help needed with boat
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=7851
Printed Date: 06 Aug 25 at 3:35am
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Topic: help needed with boat
Posted By: terry1956
Subject: help needed with boat
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 12:57pm
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hi. I am a 5 foot 10 tall 16 stone chap thats not very good at sailing. I have had a go with a supernova and spend more time in the water then on it reason i think little room in the cockpit for me. I don,t realy want a solo, and have sailed a laser 2000 with a crew member and loved the boat, space easy controls and sable.
I have been told to look for an rs vario, but as there is not one at my club and not wishing to spend 1000,s on something i will nto like. can anyone please please let me know what is good and not so good about the vario. also do laser make a single hander that is as good as the laser 2000.
thanks, terry
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Replies:
Posted By: GybinJoe
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 2:59pm
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In terms of Lasers, you might want to try the Laser 16 or Laser 13.
I've sailed both and loved them! with respect to single handers, the laser satandard or radial might be to your liking. You could also try a 420 if you wouldnt mind having a crew....?
Are you only looking for a dinghy or a multihull?
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Laser Standard (Helm)
J-80 (Crew&Helm)
Laser 2 (Helm)
Beneteau(Crewing for multiple boats)
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Posted By: Foiling_Toff
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 3:12pm
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At 16 stone you could try the rooster 8.1 rig.
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Posted By: tomoore1
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 3:39pm
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As above, try and get a test sail in a rooster 8.1. Otherwise you would be ideal for a phantom.
Try to sail as many boats as you can and you will quickly build up an idea of what you enjoy sailing most. The other option is to try and crew for someone else at your club to build up experience (and cash) to buy the boat you want.
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Restoring Firefly 517
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Posted By: Foiling_Toff
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 3:57pm
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Blaze halo might be option if you have a bit of cash.
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Posted By: terry1956
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 4:08pm
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chaps, sorry put please read my post, I am looking for a single hander dinghy not a lazer 13 or 16 or 420. I am not a very good sailer so a phantom would be far to much for me to handle, I take it that the rooster 8.1 is for the laser 1 which i think would be going backwards from the supernova.
thanks anyway.
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Posted By: doeywizard
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 4:35pm
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in what way do you mean a backwards step from a supernova?
In terms of speed the 8.1 is probably faster and if needed to on a realy windy day you could change to the laser standard sail. If price was an issue then you are going to be able to pick up a laser + 8.1 rig for cheaper than a supernova (in good condition). The laser with all of the differnt rig options would probably make it more managable for you if you dont count your self as the best sailer.
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Topper 46148 for sale
http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=276804
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Posted By: sawman
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 6:07pm
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I cant imagine that putting a big rig on a laser is a great idea for a novice. The vareo may well be exactly what you want. It is a lot more roomy than a laser - both cockpit and boom clearance . Although it comes with an asymmetric kite you dont need to deploy it til you feel you are comfortable. As a boat it sails pretty well, although it can make hard work of upwind legs. It is an absolute hoot reaching with the kite up.
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Posted By: terry1956
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 6:15pm
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thanks sawman, I need roomy as i have a bad knee. when you say that the vario is hard work up wind, how bad is it. also what about the lazer vago, i know it can be sailed single and there are smaller sails available. have you any views on this boat.
terry
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Posted By: Late starter
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 6:16pm
To be honest if you fall in regularly in a simple boat like a Supernova you would be better to gain more on the water experience before you consider changing class. Almost anything suitable is probably going to be as if not more tippy that a Supernova.
Re suitable single handers for a 16 stone person - unfortunately there aren't that many. The Finn and Phantom are the obvious ones. Some say the Blaze Halo may suit, personally I'm unconvinced the Blaze hull is a great weight carrier, great boat that it is for lighter crews. I haven't sailed a Vareo so can't comment directly, though there have been some very mixed reviews on here.
On the other hand, if not falling in is more important than anything else you should consider something with a smaller sail, yes you'll be under-powered a lot of the time but you won't fall in as much. There are many single handers that may suit such as a Solo, the big issue I've found with also being pretty big and heavy is to find a class with a decent sized cockpit otherwise you'll be cramped and uncomfortable.
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Posted By: doeywizard
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 6:47pm
I have sailed a vago, erm sorry if my last post was much help I am rather biast towards lasers as I have just moved onto one. I found that the vago is not the best boat to sail single handed as I have done but that was with all three sails and a trapeze. In gusty weather I realy strugled as I found it quite tippy, it was up and down. However I am only 9.5 stone. In the gusty stuff I did have crew but it cept heeling to windward after gusts and I had a lot of playing the main sheet to be done. (more than normal to prevent a capsize)
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Topper 46148 for sale
http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=276804
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Posted By: terry1956
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 6:49pm
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hi, late starter. what i found with the nova was the cockpit was just to small for me, also was a pain to get back upright when it did go over. i found that the laser 2000 was beter set up and when we did get it over the open transom made getting back in easy. the phantom is just to fast for me. At the moment i have an old solo also to play with and thats ok but not so well sorted as the laser 2000. i know i want the earth, ie a good starter boat with an up to date layout, easy to get back up and back in, large cockpit, small training sail area and yet be able to up the sail area at a later date. terry
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Posted By: Late starter
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 7:20pm
Terry
Yes the small cockpit thing is a real problem with us bigger sorts, I used to sail a Laser so know what you mean. I'd come off the water after doing a couple of races and being bent into all sorts of shapes trying to fit into the thing and be limping for days afterwards! If you've gone from a Nova to a Solo you'll be aware of the massive increase in comfort you get with a more traditional deep cockpit "sit in" rather than "sit on" type boat. The Laser 2000 is well liked, but as far as I'm aware Laser don't do any singlehanders anything like it - people may suggest a Laser with an 8.1 rig, but I think you'll still be in the cramped Laser syndrome. I do like the look of the Megabyte, which is a modern deep cockpit singlehander for bigger types, but unfortunately it's never gained traction in the UK market.
Sad to say but I don't think there is an obvious solution, as all the options I can think of have all got down sides. My personal compromise was to get a half decent Solo, I can't say I find the boat particularly interesting but its comfortable, reasonably competitive, and I know that if and when someone finally designs my ideal boat I can sell it for just about what I paid for it. Good luck in whatever you chose, it's a great sport, and being on the water in any boat beats doing most other things!
Regards
Tony (Late starter)
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Posted By: terry1956
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 7:28pm
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thanks late starter good advice. I will never get back into a laser 1, and it looks like i will be keeping the solo. its a pity that boat makers just leave out us old boys, I don,t wish to hang out like some fool or spend half the day in the water. and yes the solo is a boring boat. maybe i need to look at getting a better one. thanks again tony.
michael
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Posted By: GybinJoe
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 7:57pm
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To be honest mate, I would just try out as many different boats as you can and see what takes your fancy.
Also, i recommend getting some more time on the water beacuse then you can make a more informed choice on a boat once you know how different boats behave.
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Laser Standard (Helm)
J-80 (Crew&Helm)
Laser 2 (Helm)
Beneteau(Crewing for multiple boats)
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Posted By: Jon711
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 7:59pm
The Blaze Halo would fit the bill. Only trouble would be finding one, they are so good, second hand prices are very high....
Jon
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Blaze 711
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Posted By: Rockhopper
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 8:10pm
Hi terry i have had a vareo for the last five years and never had a single problem sailing it either downwind or up its just a case of knowing how to get the best out of the boat in all conditions and at your weight you would be fine in one going upwind or down if you go onto the vareo chat page on yahoo groups then with a bit of luck you should find someone close to you club for you to try one out as i know they are not everyones cup of tea but i like mine and the other eight in my club seem to agree. Andy
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Retired now after 35 seasons in a row and time for a rest.
2004 national champ Laser5000
2007,2010,National Champ Rs Vareo
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Posted By: sawman
Date Posted: 15 May 11 at 9:13pm
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Terry - by hard work upwind i meant that it suffers a bit (in my hands anyway) on handicap upwind, if you are racing and dont get much opportunity to fly the kite your likely going to be at the back of the fleet. I used to race on a river and found that if the wind direction didnt allow me to back off and get things flying I was at the back of the fleet, whereas other days when there was more reaching involved I could be at the front.
I have always considered upwind my best point of sailing in other boats.
With 16 stone you wont be struggling upwind physically, but you may find folks coming past you!
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Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 16 May 11 at 12:37am
Terry... Look at a K1.
They are new on the market so you won't find any second hand ( may be ex demo?) but they have a keel, but they are a single handed dinghy sized keel boat. This should give you the stability you are after and the comfort for your size. Launch and recovery seems simple enough from what I have seen at BSC.
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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
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Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 16 May 11 at 9:37am
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Blaze would be my suggestion, start with the normal rig, then move onto the Halo rig. The Blaze is much more forgiving than a Laser or Supernova, you get's lots of time to sort things out with the wings and sealed rig making it very much easier to sail than it may appear at first....yes it's a drag in light winds, but frankly, for the larger chap, IMO, most things are.... a Finn would also be worth considering, but perhaps a bit of a larger cash outlay to start out and a heavier beast to manouver on shore.
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