Solo changes survey

To be honest, all the changes other than the carbon mast and the flooding buoyancy ones are relatively small and don’t make a great change to the dna of the class . They just make the boat a little nicer to sail and a little easier to build. 

Not sure of your logic. If 3kg doesn’t make any meaningful difference how does it make older boats further disadvantaged? 

Edited by zeon - 11 Oct 19 at 10:11pm

Originally posted by zeon Not sure of your logic. If 3kg doesn’t make any meaningful difference how does it make older boats further disadvantaged?  To be honest the builders would love a weight reduction because even if  it doesn’t make a meaningful difference its makes people want to buy new boats .

Originally posted by JimC If all the competitive boats are carrying lead anyway (and I bet they are) then all a 3kg reduction does is mean there's 3kg less to drag up the slipway and 3kg less to put in new boats. Mr McDonald is certainly doing his very best to talk down the class. Is he a secret campaigner for RS? I think we should be told.

Absolutely not. I have sailed Solos for 25 years and for someone at 13 stone with knees failing , the Solo is really about the only option I have. It's a great boat.

I was about to buy a late competitive boat. Cash sorted and the one that I was going after sorted. Perhaps I being too sensitive but buying what could be my last serious boat and then finding out it's going to be the
" old " design in 9 months time is not good. Luckily the news broke about the rule changes the weekend before my purchase and I could sit back and wait to see what happens.

Am I talking down the class? Absolutely not!

Am I talking down a proposal which focuses totally on the later frp boats, and ignores any effect on the older boats as they dont matter?. Yes I am!






Edited by ian.r.mcdonald - 12 Oct 19 at 11:06am

Originally posted by Woodman Weight isnt just about speed, it can change the stability of a boat as well. The solo is a rare boat where a heavier sailor can still perch on the edge of a sidedeck downwind in the very light, saving the knees. Take 10 kgs out and it will be more bouyant but have a smaller whetted surface area and that additional stability may reduce.

Good point. And in no way I am suggesting that weight is the final arbiter.

Put Taxi or Charlie or other top sailor in a boat 5 kilo heavier than mine and they will beat me, by a lot!

Its simply that the one design rules are a starting point.

Perhaps the answer is to have an "old rules,70 kilo,coffee table etc" classic fleet with it's own section within the Assoc and it's own start at some events? If enough of the old boats enter?

And btw, I defer to the better knowledge and proof of some that sometimes even the double floor wooden boats are slower than the current new stuff

Edited by ian.r.mcdonald - 12 Oct 19 at 12:08pm