Alan S. Glos
Well-Known Member
I am just finishing fitting out a 2018 (China built) Sunfish for racing. I sold my 2010 Vanguard to another racer in our fleet and bought this boat last fall from a guy who only sailed it a handful of times. See photos. It came in like-new condition but had a few odd things.
First, there was no vinyl trim strip on the underside of the cockpit lip making it hard on the top of your feet if you put your feet under the lip to hike out. This would not do, so I installed a new vinyl strip with 3M 5200 goop. Easy fix; much better.
Second, the forward end of the factory installed hiking strap is mounted high, just under the cockpit lip, not low in the cockpit like the earlier Vanguard, SLI and Pearson rigs. I am not wild about this rig, but to lower the forward attachment point involves installing an inspection port and rigging a new aluminum back-up plate to handle the load on the forward end of the strap. I have decided to hold off on this retrofit as: it is overly involved job, the existing rig may work fine and at 198 lbs., I don't have to hike out all that often. I plan to reassess after a few heavy air races.
Third, the hull came without the usual vent hole in forward end of the cockpit tub wall. This turns out to be rather important as a sister ship in another area fleet had the deck separate from the hull on the first hot hot day when the air on the inside of the hull expanded with no way to vent and equalize the interior pressure. Easy fix: I drilled a 3/16" hole through the forward wall of the cockpit wall just above the attachment point for the aforementioned hiking strap.
Besides these issues, the hull looks good, light, stiff and no soft spots. Now to see if is as fast as my former Vanguard.
Has anybody else seen these issues in this design? Any other issues I should be concerned about?
Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
First, there was no vinyl trim strip on the underside of the cockpit lip making it hard on the top of your feet if you put your feet under the lip to hike out. This would not do, so I installed a new vinyl strip with 3M 5200 goop. Easy fix; much better.
Second, the forward end of the factory installed hiking strap is mounted high, just under the cockpit lip, not low in the cockpit like the earlier Vanguard, SLI and Pearson rigs. I am not wild about this rig, but to lower the forward attachment point involves installing an inspection port and rigging a new aluminum back-up plate to handle the load on the forward end of the strap. I have decided to hold off on this retrofit as: it is overly involved job, the existing rig may work fine and at 198 lbs., I don't have to hike out all that often. I plan to reassess after a few heavy air races.
Third, the hull came without the usual vent hole in forward end of the cockpit tub wall. This turns out to be rather important as a sister ship in another area fleet had the deck separate from the hull on the first hot hot day when the air on the inside of the hull expanded with no way to vent and equalize the interior pressure. Easy fix: I drilled a 3/16" hole through the forward wall of the cockpit wall just above the attachment point for the aforementioned hiking strap.
Besides these issues, the hull looks good, light, stiff and no soft spots. Now to see if is as fast as my former Vanguard.
Has anybody else seen these issues in this design? Any other issues I should be concerned about?
Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY