Introducing Josiah || RS200 1686

Been a while since I uploaded a video. Here's one of the new RS200, Josiah.

After having our previous 200 "Wedgwood" almost ten years it was time for a switch out. We were a bit nervous of a new boat as 1382 had been so good, plus we'd spent a load on it over the last couple of years (trolley, boom, sails, spinnaker pole), and we'd already had the stringer repair done which is the main hull defect they can pick up.  We felt we new it well, and as they say, better the devil you know... 

But, we couldn't see ourselves racing anything different at HISC so thought a new 200 would be reasonable investment. We picked up the new vessel in February, but didn't get down the club to sail for a while. 

The boat seems a bit stiffer under foot than old one, and a bit more grippy. Looking inside it's got less ply and more core so hopefully the build is even tougher over the long term. 

Visually it takes a bit of getting used to with the flush foredeck and a new rudder after spending so many years sailing the old one. Otherwise it all feels and sails very similar. There are a few changes where RS has built in the mods that people we making to the old boats anyway, such as bottle cages under the thwart and neat continuous control lines. 

The new pole recessed in to the deck is a big improvement. However, despite the new spinnaker shute mouth being wider the kite drops aren't as slick as the new throat has a tighter radius where the old fibreglass moulding has been replaced with an alloy bar. 

Fair play to RS the boats come completely ready to race. Most of the alterations we've made are just adding calibration to the kicker, plus swapping out the previous control lines as I didn't like the look of the join in the continuous loop. We put on EasiSplice (all in purple, so we can't tell which line does what!) which looks neater IMO and is a fairly cheap line. 

Anyway, here's the video:

And it's all okay because the handicap is the same and that's what matters, besides RS know someone in the PYG, and in Westminster, and SPECTRE. 

From the Endeavour Trophy I would guess. RS supplied sails with the class names on.

I would be surprised if I swapped from my 10 year old boat to a new one and it didn't feel stiffer and the non slip sharper. certainly in my new Phantom(1430 was 5 years old when sold) the non slip could do with a bit of wear.

Gordon 

Phantom 1465 Seacreature