Step 2, RS 300?

Originally posted by piglet I haven't travelled with mine so I don't know what 'proper' 300 sailors would say, but I do think you need to be nimble and light on your feet in the 300, getting your body weight into the right place quickly seems to matter. Papa Smurf, you didn't mention the Blaze in your list of possibles. Not my cup of tea but some people like them, fast on a reach and a more stable platform for sure.

The Twiname book is required reading for any aspiring dinghy racer..... I have a Blaze and absolutely love it, it's fast, easy to sail and comfortable (for a certain definition of comfortable, it is a singlehanded dinghy....). It does require a certain level of agility and skill but not anything superhuman (I'm 64 and, while I returned to dinghies 9 years ago I've been out of competitive dinghy racing for a long time). I have only had my Blaze since November and have raced it at my inland club until a few weeks ago. Observations are :- 

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 19 Jul 17 at 10:42pm

Nicely put Jeffers, I now have the Blaze down at the coast with the Spice and the Supernova up at the lake. However, I'm really finding it hard to make the 'nova go fast...... 10 mins behind the Lasers last week. TBF I have only raced it three times so I'll persevere at least until the Blaze comes home in November.

Originally posted by piglet Spoons, how does the SuperSofa compare with Blaze? I was trying to talk a club colleague into switching as he sometimes struggles getting the Blaze back up & going again in breeze.

From what you've said the Blaze sounds interesting and the Supernova less so.

All of my sailing this year will be on a small reservoir. No waves, but very changeable winds Probably not Blaze territory. To be honest I quite like moving the boat around me. Something about being part of the dynamic appeals to me.

Top of my wishlist would be the D-Zero. It's new, good looking, a little exotic. Purely based on reviews and image. Not likely to happen because it would involve the expense of a new or nearly new boat.

Next up would be the Phantom. More of a known quantity. They sail well on these waters. I really like them. However my weight, or lack of it, has me more or less convinced (changes daily sometimes, and everytime I see one I like) that they aren't for me.

The Solution I had lined up for this season was sold before I could buy it. There doesn't seem a lot of enthusiasm supporting them which is a little unsettling.

We don't run the courses for asymmetrics here so the RS100 is a bit of an non-runner.

The Aero didn't jump out at me for some reason. Looking at it I can see some good ideas and great touch's. It has grown on me the more I look at it. Again a newer boat at greater expense.

The older style, more traditional boats don't really appeal, even though that's where the best racing is here.

Then we have the 300. Exciting, rewarding and completely out of the blue. I wasn't looking for a 300. The boat found me.

I'm at the point where I have to accept that the new boats I like cost more, or choose not to care that I might be a little lighter than ideal for the Phantom.

But that 300 has caught my interest. It looks like fun.

Being sensible about boats is not good for you. There is too much passion involved.