5 posts
Has anyone here sailed one? Does anyone know if there are any fleets starting up, specificaly in SA?
QLD
128 posts
As far as I am aware PS has not yet imported any. They were trying to get a container full from the RS factory in Thailand but that would depend upon at least a number of the boats being pre-ordered otherwise it would be commercial suicide.
Why not go the D1, a musto skiff or a Contender?
1979 posts
A bit off topic but I saw a guy off Freshwater Bay yacht club sailing a Contender with an asymetric kite about a week ago. Looked like fun.
Are the Contenders testing kites for the main fleet?
SA
74 posts
last time I heard there were NO RS's in Australia at all, except one or two 600's (not too sure what model they were) which were up north?. So fleet wise you're in the wrong place.
As others have suggested, I'd go the contender, good fleets, chance to do nationals/worlds if you want to.
Only problem is no kite! (unless you rig it yourself so it can have one).
Musto skiffs would be great fun too, I'd doubt there would be any racing fleets though?
5 posts
There seems to me to be a lack of single handed skiff racing in oz, any ideas why they are not popular?
QLD
128 posts
There are plenty of RS boats in Australia. Used a lot in sailing schools around Sydney and Brisbane and at the end of the day are good boats in their own rights.
There are not that many single handed skiffs to choose from.
The majority of guys wanting a single handed boat go the laser because there are fleets of them everywhere, are cheap and lets face it, they can be sailed with your head somewhere else (and for a select few seemingly up their own asses).
If you want a single handed 'skiff' with a kite the only real choice in Australia is the Musto and again, is a brilliant boat, designed by a guy who still sails contenders. A big chunk of the fleet in Australia are ex-contender sailors who had gone as far as they could with the Contenders and were looking for another challenge. Their main fleet is base around Sandringham in VIC.
The Contenders are still going strong also. There are competitive fleets in nth QLD (Townsville), Brisbane (RQ and also around Gold Coast), Lake Macquarie (South Lakes), Melbourne(McCrae, Altona and a few others), Freshie in WA and in Adelaide where they congregate around Brighton Seacliff. If you want to get in touch with them there send me a PM for their contact details. In Adelaide there is the current world champs boat and a couple of competitive Windrush boats as well as a few older boats. There are some very competitive 2nd hand and new boats for sale at the moment as new boats are arriving soon from Italy (again PM me if you are interested in having a blast on one).
As for me I will be off for a sail on my Contender this arvo, hence why here is a bit of a bias towrd them in my posting.
Brett
1 posts
There are actually quite a few RS's in Oz, mainly Feva's & 200's I believe. RS is huge in Europe but so far Oz sailors seem reluctant to try them. I'm a Scot and sailed a 600 for a few year. RS are great boats, well thought out and well made.
PSA have a container of RS100's arriving this month. I know, as one of them is mine. I believe PSA have had enquiries from around 150 people and are awaiting the arrival of the first boats to be able to let the Oz market see what the boats are like.
I fully understand you don't want to buy something you haven't seen but I wouldn't right of the RS100. There seems no doubt it will be huge in Europe and in other countries, as the rest of the range are. Obviously it will benefit me if there is a good fleet built up here, but ultimately it's the type of boat I want to sail so I've bitten the bullet and bought one. I know the RS quality so I have no concerns. Mine will be at RQYS in Brisbane in the next month or so if anyone wants to have a look.
P.S. before anyone accuses me, I have no connection with PSA. I'm just a customer and a bloke who likes the RS range.
