RS600s

Yes, if it's on the bulkhead then you can get a spanner through to tighten the bolt or replace it when you need to

The first generation of 600's had Angell masts which had a slight design flaw, in that they tend to break. Ideally you would want one with a Superspar mast, although £1000 is a bargain, as long as you ensure you have new for old cover on your mast for when it breaks!

Check there's no play in the U-bolt that the kicker fastens to - there is no way to tighten or replace it without cutting a hatch in. The mast step can work loose but this is easily fixed with fatter/longer screws. The daggerboard can wear through the back of the case, but again this is easily fixed with epoxy.

Other than that just check for cosmetic damage, in particular damage caused by scraping trapeze hooks over the bottom.

A 12 year old, £1000 boat should still be structurally sound, just not neccessarily very pretty!

16 stone is probably the upper limit but is not excessive. You would suffer in light winds but come into your own in F4+ . The guy that won the Winters last two years running is around that weight, there are one or two guys in the fleet around the 15 stone mark and they are competitive.

I would echo BBSCFaithful's comments, yes it is a little tippy but not beyond the abilities of a good club sailor.

 

RS600's are incredible to sail. They are very fast in most winds and are a great laugh. They require a bit of skill to sail but are extremly fun.They have a very round hull so they roll a lot which may catch you out at first but after you get used to it they are ok. I think from about 13 stone you have narrows and bellow thirteen you have widies i think. Overall a great boat for peanuts amount of money.