My unbiased ALTO review

Hi Duncan, I've never been to a class event where year on year, there's some controversy or other about the legality of the winners equipment....  but I take your point, and would probably attribute the positivity towards your clubs ethos, and the fact that as a small venue, you can still have meaningful boat on boat racing without the separation of larger courses with boats of significantly different speeds.

How many clubs still restrict classes raced. I know Budworth do. Any others

Well I'm pleased to read that someone who has an obvious pedigree in what y'all would regard as sailing proper dinghy boats, likes it as much as I did.

My well documented take from day one 8 years ago, was 'someone needs to take a 505 make it lighter, assymettric and easier to understand, wouldn't that be a great boat' and they already had all I had to do was wrestle it away from them at the dinghy show, which was probably the worse marketing decision they ever made having me sail it and wind you lot up..

Whatever, if you're stupid enough not to try something purely because you don't like whoever it might be that either sails or sells it, then more fool you.

It does have faults, it could be a lot better, but given all the problems they had getting it to where it is today, I admire the tenacity of all currently still commercially involved. I've just bought a new bright red kite, ordered it one day it arrived the next, a lot easier than dealing with those muppets at P&B who frankly sat on the brand for a couple of seasons and did nothing with it.

My biggest loss was my crew Steve, but even so I've still won stuff with other crews in it, it is a crews boat as long as the vegetable at the back aims it roughly where you need to go, if the crew calls the shifts and in some circumstances even takes the mainsheet if it's exceptionally gusty, the Alto will deliver excellent performance that will sail to near 505 performance.

It isn't over all wind strengths as fast as a 505, upwind it lacks the jib overlap, downwind unless you have hot angled planing it lacks the killer planing soak capability provided by the 505's monster kite.

In light weather you can have a great tussle with an RS400, once once on the wire that game is over, it'll have a good race with a Laser 4000, it can take on B14's if they drop the ball, a V3k will give it a real run for its money if their crew is light and the wind is strong as can an RS500, but if you do it right make no mistakes you can beat them all.

I think PY of 925 is fair inland and I've also sailed it to 915 which if I don't drop the ball is possible so, probably 920 would be a fair compromise, but still we get nailed by Merlin Bandits if the course or conditions suit.

I'm back in mine this sunday and compared to sailing that EPS it'll be like climbing off a M/cycle scrambler or a dune buggy and settling into the driving seat of an Aston Martin, no, maybe even the co drivers seat, someone else does all the work as should be the case for a gentleman helm.

Originally posted by rogerd How many clubs still restrict classes raced. I know Budworth do. Any others

South Staffs.

Thank you Bootscooter. Good review from someone with no axe to grind, and who has actually taken the time and trouble to try the boat.