Trapeze+Asymmetric for lightweights

Hello, me and a friend are looking for a boat that we can
sail together before we buy a 29er. We are both 14, I am
52kg and he is 58kg. My friend would be crewing, and I
would be helming. We are looking for something with a
trapeze, and an asymmetric spinnaker that is under 3K. My
friend hasn't got much trapezing experience, so we don't
want to move straight onto a 29er. Unless you guys think we
could move straight onto a 29er and he could learn like
that? Thanks.

You'll be fine in a 3000. Our 2004 champ crew weighed 110kg for helm and crew combined, most races in a F.4-5. My crew & I are around 120 but with the lighter one on the wire (can't helm) and that is fine

Prices for Laser 3000's from around £1300 up, depending on age & condition. Plenty of pimping available for very little cost but big space/simplicity/handling gains along the lines of the latest new boats from Vandercraft. It's even recommended you rig the mainsheet 29er style, in which case the crew can take the mainsheet straight off the boom, as mine wasn't doing on my old L3k here (to be fair, she was a scratch crew that day, and I like to steer with the mainsheet in the gusts anyway):

Our website (see below) should be up and running yet again soon . If you need any more info in the meantime, just ask.

Truth be told at 110Kg you would be fine in a 29er after you got used to handling the boat. If your friend has no trap experience then it will take longer for you to get to grips with the boat. I would try and get a 405. They are solid, cheap (under 1K). That means that when you move on to a 29er you can keep the 405 for when its blowing old boots instead of trashing the 9er and/or spending your whole race upside down.

No offence Medway Manic but I really would get the 405 over a L3000. Firstly they are slightly more expensive, secondly the 405 is closer to a 29er than the L3000 is. For your 3K budget you could easily get a 29er and 405 and then pick your days to go out in the 29er. IMO that would be your best bet.

T?om

Originally posted by Medway Maniac Originally posted by tomoore1 the 405 is closer to a 29er than the L3000 is. I'd be interested to know how you work that out. 405's may be nice little boats, but there's no way you'd get apparent wind sailing with a boat of PY 1090 (that's Wayfarer speed) like the 405, whereas with the L3k you sometimes can (and with the V3k it's usual). Mainsheet and gnav on the 3k can be made effectively identical to the 29er.

I'm with Medway on this. The 405 is a nice little boat
but in no way compares to a 29er. The 3000 is much
closer, although its still a large step if you go on to
make the change later.

If your aiming to get a 29er then Id say start in a cheap
3k

Ian

Did you just praise and recommend a boat with a Bethwaite-designed hull?

Who are you, and what have you done with the real G.R.F.?