Which was your favorite?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy Yarns...
Forum Discription: Tell us your sailing stories
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11215
Printed Date: 24 Jun 25 at 7:47pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Which was your favorite?
Posted By: Rupert
Subject: Which was your favorite?
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 8:38am
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Of all those boats you have owned or sailed, which was your favorite? I know this might be like choosing a favorite child, but go on, pick one! Mine is Saskia, Firefly 2324. The strange thing is I only owned her for a couple of years in the early 90's. I then sold her when we worked abroad for a bit in '95, but a year later my wife started sailing her, and then bought her, so she came back to the fold! Kathryn has owned her now for 17 years or so. ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Replies:
Posted By: rb_stretch
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 9:48am
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For dinghy racing it would be my Phantom. It is the first dinghy that I actually fitted in and could sail competitively across the wind range (ie light winds that predominate). I also love the feel of the helm and sail which give loads of feedback. For racing in general it would have been my Hunter 707, when back in the day it had some great fleet racing with 50+ boats at every race and the fleet attitude was great. For just having a laugh it would have been the Topper Spice which was fantastic when hanging off the back wire in 20 knots plus wind amongst large waves. Any other twin trapeze boat would have been a handful, but the Spice had a dirty great big rudder and could tolerate not being completely flat which was handy in waves. |
Posted By: rogerd
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 10:02am
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Tricky one Rupert, but I think it has to be my first Hornet riding the plank in a screaming three sail reach.
It was my first experience of going that fast and on the edge. Still brings a smile to my face Second in line must be my childhood Mirror. My first boat and the result of lots of Christmas and birthday prezzies |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 10:16am
Halo, my last Cherub, rigged with her NZ Fyfe/C-Tech rig.
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Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 11:00am
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It would have to be 505 7621 every time, although I do really enjoy helming the Phantom.
This view might be biased by the fact that I was younger when I sailed 505s and had some fantastic helms to sail with. ------------- Gordon Lossc |
Posted By: Nipper
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 4:58pm
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Fireball K13655. Beautiful wooden boat by Bob Hoare which I fitted out completely.
Sailed it from '85 to 89 on the circuit against the pros and top amateurs, and that taught me everything I know about racing. Never reached 22 stone all up crew weight, yet could sail them in anything and on anything (and did).
Great boat to crew:- fast, needed finess, low sheet loads, adjustabilty of a 505, yet could have tacking duels like a Lark.
Never sailed another boat which was so rewarding to crew. ------------- 39 years of dinghy racing and still waiting to peak. |
Posted By: robin34024
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 5:39pm
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My old topper 34024, still in nearly as new condition! introduced me to sea sailing and proper national level racing, and i loved beating people in far newer, more expensive boats than mine :P Now sold to another junior who i hope will enjoy it just as much as me!
------------- |
Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 8:34pm
| Thats a tough question. Its either Graduate 2921 or 49er 055, both of which are the smoothest most rewarding boats I have ever sailed! |
Posted By: RichTea
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 8:46pm
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Laser 162786 (went to rutland) got me into this sport. Most fun, the Feva, the three sail reach on the long distance race was amazing fun. ------------- RS200 |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 19 Nov 13 at 8:49pm
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I have owned five contenders, if you rolled them all into one boat that would be my favourite. I really did love my last 470 - 703, it went to live in the Netherlands and I cried when I sold it. But I just love the contender. My latest, 2359 is currently at Chris Somner's for a refurb and repaint. I just hope the matching knee refurb will alow me to keep sailing it.
------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: fab100
Date Posted: 20 Nov 13 at 1:24pm
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The most outstanding boat I ever owned was scorpion 1580.
it was like an over-keen puppy straining at the leash. Just run with it and was quicker than it ever had a right to be. 8th out of 140 with a knackered kite at a nationals when I'd never been in it before and Paul, my helm, had never even seen the thing before the first race is crazy. One trial sail to identify that the centreboard randomly floated up downwind would have saved us a swim and put us in 5th. We were good, but not that good. ------------- http://clubsailor.co.uk/wp/club-sailor-from-back-to-front/" rel="nofollow - Great book for Club Sailors here |
Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 20 Nov 13 at 9:19pm
| My 300s - and of those 443 was the favourite. No difference - but a boat I had some marvellous racing in. |
Posted By: NickM
Date Posted: 20 Nov 13 at 9:38pm
| My first Contender. Sold in the mid '70s for allegedly a lighter, stiffer boat, but that and another that followed never went so well. (Bit like the helm who got stiffer, but heavier....) |
Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 21 Nov 13 at 1:52pm
| Optimist K3478 - my first smell of fresh GRP that was made just for me. |
Posted By: Quagers
Date Posted: 21 Nov 13 at 2:09pm
Not because it was particularly good to sail or that we did particularly well, but the boat I did my 1st offshore season and Fastnet in, an Elan 410. I've done 2 more since then but none of them has felt the same as that first time round the rock. That or every single beat up, falling apart firefly I've sailing in on the team racing circuit, just because I loved my 4 years of uni team racing.
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 21 Nov 13 at 2:10pm
We've an old Lilac Oppie at our club - was that yours? ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 21 Nov 13 at 2:19pm
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nope- straight up GRP white on both my Oppies. But do check out that Oppy... if it's lilac decked it's possibly a Winner Mk 8 or 9, it was 'the boat' to have in my final Oppy year; in fact, his knighted goodness sailed the first one to be imported to the UK at the Mumbles Nationals iirc - 1992 I think.
It's the same colour swatch I used for the Solo, and is also my University colours. |