A few sailing questions...

[aignam]

Hey everyone, I'm doing some research for a sailing article. As sailors, I'd like to know your responses to the following two questions.

1. What are the more popular One Design racing classes?

2. What would you consider some of the world's top sailing destinations?

[Weyalan]

1. It depends on your budget. For example, if you have a couple of million to blow, you could probably arrange a fairly competetive TP53 one-design campaign. If, like most of us schmoes, you aren't quite that rich, I'm guessing lasers (dinghy class) probably have the biggest fleets. Unfortunatley, unless you have titanium abdominal muscles and can hike horizontal for a week and hold yourself at arm's length by inserting one finger into your ear only to the first knuckle, you aint gonna be cometetive in lasers. If you are that fit and have 2 friends equally as fit, 18' skiffs are the way to go. Everything in between is good in different ways: Farr 40 ODs are good for club racing, as are sydney 38s, but really one design racing depends on the sie of local fleets. Find out what the most popular OD class is in your local area and that will be the best OD racing you will do.

2. Dunno really, but Whitsundays take some beating.

[SkiprJohn]

I know you are probably sincere in asking what you have asked but you have to be prepared for as many different answers to the questions you've asked as there are sailors. This is cruisersforum so you probably won't be getting a lot of answers about one-design racing boats. Although many of us race its not really our main interest and a lot of us don't own one-design boats. I've raced Rebel 16s, Rhodes 19s, Cal 20s, Lasers and Sunfish. The Sunfish is by far the biggest and oldest class. That doesn't make it the most popular though. Maybe 420s or FJs would be pretty popular. 29ers and 49ers are popular in other parts of the world.

The world's top sailing destination? Hanalei, Kaui. It's tops with me but certainly isn't everyone's favorite.

Good luck in your survey.

JohnL

[Wahoo]

Aignam,

Interesting question, and one that will have a great many answers. Much of it will depend on the kind of racing you would be looking to do. If you are just looking for fun racing on your local area (lake or ocean), your region, or interested in traveling the US circuit. Pocket book will also be a deciding factor.

Also, do you wish to talk about dinghies or keelboats? Here is a list of what is being raced out there..

Laser, 49ers, 420s', 470s, Lightnings, Snipes, Thistles, J-24, J-80, Melges 24 ( perhaps the most competitive class raced right now), Melges 32, Farr 40s, and a ton of others.

Take a look at the Key West Race Week website, it should give you a fairly good idea.

Hope this helps...

Wahoo

[Ex-Calif]

Question 1 and 2 don't apear to be related. Top destination for cruising, beach-combing, scuba diving or racing one designs?

The J24 class gets badmouthed by a lot of people but it is still a very popular club class. I raced J24s for the first time last year and had a blast.

Here is a more definititve list of classes. A while back I found a list of approximate numbers of boats built, one indication of past if not present popularity but I can't find it again.

If you cross reference the one design list against the Olympic classes you may begin to zero in on current popularity.

US SAILING One Design

[svHyLyte]

Question 1: Laser then J-24;

Question 2: How does not define top?

[S/V Elusive]

SkiprJohn - hummm.. Rhodes 19 and Cal 20 .. Sounds like a Hickam AFB skipper - did MY fair share of rentals there at Pearl (Navy one too) - really enjoyed the Widgeons

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Thomas,
Yes, PH 81-84 and 87-91. Widgeons, Rhodes. I think they had a Laser or two too. Hickam had the Cal 20s and some Rhodes too.
JohnL