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Wood or GRP?

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PeterV View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote PeterV Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Wood or GRP?
    Posted: 02 Jan 13 at 2:08pm
I think I would go with an OK.  It's going to be more fun than a Laser and significantly different, it does well on handicap, can be bought cheaply and will be good preparation for a Finn later.  Two good secondhand ones should be within your budget.
PeterV
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Daniel Holman View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Daniel Holman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jan 13 at 2:55pm
Sounds like your lad is a very accomplished sailor. I remember one Giles Scott coming training with us when he was 15 - he was 6'6" even then.
I'd say that your point about emotional maturity is very valid, however I think too much emphasis is placed on getting into squads, rather than why - I would say he sounds talented and he has a lot of varied experience - not many squaddies are as rounded. Make sure he is enjoying himself where possible, and that to work on every area of his sailing and te squad stuff may take care of itself. Quite a lot of senior squad sailors were youth squad rejects.
If he wants to realise his full potential he is going to have to suck up disappointment/rejection, and learn how to stay interested along the way.
My advice is to get something fun or engaging as light relief but he will be over any disappointment quickly - losing a season of laser competition may be a shame at this stage in his development.
Be careful about allowing him more than a sniff of beer, kitesurfing and fanny though, that could be career ending!
Something with a conventional chute (dying art in dinghies) that will be able to take a little weight and have some performance would be good.
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winging it View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote winging it Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jan 13 at 3:31pm
+ 1

I'm trying to make sure our squaddies sail lots of other stuff, as well as doing their AI/DI courses, learning seamanship skills and assisting with coaching.
the same, but different...

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RS400atC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jan 13 at 6:00pm
You could do worse than get him out in that B14 you're trying to sell....
If he's going to step aside from Laser type racing for a bit, it might pay to do something fairly different, rather than just another una rig singlehander with a smaller circuit following.

I think it pays to consider where you are going to sail, including what opens etc, who you are going to be sailing against and what you can learn from them.  It's not entirely about boats, it's about opportunities to race. Where are the people you want to race against, and what do they sail?
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Post Options Post Options   Quote alstorer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jan 13 at 6:59pm
Biased, but RS400atC makes a good suggestion- you say you're both helms, but perhaps it would do you or him (or even both- take it in turns?) to have a serious go at the front end of a boat, especially one with a reasonable degree of technical challenge (on a modern set up, the helm only has mainsheet, tillers and tack line- the crew has the kicker and cunningham). If you're trying to encourage him to look beyond the squad world, then looking beyond single handers really isn't a bad plan. 
-_
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Post Options Post Options   Quote NickM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jan 13 at 7:38pm
I agree with other posts about the Solo but you are not going to get competitive boats at that price: they hold their value too well.  So that way lies frustration.

I agree that a two man boat could make an interesting solution and provide some development and enjoyment for you both.  The most successful two man crews are IMHO usually competent helms in their own right - as long as you both agree on the right way to go!  If there are odd weekends you cannot get away yourself, there is always the Laser so your son can keep his hand in.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Bootscooter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 13 at 10:48am
All very good points again, and I really do appreciate your inputs Cool
 
The two of us did use the B14 and really enjoyed it, but mostly because my new job has me living and working up the other end of the country (and includes lots of weekends) it seems a bit of a waste of money having a 2-man boat.  While it may be true that the boy could end up as a crew at some point in his future (he had a very long chat with Andrew Simpson at the Weymouth Laser Nationals) there's no need to convert him quite yet I think...
 
We had another long chat about this last night, and I think we've narrowed the search somewhat, with a (current) shortlist of;
 
OK - the price is right, it has relevance to his potential future and there is a good active fleet.  Going to be having a trial sail this weekend.
Dart/Sprint 15 - Good prices, lots of fun, great class and circuit, trapeze, reasonably competitive at this price and hold value well.  Will be speaking to our club members to see if we can arrange a sail.
Unicorn - Awesome performance, very social with the Cat Open Circuit, trapeze, technical rigs.
 
Being completely honest, I suspect it'll be between the OK and the 15 in the end, mostly because of the exotica that is the Unicorn may be harder to live with, but we shall see. Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 13 at 11:02am
Well I read it all, kept biting my tongue and hands off the keyboard as the usual suspects flogged the dead solo and tried to polute a young mind with wood bothering, but I'm going to seriously suggest something else if you want to clear his head ready to return to the pursuit of Olympic glory later down the path, I'm going to suggest you let him have a bash at Racing Sailboards, he sounds like he's the right build, they aint expensive, they are fun and he'll learn wind awareness that becomes totally instinctive beyond anything he'll pick up in a dinghy, he'll also have to get a bit fitter.
Then when he returns to what is it he'll go into a Laser? It'll be with a new awareness of what he's dealing with, he already has all that stuff I don't, the rope and wiggle stick control, if he then gets the senses you pick up from the sort of 'hands on' no compass, no telltale use your senses only sailing you have to learn on a sailboard I'm sure he'll end up a better sailor for it..

Just a left field thought, other than that I think what you're doing with him is a good idea, all that squad system does is mess with their heads and creates a pecking order that becomes difficult to break.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Bootscooter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 13 at 11:12am
It's funny you should say that Grahame (sp?), as we have been "dabbling" with boards over the last year, just for fun like.  My nephew is an ace boarder (won his junior classes nationals the past 2 years) and you can see his wind awareness etc already is way above where he should be at his age.  There is a lot to be said for the "pure" version of sailing that is sailboarding/windurfing - in fact the main crux of Steve Cockerills teachings to dinghy sailors are all essential parts of using a board. Cool
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Post Options Post Options   Quote fleaberto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 13 at 3:41pm
Dart 15 is an absolute blast! I had one and even at only just touching 11 stone I could just about handle it in full 'Sport' mode single-handed (Jib, Main, Trapeze).
I didn't take it class racing, but there looks like a good set of well supported events. They can be picked up fairly cheaply and parts are easy to get hold of - Steve Sawford at SpeedySports is very helpful (The new 'DX' sails look awesome!).
I'd go back to the Dart/Sprint 15 in a heartbeat if I had the chance - and if I wasn't banned from owning more than two boats! Smile
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