Hi

I’m new to sailing having just completed my Level 1 & 2 courses using a wayfarer. I’ll be sailing at Draycote sailing club near Coventry, 600 or so acres.

My question is that although I’ve used the forum search function to death I can’t really seem to fathom what would be a good boat for myself. I’d initially been looking at the smaller rota-moulded boats (Pico) but after trying one I realise I’m far too large for these (6’2” and nearly 17 stone ).

Could anyone suggest a suitable boat for a heavyweight who is new to the hobby. I don’t want to buy a boat that will be too much for me, but also don’t want to buy a boat that I’ll be bored of in a few months. I’d like to race one day but at the moment that’s not my first priority I just want a boat that I can learn on and still be happy with for a while.

I’ve got a budget of £2500 - £3000

Any views / advice would be greatly appreciated

Well done for trying the Pico!

Try a Laser - it will teach you a lot and might be a better starting point than a Phantom, but worth trying a Phantom if you are offered one.

Try, try ,try - but don't expect to find perfection - just something that you are not TOO large in that is within your current reaction times.

Everyone moves on from their first boat - but they do LEARN from their first boat.

You didn't say whether you wanted a single or double handed boat?  If two then try a laser 2000 or you wouldn't go very far wrong with a Wayfarer. 

If its a single handed boat you wanted then I would say try a phantom.  I'm sure the class association could arrange a trial sail.  Couple of things you could do to make things more manageable: 1. sail with some mast head buoyancy until you get past the capsizing a lot phase, 2. try and get a boat with a spare sail and get a sailmaker to cut it down so you loose the bottom 1 - 2 meteres.  You'll then be able to control the power better while you're learning.

hope that helps - garry

Thank for all the advice.

I only want a single hander as I have no one else to sail with. The laser sounds like a boat I can grow into for a while, I just was not sure if it would be to much for me to handle or if I'd be too tall to sail it, I'm taller in the body with the legs of a 5'10" person.(what a freak) so boom height is an issue for me.

Originally posted by FireballNeil Welcome to Draycote

Thanks Neil, I've been doing my training with Paul one of your fellow fireball racers.

Hi Dan,

Another option would be a Blaze. I've just purchased one and will be sailing at Draycote. I'm a similar weight to yourself and find it carries weight well. For £2000 you could buy one in pretty good nick and any money you have left could go towards the new Halo rig. This is a larger sail on a carbon mast that is being developed at the moment. It will have a minimum weight limit of 100kg and should be similar speed if not a little faster then a rs300.... I will definately be purchasing one... If you want to have a look at one let me know and i can show around mine and let you have a go in it.... once i have purchased some new wings at the beginning of july.

Graham

Blaze 648

Maybe on first sight it might seem it is not for a beginner.... And maybe for a reel beginner who isn't very confident it might not be. However if you sail within your means and take it slow it shouldn't be a problem and with the wide flat hull of a Blaze it is very stable. That said a Phantom is a brilliant heavy weight boat, but i wouldn't say it is any easier than a Blaze... just look at the size of the sail.

Anyway Dan to give you an idea of single handers at Draycote there are quite a few choices.

Solo... Easy to sail, strong club racing ( one of the best fleets in the country ) but you will proberly find you are too big for one.

Phantom... Great boat, 2 or 3 at Draycote but eventually when you get into racing will find a competitve one is quite expensive.

Blaze... Just me at the moment, but hopefully i can pursuade more to follow.

RS300.. Another fantastic boat with i believe 13 or 14 boats now at Draycote. You might find them a bit full on as a relative beginner.

Laser... A lot at the club but a lot of them don't go out.

Alternatively any single hander out there with a PY number of 1070 or below would guarantee good handicap sailing.

If you choose any of the above mentioned boats you are bound to find plenty of friendly people to give you a hand and point you in the right directiom. From a purely selfish view i'd love it if you chose a Blaze and would give you all the help i could, however whichever boat you choose you will enjoy sailing at Draycote!

Graham

the phantom is the boat I can see you ending up in, but the question is do you want to jump straight into one?  if not, buy a £500 laser, have a thrash for a year, learn the basics, then sell it on and spend the wedge on a decent phantom then.  Alternatively, depending on how brave, or stupid you are feeling, go straight for the phantom, make sure it is self draining as you will fall in a lot, and persevere.

beware of going for something with not enough grunt, as if you find it is a light wind day, you will not be able to sit on the side, and trying to learn to sail scrunched in a ball on a rotomolded hull is going to do nothing for your technique.

http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=114151 - http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=11 4151  i a boat very local to you, and has beaten me far too often, so is definitely club competative.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, lots for me to think about.

From the posts it seems that there really is not a simple learning solution for a large and heavy guy, as all the trainig type boats are built for kids. Do like the idea of a few of the boats mentioned, laser, phantom & blaze. I'm going to take out one of the Draycote owned lasers later on in the week so will see how I get on with that.

The OK carries weight very well, sailors being competitive over 100kg.

The boom looks low while sailing, but while tacking or gybing the boom comes up as the rig straigtens, and if you get a tape measure there is actually more space under it than in a laser, due to the deep cockpit. Plus if you are a heavier sailor you will not have as much rake on the mast which will mean the boom will come up even higher with no mainsheet tension on.

Just remember, no kicker upwind, use mainsheet for leech tension and traveler for setting boom position. Dont forget to let the kicker off downwind for the gybes! It only takes 2 or 3 dunkings from forgetting this, to get the hang of it. The rig is very similar to a europe or fin,  it is a very rewarding boat, doesnt require the fitness a fin does and carries weight unlike the europe.