What Next?

At your weight and location description - surely Streaker / Solo or if you get a sorted one with a suitable rig I'd not reject a Phantom at 80kg.  Plenty of used choice at all budget levels as well ... if 'not for you' after a season or so you can move on with low depreciation impact.  All have centreboards as opposed to daggers and all can perfom very nicely in restricted waters ...... lots of rocker and quick to tack is what you need to work every shift on 'wind interupted' locations.


Edited by Cirrus - 27 Jun 16 at 10:00am

Originally posted by Papa Smurf I have seen two one year-old boats for sale this year. Makes me think the owners are moving back to the traditional, established fleets after the novelty wears off.

That's situation normal for every class. I don't think you really find out whether a boat suits you until you've lived with it a while, but with the more established classes people tend to try the waters with second hand boats so the turnover's not as obvious as it is with new classes.

My thoughts..

The Solo, joking aside it's a sales vehicle for sailmakers and unless you have deep pockets and hours of practise time, the craic is about all you enjoy. Not necessairily for any real reason, but constant doubt about your sail, how it's rigged, the 'settings' and all manner of bullsh*t to explain why you can't break through into mid fleet when it is racing tactics, physical fitness and kinetic 'nouse' that will hold you back, and it's an ugly mofo of a boat anway, so why would you?

The Streaker ditto everything above with the exception of the 'ugly' point the streaker isn't ugly, but it's gutless tiny 6.5m sail bringing up the rear, getting absolutely trashed by 63 kilo skeletors and zombies or even worse ladies of a certain age and skill set, at 80 kgs, they'll cream you.

The D Zero and Aero are both an option. Nice modern boats with lots of good features, there's stack been written on them, the zero sail size however matches your weight. (I always think 1 sq mfr per ten kilos isn't a bad rule of thumb for comfort)

But the next one, my choice, the Solution also has what you asked for, but there are not many about, there's a guy at my club looking for one and the only one on the market is an ex demo 2016 model with £700 quid off, it's only drawback it has a crap mast and boom made of aluminium the gooseneck of which snapped on me today mid gybe and I went swimming in shorts a rash vest and no knickers and did I freeze my nuts... ;-)

Other question has your venue got any underwater obstructions, if so the Solo & Solution are the only two with centreboards that kick back, the others all have daggers (That I hate for lots of reasons).

Originally posted by pompeysailor A Solo does sound the logical choice if there is already a fleet at the sailing club - I would suggest trying one for a few races first. However as you say the Aero and D-Zero both look good and everyone is saying their nice boats to sail/race - it depends if you want to be a trend setter - get the first one at your sailing club, and hope others follow. Both boats are significantly faster than a Solo. Based on the info you have said: Fleet racing - go Solo Handicap racing - anything you want - whether that is to always cross the line first, last or somewhere in-between.

I recently bought a Streaker this year after a few years break from sailing.  Absolutely love it.  It's well worth jumping in one to have a play. 
I believe they've been selling over 40 new boats per year for the last few years and they're slowly spreading along the south as well as already being well established in the north. 
Definitely add it to the list of potenial boats and give one a go.  Try one with dual side controls though, rather than one with just central controls, it's a whole lot better on mark roundings having the controls to hand.