Hi there,

I am taking sailing lessons and want to buy a "training" sail boat of some sorts to take my 14 year old and 7 year old sailing. They have both had a few lessons, but I want something that we will all find reasonably easy to manage. We will be sailing on the ocean from hillarys yacht club. Also I have just joined HYC and want to get involved socially, are there any members out there??

mandi

A Taser is quite a powerful boat for a beginner 7 year old?

I would suggest something suitable for junior training/racing, such as a Herron. You can cruise in this easily, and the kids can race it in their local juniors program (they can in Adelaide anyway). Maybe get one of the 'youth pathway classes,' these are classes that Yachting Australia see as pathway classes for juniors to have national/international championship opportunities, you can check out the YA website for details.

Or even if you have a bit of cash laying around, a stable but good performing boat which has plenty of opportunity for training/development is the 420.

Plenty of options out there, you just have to look through classifieds etc for one thats suitable

If your after something bigger (with a cabin) I have a Court 550 coming up for sale. Easy to handle trailer sailer, retractable keel, outboard, sleeps 4, ready to go $5500.

hoop said...

I suggest you google Tasar not Taser.

Ooops.

Pacer - can be cheap, stable and fine with 2 or 3 on board. Tasar can be quiet tippy and un-nerving, they are more a race boat.

hold up so mandi .. are u looking for a dingly( relies on crew weight or it will capsize) or a yacht( led in its keep and wont capsize)??

the best boat would be some thing along on the line as a mirror, a pelican, a heron, but later when you have more experience and if you want some thing more power full a 420 wouldn't be a bad choice. i have had the same kind of problem, i am 16. I started last season racing a little minnow (FAILED), i was way too big but i didn't have the skills to handle a skiff which was what they sailed down at the club i went to. i was recommended a 420, they great boats they go reasonable fast but aren't as agile as skiff and are more forgiving. they are excellent boats for learning on and i have been told you can learn more on sailing with a 420 than most skiffs.

Something else to consider is a "Flying Fifteen" designed by Uffa Fox and the first of the planing keelers, still an international class and still very popular at many clubs.

The yacht is actually 20 or 21 ft long with a 15ft waterline, self righting and unsinkable if set up correctly, can easily handle 3 or 4 people aboard and they just love to plane on a beam reach.[}:)]

If fitted with a good boom tent, they make a great little weekender for two people.

I suspect that if one was to shop around, a fairly reasonable example of the yacht on a registered road trailer could be bought for around $2,500 to $3,000.

No one would ever regret owning a "Flying Fifteen". A mate and I owned one at Yowie Bay in Port Hacking some years ago and we loved it.

Mandi

Go see Chris Kelly who is the club coach. He'll help you out.

If the kids want to race dinghys then an opti or 420 as mentioned above is the go.

If you all just want a muck around then a cheap catermeran is great fun.

The good thing about organised racing is that there is support boats out there to help if you get into trouble. If you are out for a muck around there may be nobody to help if you capsize.

Importantly, dont get any boat until you have done some more training and you have a good idea of what your getting yourself into. Just remember you are sailing in the ocean, and you have lots of reefs just out the front. Its no cake walk to just "pop out for a sail" when it seems nice and calm, only to have the seabreeze come in at 20 knots.

If you have more questions theres tons of Hillaries YC members on www.freodoctor.com.au

mandi said...

Hi there,

I am taking sailing lessons and want to buy a "training" sail boat of some sorts to take my 14 year old and 7 year old sailing. They have both had a few lessons, but I want something that we will all find reasonably easy to manage. We will be sailing on the ocean from hillarys yacht club. Also I have just joined HYC and want to get involved socially, are there any members out there??

mandi

Hi Mandi

Look at the Vagabond II 3.7m sailing dinghy. Its f/glass with main and jib (alot like a smaller version of the 420)

http://www.vagabondsailing.com

I would second the Corsair as an off the beach boat. Very roomy and comfortable for 3. Mirrors and Herons etc were ok in the 1960's but a little cramped and slow now. 420's are ok if you trapeze, slow otherwise and their construction is a bit light for beginners. Vagabonds are the smaller version of the Corsair by the same designer [Alan Payne], good for 2, crowded for 3. Corsairs are a bit hard to find normally, I think there is one on Ebay at the moment. Manufacture stopped years ago but they have a strong following for obvious reasons.

Great row boat and yacht tender though.