Boat for beginner?

It might be a good idea to have a look at your local inland sailing club in order to see what facilities are there, what boats are sailed, training opportunities and whether or not you like the people.  Your nearest inland club would probably be:

http://www.scalingdam.org/index.html 

Just turn up, say on a Sunday, and have a look around.  Other clubs in your area are:

http://www.drsc.co.uk/

http://www.thyc.org.uk/index.php  (on the sea)

Just a thought, that's all.

Ian  (Yorkshire Dales S.C.)

Depending on your budget, you should get a competitive for club racing Laser for around £1000 to £2000, sail number 140000+.  But older, cheaper boats are available, and if you find a good one, can be reasonably competitive still once it has a newer sail on it.

I would always recommending buying second hand boats from this site's classifieds.  For years and years Y&Y has been the place where genuine sailors have bought and sold boats- it comes with as much credibility as you can get with classified dinghy ads.... it's highly unlikely someone will advertise a 'dodgy boat' through Y&Y, although sailing club notice boards & forums are again quite trustworthy, as there's likely some come back or known history regarding the boat/previous owner in any given vicinity.

This list is a little long as it also contains other Laser (company) products and boats- but the word 'Standard' should feature in a normal Laser advert.

Check the mast pot (hole where the mast goes on the deck) before buying as the first 'job' when viewing Lasers.  To do this tip a load of water in the mast pot and fill it up, walk away for five minutes to look over the other bits- sail, rudder, daggerboard etc  Go back after 5 minutes, if the water level has dropped, be polite and walk away from the sale- there's always another boat so don't get caught up in the moment, repairing a dodgy mast pot in a pain, and not always successful.  It will affect resale too... 

Stuff like the condition of the Sail is also important- if should be free from fine lines and feel stiff and supple, not like toilet tissue or bad, thin bed sheets.  Check to see if the top section of the top mast is NOT bent, especially away from the rivet on the plastic collar, Check the daggerboard and rudder for large chunks missing, and make sure the rudder pivots in the stock with ease and isn't completely corroded with salt... These are all consumables and can be used in the bartering process if one item is a little 'out of keeping' with the rest of the boat.  (It might be worth bookmarking that rooster site above on a smart phone... have a price list to hand so you know how much a rubbish bit is to replace when you barter on the price.)  

These items will also ultimately be covered by your insurance- a premium of around £50 per annum used to be standard for a new-for-old policy.  The sail is the peripheral which costs a lot compared to its competitive life- so it's a bit like buying a second hand car- if it comes with a barely used sail that's equivalent to there being 11.5 months of MOT and TAX included.

About 15 years ago now the Laser updated the kicking strap, outhaul and cunningham setup- these are commonly called 'XD fittings' in the classified sections.  For any boat commanding £1200+ this should come included with a second hand boat- retro-fitted on older boats (<sail number 185,000 from memory).  It's not essential, but it will make your life easier and save you the cash of retro-fitting them yourself.  

You should also get a carbon tiller extension with a boat of this price point- not essential, but if you end up with an aluminium one check it isn't bent.  Check the Universal Joint (UJ) - a bit of flexy rubber plastic that joins the tiller to the Tiller extension.  If this is wearing it will need replacing- a bit of a PITA job really.

Hope this helps and happy sailing