What to look for in JR Sailer's boat

bostonwhaler

New Member
My son is in a sailing program and wants to move from an opti to a sunfish. I'm looking for advice on what to look for in a boat that will be used every day next summer. Thanks MartyD
 
Look at the boats in the fleet. If the locals race and he wants in, you're pretty much stuck getting a race equipped boat up front.
Any fish will work for fun/day sailing. But having to update a recreational fish to race configuration can cost some money.
Plastic dagger board.
Race sail
adjustable outhaul & cunningham
Adjustable goose neck
new wire bridle and block
Harken ratchet block

Racing against a race boat with a rec boat will gaurantee him a position at the back of the fleet. We lost more than 1/2 the race fleet when they "updated" the Sunfish.
 
Racing and trophys are a big part of the program. I'm going to look at a 2002 boat, with a "white" sail. Are there differences in them? Are there differences between brand names. I know the opti racing sail has 3 different cuts for different weights . Thanks MartyD
 
Bostonwhaler,

Check Wind Line Sails (http://www.windline.net/index.html) How-To article on buying a used boat. Dan also has a list of common upgrades, similar to Mikes list, use them both as a check list to see what you may or may not need. The "white" sail could be a racing sail, check the tack for the makers emblem (North Sails), it may say racing on the emblem. Look for the window (about 6' long x 7" tall). If it does not say racing, check the sail for an extra grommet just above the tack (it is a little bigger than the rest and reinforced), reinforcement along the luff (triangular patches at the end of the seams) and at the corners. The approved official Sunfish sail is one size fits all and is currently made by North Sails. The race sail is a little bigger (deeper draft) than the recreational sail (flatter). After market sails by other makers may not be allowed in a race.
 
bostonwhaler said:
My son is in a sailing program and wants to move from an opti to a sunfish. I'm looking for advice on what to look for in a boat that will be used every day next summer.

In addition to the excellent comments made previously, carefully inspect the boat for leaks. It's hard to get that trophy when the boat has taken on considerable water. The hull of a dry Sunfish is supposed to weigh around 130 lbs, but it's not trivial to weigh a boat that's not yours. Find out if the boat has been treated well (did it sit in the water all the time; not good). Turn the boat over and inspect the bottom and the daggerboard well. Fill the mast tube with water and see if the water level goes down in ~30 minutes. There are other common sense things to watch out for, but this is what I can come up with right now.

Good luck!
 
bostonwhaler said:
Racing and trophys are a big part of the program.


Racing is all about having fun with your friends and sailing fast and learning and getting better.

Trophies? Forget about them. If they come, they come. If they do you'll have a room full of junkie trophies. So what? Don't get the kid focused on trophies and winning. Get the kid focused on having fun and sailing fast (and fair).
 

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