Hi I'm looking to get back into sailing properly and buy myself a dinghy in the next couple of months, but I'd like to get my girlfriend on board. She's had very little experience, but she's keen to sit the RYA course and join me on the water during the summer months!

I thought about the Laser 3000 purely on the bases of cost as they sell used for about £2000, however looking at the Laser 2000 for about £1100 more it looks to me that you get as more modern and stable boat. Any thoughts?

And if any one is selling a Laser 2000 please PM me!

Thanks in advance!

If you can find a Laser 2000 for £1100 buy it and sell it agian for £3000+!

As for the 2000 being more modern and stable, more stable it it. If by more modern you mean heavier and slower, then OK.

No, both boats are fine, it just depend on what sort of boat you want. If you want family-style sailing with comfy seats then the 2000 is for you. If you want a more sporty ride with a larger spinnaker and trapeze, try a 3000.

Oh sorry I meant about £1100 more than the Laser 3000!

Hi Merlinboy, thsnks for the reply, I think you have a good point I've nopt really seen any of the newer V3000's for sale and the Laser 3000's do seem to stay on the market for a while, opposed to the 2000's which as you say sell much quicker!

Er, actually, Laser 3000's have become hard to find lately for some reason.

Five pages on singlehanding the 3000 here:

http://www.3000class.org.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=217&whichpage=1 - http://www.3000class.org.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=217& ;whichpage=1

Where are you finding those, Merlinboy? I've found two on Apollo Duck, but only one on Boats & Outboards which I know sold a while back, and one on the Noble Marine site which doesn't respond to enquiries.

The una rig will require prep for a forward mast step, which Vandercraft are putting on new boats, but old L3k;s won't be fully upgradable to the una rig (though you could probably get away with  the present step if you used a highly-raked Tasar daggerboard to bring the clr back instead of moving the mast forward. I tried that singlehanding my V3k without the jib and it balanced just fine with the Tasar board - a mini-Contender on the beat, an easy MPS offwind! All went fast and fine till the wind dropped to a drifter, then it was undercanvassed on just the present mainsail, and the world started to re-pass me.

My bad search. I searched for '3000' under 'Sailing Dinghies'  on Boats & Outboards and found only 3077, which I know sold in May. But now I searched for 'Laser 3000' under 'All Categories', I found 3175 as well - in the category 'Dinghies'! Just goes to show....

Shouldn't take long before you're in a position to race - you don't have to be Ben Ainslie - but I'd suggest, whichever class you choose, you need to try it before you buy to make sure it's the sort of sailing you want.

Thanks for all the information - as i said I'm going to go look at a Laser 3000 this weekend, any tips on what to look out for would be greatly appreciated?!

Thanks again in advance!

Laser 3000's are pretty bombproof, and so long as the join between hull and deck, and the back end of centreboard case look sound - the sort of things you check on a Laser1 - you should be OK. I'd also make sure that there is something to spread the load under the shroud mounts; some of the very old boats were under-spec in that regard and the shrouds pulled out; but Vandercraft can supply strengthening strips if you need them, then all will be fine.

Pretty much every known problem listed here:

http://www.3000class.org.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1158 - http://www.3000class.org.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1158

Thanks everyone for your help. I had a good look at the Laser 3000 yesterday.  Seems in good condition, no splits or cracks and it is always stored under cover with the vent cap removed.

Just need to agree on a price now!