New Boats 2005

i'm not sure that the laser II can be described as a dead class.  Universities still race them along side fireflies and larks at busa events (both fleet racing and team racing).

Have a look at the busa fleet racing nationals to see how "dead" the class is.  Havig said that, the L2 doesn't seem to have much of a following outside of the uni's anymore.

http://wpnsa.org.uk/results/BUSALaser2.htm

Offshoretiger - you work offshore in the north sea?

Will the Contender survive?  Yes, probably even if its just as a trainer for the higher performance single handers.  I know that's hard to take for a Contender owner but I used to sail a Scorpion and at the time there was only one non-trapeze boat that was faster.  Look at the Scorpion now, a lovely boat but slow.  The same goes for the Contender a lovely boat but slow. 

However there is salvation for the Contender and also for many of the older designs.  The modern designs are faster in a blow but often not faster in the light stuff (just compare a 5o5 with a Laser 4000), so be prepared for the Contender to be called fast in the light stuff (hard to believe, I know).

I have sailed a Contender and its nice and steady and reputedly good on the sea.  What I didn't like was having to go so far aft during the tack and also touching your nose on the floor to avoid the boom as it came across.  Fabulous boat upwind in a 4.