Solo changes survey

TBF, Solo sailors vary by much more than 10kg but yes, I'd say any boat would benefit from losing 15% of it's weight, 5% less so and the Solo is not exactly a heavy boat to start with. If you really want something lighter to manage around the boat park buy an ally trolly and save 20+kg.

Its difficult. I'm sure no-one would have predicted that the foam sandwich boats would be as much faster than the wood ones as they have proved to be. I certainly didn't. And the old pre foam sandwich glass Solos were awful, both slow and structurally poor. But going into the 21stC wood boats were getting so expensive and owners prepared to do the necessary maintenance scarcer, so really there was little choice but to adopt the 'new' (actually 30 years old) material. So the result is, rationally, that the effect on wooden boats is, practically, irrelevant.

Originally posted by JimC Its difficult. I'm sure no-one would have predicted that the foam sandwich boats would be as much faster than the wood ones as they have proved to be. I certainly didn't. And the old pre foam sandwich glass Solos were awful, both slow and structurally poor. But going into the 21stC wood boats were getting so expensive and owners prepared to do the necessary maintenance scarcer, so really there was little choice but to adopt the 'new' (actually 30 years old) material. So the result is, rationally, that the effect on wooden boats is, practically, irrelevant.

You are right of course Jim, and whatever the Assoc decide, I dont think the residual value of a wooden boat can be lowered any more.

Perhaps the only action that saves the situation is some form of grouping for the wooden boats with possibly some Classic racing tacked onto some events?

And finishing in front of frp boats is loads of fun!

I spent £25 on some righting lines ( and coped with the shame!) , easy to recover and use Jack's coffee table to pull in. And no vast weight of water to get rid of from the new flooding tanks.

We have run two Py for Solo at Blithfield for several years. We have moved it back this year to split at boats of 4000 or earlier although we may move it again to meet the double floor around 4200

I await the Assocs position on when the vote on the new rules goes through and agree that some form of commitment to prevent further changes to restore confidence in buying a new boat.

Ex Chairman Will Loy is investigating the chance of a Classic group to race at some events. Low cost racing and with boats being used as is and not requiring any changes. That sounds like a good plan.The easy option for us wooden boat sailors would be just to accept our position as irrelevant and not rejoin the Assoc next year. I think that would be wrong. I think we can still have some good racing, with some very nice holidays with the money saved.

Edited by ian.r.mcdonald - 12 Oct 19 at 5:47pm

Originally posted by tink Boats I have helped had and successfully used the righting lines but couldn’t get back in the boat. There is a design of righting lines that can be stepped on to get into the boat but it takes practice.

It's a good pull in I agree. Perhaps I am being unfair, the time to empty the boat is a race lost, but the ability to recover and avoid the embarrassment of the rescue boat has some value.