Newbie with zoom!

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Edited by JimC - 18 Jun 16 at 1:17am

Yeah I have asked, did not get a lot of response,i know it's at least thirty four years old ,the seller was using at Rutland in 1982but didn't know who designed it ,
It looks like a Laser 2 .

The Zoom and the Laser II came out almost at the same time.  Similar boats, wet and for that time quick, with horrible coloured sails.  They were both a little under prepared with cheap fittings.  The first time I sailed a zoom on capsizing I went to get on the board and it snapped right off before I was even on it.  Oxford University Sailing Club persuaded  Laser to lend them 6 Laser IIs as all the visiting universities would get to sail them in matches and similarly the same was done for the Zoom at Cambridge. (At the time Larks and 420's were fleet of choice for University Team Racing).  Oxford University (obviously) made the better choice and the Laser II became common at Universities and then a popular boat for young couples etc..... They also upgraded some of the cheap fittings and it became a very solid, easily sailable and competitive boat.   The Zoom could never quite  match the Laser II.  In my opinion the biggest difference was the enthusiasm of one man, who set up the Laser II Class Association, one Jeremy Atkins, mentioned previously on this forum, who pretty much single handedly promoted the boat in UK. The  Laser II and the Zoom would have befitted from the type of support and marketing RS give to their boats these days.

About 10 years ago I bought a Zoom from Swarkestone SC for a fiver....  if I remember. It had no sails and a plywood centreboard. It was a well made hull from a good mold. The interesting. thing about it was that it had two mast positions enabling one or two sails to be used. The mast was a real telegraph pole of a thing deck stepped. A mate of mine had a go in it, capsized and broke the centreboard getting it up. See above comment! I made a new board, gave it a Lightning main and a Fireball jib and sold it.

Thanks too everybody who replied, I have sailed it twice now, on our duckpond , she's a heavy beast ,we have very fluky winds, takes a lot to get her moving so seems quite slow, rudder seemed a bit small so I made one the same shape/size as laser two which improved control a bit, just bought brand new Neil Pryde. sail ,very lucky there ,(still one or two !eft) which may help .will find out later today .Zoom nationals? Hmmmn. Not a bad idea .I know one was bought from Baldock. and went to Essex very recently but cannot contact vendor or purchaser.