Which boat to sail at Bough Beech
We sail many classes of boat at BBSC and all sailing is encouraged. In the past the club had a few established classes like Wayfarers, Contenders and Mirrors but now there is such a diversity of designs we sadly do not have any big fleets - with perhaps the exception of the Laser. If you sail a high performance boat the chances are you know about sailing and don't need this guide. This guide therefore focuses on the boats more suitable for beginners. If you are new to sailing or new to owning a boat you will get more enjoyment from your sailing if you sail an appropriate boat. Do ask other members what they think, their answers may be partisan but they'll be keen to help.
- Wood or glass fibre
- Other classes at the club
- How fit you are
- How heavy you are
- Your experience
Wood or glass fibre
We'll get this one out of the way right from the start. Many older designs were designed to be made from plywood. Generally speaking, for racing, wooden versions are still fastest however the maintenance can be many times greater and the increased speed is in the order of a fraction of a percent. It is only worth having a wooden boat if
- you are at the top of the racing fleet or
- you are particularly keen on wooden boats.
Having Fun
It's social and good fun to have something in common with your peers, and it's rewarding to discuss the pros and cons of your tactics or technique with others. Its also very natural to try and sail that bit better than the other guy - even if you don't join in the official racing. All this is lost to you if you buy some esoteric boat that nobody else has.
Should you wish to get good at sailing then you'll need to race. Only then will you be forced strive that little bit harder. You will then see the result and get the satisfaction which comes from doing things well. Again, all this will be lost to you if you buy some esoteric boat. We sail various classes and use a handicapping system to produce the race results, but nothing beats "boat for boat" sailing, so you should buy boats from one of the established classes and if not please do take advice first.
We have a lot of single handed boats in the club so we'll start with them.
Laser
Light, simple, single hander, almost always used for racing. Very suited to the shifty winds of Bough Beech. To get the best out of these boats requires a great deal of skill, however there are dozens in the club so there is plenty of "boat for boat" racing. You need to be fit and over 11 stone to sail with the full size rig but there is a smaller "radial" rig for lighter adults and youth. Very inexpensive, very low maintenance and can be carried on a car roof. There are always at least half a dozen out racing on a Sunday. Yardstick about 1078
Topper
Light, simple, single hander, racing machine for teenagers and light adults. Made from almost indestructible polypropylene. A lot slower than a Laser but always a couple out racing on a Sunday. Yardstick about 1290.
Supernova
Another single hander, faster than a Laser but due to more recent technology not so demanding in fitness Only 4 or 5 in the club. Yardstick about 1646.
Optimist
Light, simple, single hander, designed for kids racing. Ideal for training 10 year olds. Yardstick about 1646
Wayfarer
Big, heavy, two person boat, not fast but keenly raced. They handle well for a cruising boat and are used a lot for training. They can take 4 on a cruise but race two up, they have a symmetrical spinnaker so the crew is no passenger. Not really suited to lightweights and they can be expensive. They make an excellent cruising boat for trips on the Medway but are too heavy to launch off a shingle beach. Wooden ones are the best for racing but maintenance is high in time and money. Yardstick about 1099.
RS400
A modern outright racing machine for two adults totalling more than 22 stone. Very fast for a non-trapeze boat, requires fitness and skill to do well but its characteristics suit Bough Beech very well. It uses a large asymmetric spinnaker. Always 2 or 3 racing on Sundays and highly recommended for those with some previous racing experience. Yardstick about 952
RS200
The little brother to the RS400. Suitable for lighter adults and teenagers. Again it suits Bough Beech very well and is highly recommended. Always 3 or 4 racing on Sundays. Yardstick about 1059.
420
Ideal for youth, two person, single trapeze racing boat with symmetrical spinnaker. There are only a few in the club but the class is used a lot by our affiliated schools. Yardstick about 1087.
Firefly
An old design now revitalised by glass fibre construction and frequently used for team racing which is a specialised form of dinghy racing. Both our affilated schools have large fleets of these boats so you'll see them out in numbers during the week and on Saturday afternoons. Yardstick about 1162.
Mirror
Good handling racing and cruising family boat. Very short and slow but has a spinnaker so crew are very involved when racing. Cheap to buy but a wooden hull can mean maintenance is high. Now available in GRP but only a few in the club.
Enterprise
Good handling racing and cruising family boat. Much faster than a Mirror but no spinnaker, big mainsail so a bit of a handful in a blow. Race two up and cruise with up to four. Avoid wooden boats unless you are very keen on racing. Cheap to buy and maintain as long as its plastic. Yardstick about 1116.
Laser2000
Another good handling racing and cruising family boat. Much more modern than an Enterprise and less sail area until you put up its asymmetric spinnaker. Slower than a RS200 in the light winds but easier to handle in strong winds. Plenty in the club and therefore a good class to join and excellent for training. Yardstick about 1089.
Contender, RS600, RS300 and Blaze
Fast single handers for experienced sailors. Yardstick around 1000./p>
ISO, 29er, B14, National 12 and International 14
Fast two man boats all use a trapeze and a large asymmetric spinnaker - again only for the experienced. Yardstick sub 950.
Miscellaneous
To be fair to the minority classes it should be mentioned that you may see a few of the following: Laser2, Laser3000, Sport 14, Solo, Streaker Cherub and International 14. One or two race sailboards - if you want to join them use a Mistral Competition.