The RS100 Owners Thread

I'm not going to check back, but surely in 211 pages there has been worse drifting?

Back on subject, we just have 1 100 at our club, with no real sign of a fleet building, though we do have several Vareos. I have a feeling the latter is a little better suited to a small lake, though even they find themselves having to sail a long way further down wind than the more traditional singlehanders once the kite is up, and so do badly even on the new handicap. Must borrow one and see if it is the boats or the sailors (though of course it could still be the sailor, then...)

Originally posted by boatshed   With all of the lower performance asymmetrics,  their Achilles heel is the dead run.   In anything other than a big breeze, they just have to sail such a long distance.   I sometimes wonder if they would be quicker dropping the kite and goose winging straight to the bottom mark.

no

Boatshed its all about racing against similar boats, a moth is shorter and with less sail than them all, quick though!

Originally posted by boatshed Originally posted by Rupert they find themselves having to sail a long way further down wind than the more traditional singlehanders once the kite is up, and so do badly even on the new handicap. With all of the lower performance asymmetrics,  their Achilles heel is the dead run.   In anything other than a big breeze, they just have to sail such a long distance.   I sometimes wonder if they would be quicker dropping the kite and goose winging straight to the bottom mark.  In handicap racing, they are so course dependent.    Give them a beat, followed by a series of broadish reaches and they're difficult to beat. The PY's put an RS200 only 2% quicker than a National 12 which is a foot shorter, has no kite and carries less (main & jib) sail area. The PY of an RS100 ( 10.2 sq.m sail) is whisker faster than an  RS300.   And the 8.4 rig a whisker slowr And the veritable old Tasar with it's modest sail area and no kite is still a rapid thing.

Such is PY.
An N12 is a highly developed machine with a carbon rig and a lot of righting power. I think it's a dodgy comparison for a low tech smod like the RS200.
From what I see of RS100's, they struggle with the kite on anything except a run or a pretty broad reach. They are quite quick gybing down a dead run, but at a relative disadvantage on a leg where an RS400 or L4000 can just carry the kite.
The people I know who sail them are enjoying the challenge and improving, so I suspect there is more performance to be found?
I would agree 'lower performance asy's' are challenged compared to a proper kite, but that comparison is not helpful in singlehanders.
Kites often do surprising little to PY, I've proved that by breaking the halyard in my 400 and only being about 5% slower over the race, (but 95% less amused!)

Neptune claims to sail nearly down the true wind in his MPS.
I think that is stretching it a bit, but if you get the shifts right, sailing very close the mean true wind is often possible.

It seems to me that the RS100 and D-one fan clubs ought to ease up on the rivalry and promote the asy/hiking/singlehander genre? Perhaps try to say something nice about vareos even? :-)

It reminds me of the Contender boys getting very defensive when the RS600 looked a threat.
If anything the contender is stronger now than it was then?