Just had my first lesson yesterday and I am hooked totally what a brilliant sport! Now I need to sort out what dinghy to look for.I am 91/2 stone, female and would like to have fun most of the time on my own, but occasionally take someone with me , can't see myself ever wanting to race seriously, getting on in years but still fit and active, so will not just want to potter about at a snails pace but there again do not want to be dunked in the pond too much. Not got much money, am I asking the impossible.

Any help very gratefully received as I know nothing !

Um well you are the right weight for a Topper but they don't have much room when you want to take someone out and they can go fast in the heavier stuff.

I don't like recommending anyone gets a pico but they are an option i guess because they are mostly sailed single handed but have the capasity for a jib and someone to take with you.

Topaz also has the option of double handed and single handed.

Try as many as you can at your club and then look on the notice board and in magazines and on the net to find a cheap one for sale.

Here are some websites you can try and see if you like Topper, Topaz etc (ignore the price becasue they obviously arent that much second hand)

http://www.toppersailboats.com - www.toppersailboats.com  (topper and Topaz)

http://www.lasersailing.com - www.lasersailing.com (Pico)

http://www.ldcracingsailboats.com - www.ldcracingsailboats.com (have boats like the RS reva which are good single handed or with a crew)

Yeah thats true Many women at my club sail a Lightning 368's and i sail them a fair bit, they are nice handling boats to sail and they do have a bit of  extra room for a passenger i guess. They are cheap aswell because my freind has just got a nice one for £400.

They can go fast in heavy winds buut still are good fun in lighter airs.

Thank you for all your help, it is difficult when you know nowt  Pity they don't advertise boats like horses, bombproof cob for total beginner good to load, shoe etc, for example  The website leads are great as I don't know yet what a lot of the dinghys are called so sites are not easy to find.

Roll on next Saturday and the next lesson

Hi Helen,

I think that Garry's advice is best - find a club that suits you first. Check out all of the clubs in the area where you wish to sail, talk to people, see what is going on, find out if the club meets your needs (sea/inland, water size, facilities, racing, social, training, when open, club boat availability, cost, etc., etc.). If you have only had one lesson, in my opinion, it is not a good idea to even think about buying a boat yet.  I think that it is best to learn about all aspects of our sport and then ascertain what you really want to do in the short term, say during the next eight months.

If you join a club, you may also get the chance to crew for someone which will also speed up your learning.  Clubs with a good training set up may also give you further learning opportunities and also the chance to sail in a variety of boats. Check out the R.Y.A. site for clubs in a specific area or even the 'clubs and classes' section of this site. 

Do what Garry suggests - join a club but not just the first one that you look at, check a few out and visit them more than once. If you mention, in this thread, the area where you live and the area where you wish to sail, I am sure that the regular contributors to the forum will assist you regarding clubs.

Ian  (Yorkshire Dales S.C.)

Helen B!! Keeps us posted!! Let us know what you chose, how you got on with it, how soon after the first launch you capsized ( if it hasn't happened, you're not trying hard enough ). Better still, post pictures! You can on this thread - click the  and browse through your sailing files.

I'm looking forward to see the results . Enjoy!!

BnS

I am learning on GPS14 which is not a lot of use to me when I am on my own. Now just had lesson 3 and sailed away without an instructor on board......yes!!

Lesson 4 to go then off into the blue on my own. What a great sport, really looking forward to getting my own boat and learning as I go how to do things better.

At the moment the Topaz is looking good, know some off you have said no, but I like the idea that it is single when I want it, but can take two if I find someone brave enough to join me

But it is early days yet and I have lots of research and trial sails to do, exciting !

Once again thank you for all your input really is appreciated.

where are you learning helen?

I'm inclined to say get a proper boat too.  But beware of wood the maintenance can be very time consuming.  I've not sailed a Topaz or Pico or similar but looking at them I feel the manufacturers are selling an image thing which looks like it detracts from good handling (I may be wrong) but there are so many older designs where the feel and responsiveness of the boat has a higher priority and may therefore give you longer term satisfaction.  The Mirror is a beautiful handling boat, so too is the Miracle, Pacer and Graduate and they can be very cheap.

Its been said before but I must repeat - you should sail what they sail at your club.

Why is this important ? As I said before I know nothing  Not too happy about buying a wooden boat either, more maintenance and surely needs specialist knowledge to maintain. Think I am past the age when fluttering eyelashes would do any good in helping to haul a boat up the slip, all it would do is to get a query of 'did I have something in my eye'

I have sailed Pico's a few times. 

They are basically uncomfortable and awkward to move around because you are crawling on all fours the whole time - very different to a GP14.  Also very wet when sailing because you are so low to the water.  The rudder is a pain because of the hinged tiller which means if you pull on the tiller quite often the rudder comes flying up as well which isn't good for steering.  If you put two sensible sized adults in them you get a lot of water coming in over the transom too.

I haven't sailed a Topaz but having seen them on the shore a lot of the above comments on sailing position and crawling on all fours probably apply.

One boat you might consider is the RS Vareo with the small sail.  It is similar sort of concept in that it is mainly for 1 person but can take 2, and if you are taking two you can get the spinnaker kit to go with it for more entertainment.  They are relatively light and are not made of wood so maintenance is low.  The sailing position is better than a Pico and they are definitely more refined.  The only problem is they cost a bit more.

Why is it good to sail a boat other people at the club have - mainly because it is an immediate way to make friends, secondly they will be in a good position to give you advice on how to sail better / fix common problems / source of second hand gear.  It may not be so vital if you aren't racing but it still has its advantages.

If possible, try to have a test sail in the couple of boats you are interested in - then make up your mind.

Keep enjoying yourself!

Because if you want advice, there will be other people around familiar with the boat.

Because the group of people sailing the same class of boat provides an instant social network at the club.

Because if you do want to race (and most dinghy sailors do, whether they think they will in the beginning or not) you get much better racing against boats in the same class.

another boot in on picos, sorry

Our club bought 6 for training(brand new), a big mistake, wet, heavy, masts fell out when upside down(we adapted so they no longer), leaked like sieves through transom drains where plastic was non existant in corners, unstable when windy .

Kids that learn't in them didn't want to sail them once they new what they were doing , all went Toppering instead .

But what is worst is , that after only a few years , the hulls are majorly distorted , for reasons unknown, great big hollows appeared and bumps  not even in same places , and not through there use , we're stuck with them, but as we will flogg em till dead doesn't really matter , but if had bought one privately I wouldn't be impressed with a 4yr old unselleable boat (other than at give away price!)

We even had one nicked and used as a wheelbarrow to take away our rescue boats' fuel tanks , the thieves didn't even want it and it was found abandoned , minus the fuel tanks !

Another club I'm a member of bought some Topaz's which seem to produce much more favourable response from the sailors and have not developed any strange distortions.