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Why are laser 4000s so cheap? |
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NickA
Really should get out more Joined: 30 Mar 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 783 |
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Topic: Why are laser 4000s so cheap? Posted: 16 Aug 09 at 10:30pm |
Just browsing the boats for sale pages .... as you do... and find you can get a good laser 4000 for 2-3k£.
These were performance boats that dreams were made of when I started sailing some 10 - 12 years ago. Why are they so cheap? |
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Javelin 558
Contender 2574 |
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laser4000
Really should get out more Joined: 02 Aug 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 589 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 16 Aug 09 at 11:36pm |
Less demand for the boats - more people seem to have been suckered into the tupperware boats such as the vago or similar. The RS500 has come along and probably nicked a few of the younger sailors that might otherwise have considered thr 4K.
There's actually still a good number of 4k sailing at club level, but perhaps by less 'keen to travel sailors' which has a bit of an impact on the number of people going to open meetings. Still Northampton Sailboats have take over the distribution of the spares etc which is a positive step forward for the class. |
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Aug 09 at 7:50am |
Because they are damn near impossible to sell... It took a friend at my club over a year to sell one at a very reasonable price.
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redback
Really should get out more Joined: 16 Mar 04 Location: Tunbridge Wells Online Status: Offline Posts: 1502 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Aug 09 at 8:26am |
Damn difficult to sail - you could say, but they're not. I have seen many people buy one and not get on with it. I'm assuming its because they are an apparent wind boat - they power up off the wind like you'd never believe. There are plenty of other apparent wind boats, 800, I14, B14 etc but people expect it when they buy those boats. They don't expect it when they buy a Laser 4000 after all its only a little faster than an Osprey or a RS400. They get a shock when it powers up, can't handle it, and buy something else. We've had 2 or 3 teams do that at our club in the last year and they've all ended up in 400s or 2000s. Consequently there are a couple of 4000s in the dinghy park waiting for buyers, repeat that all over the country and you have a surplus. I'm a fan of the boat. Inexpensive, tough and fast but not so overcanvassed you'd have to be an olympian to get home if it blows up. Being just about manageable in a blow, the weekend sailor might just go faster in a 4000 than he'd ever go in a 800, I14 or B14. |
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Rockhopper
Really should get out more Joined: 16 Nov 07 Location: Eastry Online Status: Offline Posts: 642 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Aug 09 at 9:52am |
I had a 4000 last year bought it for a bit of fun with my mate plus there was four in the club after the first few sails in it found it a bit too under powered for me and my crew so we put it up for sale at the end of the season i know it was the wrong time sell it but we sold it to a guy in france in less than four weeks and made a 500 quid profit on the boat so went out and bought another 5000 which suited us better.
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Retired now after 35 seasons in a row and time for a rest.
2004 national champ Laser5000 2007,2010,National Champ Rs Vareo |
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Neal_g
Far too distracted from work Joined: 07 Oct 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 323 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Aug 09 at 4:00pm |
mainly the nickname the got landed with being 4 tonner. they last and are stong as they are bloody heavy. there banned from most reservoirs in case they crash through the dam and destroy it lol. (may not be true) technology has moved on boats are lighter etc so naturally the 4000 has suffered. in its day it was the boat but now its old hat tragically. |
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(Redoubt Sc)
Miracle 4040 GP14 13407 Crewsaver phase 2 range now available to buy online on at http://www.gibsonsails.com |
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NickA
Really should get out more Joined: 30 Mar 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 783 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Aug 09 at 6:07pm |
Very heavy, agreed. I helped pull one up a steep slipway the other week. ...and probably sufferring from a lack of updates (the disease that killed performance sailcraft as a respectable boat builder, IMHO) But it's not like there is really any more modern alternative is it? The RS500 and Vago aren't in the same league, surely. |
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Javelin 558
Contender 2574 |
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alstorer
Really should get out more Joined: 02 Aug 07 Location: Cambridge Online Status: Offline Posts: 2899 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Aug 09 at 7:24pm |
I can remmber talking to someone who'd held onto their 4000 a little too long a few years back who blamed the 800 for a pretty big crash in the 2nd hand value of 4000s. Yes, one is single, one is twin, but as far as I'm aware a lot of the good teams took that step at the same time.
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Al |
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Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 18 Aug 09 at 10:30am |
Exactly what I was going to say. The 800 killed the 4000. The 4000 killed the Iso. The Iso hurt the Fireball, but the FB has had the last laugh. As nice as it is, something will come along and kill the 800 - perhaps the 29erxx if its gets the Olympic nod.
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 18 Aug 09 at 10:46am |
Looks pretty unlikely at the moment. 49ers and 29ers flew out of the shop long before they were selected for anything but so far the 29erXX seems to be the boat no-one actually wants to shell out cash for. Edited by JimC |
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