I had a go in one and had a great time, the wind was only F3 but still loads of fun. Having just one sail and trapezing off the racks made it feel quite close to windsurfing. All the complexity, hassle and time it takes to rig my 14 made my really appreciate this.

I did have some problems tacking it even in this wind strength. The friend I borrowed it off said just hit the wire on the exit of the tack before you do anything at all, if the battens go and you are not out there you are f*cked. I didn¡¦t believe this and swam on the first tack I did! No matter how much you sheet out on the exit you will swim. Tacking slower to give me a bit more time worked a bit but the danger in a single hander with just the main is getting stuck in irons. Gybing was far easier.

EDIT: If found this vid on the MPS site http://www.mustoskiff.com/videos/wende.mpg - http://www.mustoskiff.com/videos/wende.mpg . I don¡¦t doubt the guys ability but I don¡¦t think you could get away with tacking like this.

I sail (and occasionally swim round!) a 14 with a crew that doesn't wire to wire tack and that that has a big fully battened main and I never have any problems at all. Here is my method:

Ease the sheet a bit and cleat it
Push tiller away and move in as the power comes off
Re-grab and uncleat the sheet
Hold sheet and tiller in new back hand
Hook on with new front hand
Step out while swapping sheet front back to front hand

Anything wrong with this? 600 people, what is the trick?

Anyone got any other opinions on the boat? I might be in the market for one and I really liked the simplicity and quick hassle free rigging. The reefing sounds good (I'm 70kg 5'10") and they are pretty cheap. I didn¡¦t find it tippy at all apart from the tacking dramas. Does it ever get a bit boring downwind with no spin? The guy said he borrowed a 700 and found it boring because it was too easy to sail! Comparing the two of the boats in the boat part revealed that the hull shape is totally different (700 a bit 800ish?) and the huge fully battened main has been replaced with a smaller 'soft' rig like the 800.

give the poor guy a rest it was his first go out in the boat and the sail looks fine.  why would u wont more cunno and kicker?

Actualy luke in the 600 ive found the kicker tends to give the sail a much better leech profile especially on reaching, not to mention making the main significantly easier to play.  Although my personal preference similarly wouldnt be to have any significant downhaul tension on.  But then saying that, ive only used the diddy rig once so im not really sure how to best sail with it. 
And in reference to tacking, its much much easier to tack with minimal kicker on but i would say try this to get used to tacking and then as u get more confident, progressively pull more and more kicker on.  But then Thats just how i got started, not too sure if its the best way of going about it. 


Doug

Gybed yesterday in  F5 and really regretted it, if there isnt enuf loeech tension downwind in a blow in the 600 nd you dont get around before that top batten flicks, you gonna die, as i found out 4 times yesterday . Having said that if yuve got a shed load of it on the boom doesnt like going out so best to find a compromise.

I know what people mean bout the tacking thing (still look like a spastic monkey when tacking ) but apart from that i think the 600 is a great set up boat for anything bigger i.e. 49er, 800 etc

To the opening poster, nothing wrong at all with how you have described your technique, there is a more advanced technique similar to the musto wire-to-wire but as you say the 600 won't tolerate tacking with the main cleated, so instead you drop the tiller and rely on bodyweight and sheeting to get it through the turn. The tiller floats round the back so you can pick it up on the new side.

With your weight you must sail on wides but they are no more difficult than narrows.

Prince - loving the look of terror on the left hand photo!

Mike, you're the same size and weight as a guy called Ian Marshall, aka Spiderman, who has been seen at or near the front of the 600 fleet for several years, so don't worry about weight.

Like I said you would be required, rules-wise, to use wide wings but the extra leverage will help enormously, and is not really any harder to sail.

For launching you just need to show it who's boss. Pulling the cunningham on full before launching helps, as does launching with the battens inside out. On a wide winger you can go between the wing and the boat as well, making launching easier than if you had to climb over the wing.

I may be wrong, but I thought I heard Paul Bayliss say the key to sailing a 600 fast is to put on downhall 'till your fingers bleed!

Fully battened singlehanders in general will get stuck in irons if you don't have a positive tacking technique, and the 600 isn't the most stable! Bloody good boat tho'- there was a very small female a few years ago sailing one OK, and yet they cope with a fair bit of weight too! Wish I still had knees....

Oh man, that is a carbon copy of what happened with my 14 in the early days! A 600 guy told me all fully batterened rigs were like that. The way round it I found with the 14 was to hold the boat *exactly* into wind, seriously within like 5 degrees. Slightly off and she just powers up and then is on her side. Also minimize the time the boat is on the water with no one in it since balancing is is much harder (difficult for a single hander since you have no crew) so launch quickly.

Has anyone ever put a kite on a 600?

(Please don't mention the 700. It's totally different!!)

Yes - LDC

That was exactly what they tried to do for the Olympic trials.  Unfortunately the hull form is too unstable for launching, gybing and retrieving the kite and this was certainly one reason the MPS was faster round the course.

I'm sure LDC would have preferred to offer an upgrade to their many existing 600 customers rather than having to develop and offer a 'replacement' class.

I hadn't relaised that you'd been out in both the 600 and 700.  I hope you enjoyed sailing the boats which are both great pieces of kit.  Whose 700 did you take out and when? How did you get on?

Oh and btw, I can't agree that the 600 is much nicer upwind - the two boats are certainly different but beyond that it is simply personal preference.  If you've sailed both and preferred the 600 that's fine

Good sailing

Ian

RS700 GBR960

It was actually the MPS I had a go on, but I understand they feel very similiar. Please correct me if I'm wrong. And if I am, can I have a go please?

I'm quite a fan of boats with little stability and was thinking about giving it a go. Could you point me in the direction of where I could find more info on when it was done before? Are there any pictures? Do you know what size kite they used?

The ones advertised on Y&Y website seem about right in price (if not a little cheap).......how much have you seen them going for??

Yeah a while ago you could get them easily for < £1500...

I have been looking for an old one to learn in and generally get to grips with trapeze helming - I have seen one in Birmingham on a late 600 number for £1000 with covers and combi etc! Have also seen one go even cheaper (though without a road base!)

The trouble with the older ones at the lower end of the market is that they seem to have the old Angel masts which can cause problems and be quite pricey to repair (around £300 - £500)

Having spoken to a few people, the prices were falling until the recent column in Y&Y's Roll Tacks which noted the falling price - now people seemed to have realised its a lot of boat for not a lot of cash, and the demand is picking up, hence prices are on the up! - Certainly the rs association have seen a recent surge in the purchase of older boats - a possible class resurgence?

The trouble with the older ones at the lower end of the market is that they seem to have the old Angel masts which can cause problems and be quite pricey to repair (around £300 - £500)

It doesn't cost that much, it costs whatever your insurance excess is, when you claim for the mast breaking!    

Originally posted by Prince Buster or you can find one with both angel and superspars mast, sell the broken angel one to a cherub owner for £150 and be very pleased with yourself

Fixed

I think 600 prices have been strengthening for the past 4 months. I sold mine and several other mates have sold theirs since Jan for much better money than last year.

Such a lot of boat for the money they will be good value till the price doubles. Especially as the running costs are unbelievably low.

Get a decent mast, fill the dings in your hull, buy a new or s/h sail every 2 to 3 years and you'll go fast if you can sail it well. 

I could be wrong but i think they are in the 980 region. 

Ahhhhhhhh I understand why you posted so late! Where have you been!?!?  

Still, I think you're right. Although many sailors are sensible with insurance claims, I've seen a few broken/ripped items being put together for an insurance  claim when everyone else in the clubhouse was thinking how cheeky it was!

I suppose it's not so easy to check, is it, Noble Marine?

Out of interest, if anyone near me is thinking about getting a 600 and wants to have a play in one then your all welcome to have a go in mine (below a force 5 that is, i want a boat back).  Im based at Wilsonian S.C on the river medway http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk - www.wilsoniansc.org.uk if you want to look us up.  Ive now got all the mods on my boat....i think,  so it will hopefully be up to your standards!
Just drop me a pm if you're interested. 

Thats all

Doug

Speaking of selling 600 masts to cherub sailors - I have an old Angel mast for sale - its structurally sound, just corroding around the join between the two sections (approx 3 ft from the bottom of the mast) due to the aluminium/carbon reaction that eventually happens - I'm open to offers if anyone is interested??!!

Jonny

RS600 655

07980 841472  (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Topper made another stupid materials decision with the rivets on the topaz mast. How can manufacturers make such obvious screwups?