a boat designed for the size of person in transition to adult size boats. The Laser 4.7 / Radial is an Adult size designed hull with a reduced size agricultural rig on it not best suited to a young adolescents physical size. If the UK Optimist mums and dads weren't so brand conscious and bought boats on merit rather than label UK sailors would know about the Splash. ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 9:06am
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the problem is There are only old guys with massive boats ( that they sail singlehanded)
my favorite boat at the club is a laser 2 but it is going to be scrapped cus its old and I need a new boat |
Posted By: dave.blakesley
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 9:13am
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Buy your own laser II? Can pick old battered but perfectly serviceable ones
up for a few hundred £. ------------- |
Posted By: luxuryat
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 12:16pm
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The Laser is the best choice for you as it fits best for your age & weight. No need to think of it anymore.
------------- http://www.yachtloop.com/ - Yacht Search Engine |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 12:25pm
| if I sail with y bro and my dad maybe I could sail a fireball |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 12:54pm
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*my bro
sorry |
Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 1:05pm
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I had a laser 2 for several years. It was fun and knots per dollar, excellent value. But a handful for even an 80kg adult to sail single handed. You'd need a big friend to hang out the side for you. The splash is a nice boat, better than the laser in very many ways, but the smallest rig is about laser radial sized, which might be a little bit much for your 40kg. My son had a radial aged 14 when he weighed around 50kg; he had loads of fun in F3, but struggled in F4/5. His similarly sized mate had a splash and managed it OK in F4. Other decent single handers for the smaller sailor are the Comet (a bit too short, not good in any waves but excellent on a river) and the Byte (expensive with the good carbon rig on it) and the lightning 368 (a strange british boat, but amazingly good value). ------------- Javelin 558 Contender 2574 |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 1:14pm
| idealy Id like to sail with my brother and my dad, I dont want a realy expensive boat. (fire ball is a quick boat and 2nd hand with a slight bit of refurbishing would be the best) |
Posted By: HannahJ
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 5:40pm
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I wouldn't sail three up... First question: would you prefer a singlehanded boat or a doublehanded? All the suggestions so far have been on singlehanders. Secondly: What do the other youth at your club sail?
------------- MIRROR 64799 "Dolphin" The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist hopes it will change; the realist adjusts the sail |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 26 Feb 09 at 8:03pm
naff name, but I would get one of these if I were you: http://www.teeny-kv.de/inter/eng/index-eng.htm??chronik - The website in English http://www.teeny-kv.de/index.htm - The website in German  ------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 27 Feb 09 at 8:54am
| ye I know them but I figured that I would grow out of them in no time |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 27 Feb 09 at 9:48am
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To be honest, you will grow out of almost all boats except the laser, where you can simply keep changing the rig. However, the problem with the laser, especially at your age and weight, is that the hull is very heavy and could cause damage to your still growing spine. You would be better off to buy a boat that suits you now but that you can guarantee will have a good second hand value in a short period of time when you need to change it. I had that in mind when I recommended the Teeny, because it does appear to be a growing class in Germany, so you should be able to sell it on when you need to and then maybe think about something bigger. Unfortunately sailing is like that for the young - you can't really get a class and stick with it. You would have the same trouble with the RS Feva. You might well be able to stay in a 420 for longer and there are plenty of those around you. And of course once you reach a decent height and weight you'll be buying a contender - really popular in Germany, with lots of good German builders and sailors - including the World Youth champion! ------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 27 Feb 09 at 1:25pm
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im going to sail vaurien in the summer so ill try those out
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Posted By: desteve1
Date Posted: 02 Jul 09 at 2:24pm
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would you recomend the same if i was to live in england ------------- laser 81188 (looking for a name) |
Posted By: ham4sand
Date Posted: 29 Jul 09 at 2:29pm
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you sed u sailed a laser 2... did u trapeze? if so... consider a laser vago with the small sails... i sailed mine trapeze single-handed at 12...and i thgink there are a few about in germany... brilliant starter boat edit: if u also buy the xd sails u can take mates out for a blast which is awesome fun :) also u wont grow out of it anytime soon... a friend still sails my old one now iv got a cherub and manages to trapeze with the xd rig at about 90kg ------------- John Hamilton cherub 2645 - cheese before bedtime cherub 3209 - anatidaephobia laser 176847 - kiss this [FORSALE] |
Posted By: tack'ho
Date Posted: 05 Aug 09 at 6:33pm
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errrrrrrr.....Europe...big in errrr Europe. Probably a little bit powerful at the moment even with a green band mast but you should grow into it soon enough. And still way better sutited than a Laser; and by buying and selling masts and sails as you grow, it'll grow with you. ------------- I might be sailing it, but it's still sh**e! |