Reassurance required

[Stevely]

I joined the SDCA convinced I would buy a Supernova. However, a recent sail in a Laser left me questioning whether I really should get a hiking single hander (kept tripping over my size 10s and was knocked out of boat by boom resulting in 2 weeks mild concussion - on the plus side I could get back into a laser unaided) or go for a more sedate option like Comet Versa, wanderer or similar with higher boom, less hiking, more stable and option to take a crew when I wanted. I am 63, c 100kgs and one dodgy knee; current sailing is on a small lake with only club bosuns (too heavy) or lasers (never again) to choose from. The Supernova seemed to tick so many boxes but after my laser experience and the more I read I worry the Supernova may be too technical to sail and not suitable. Thanks

[nhalstead]

Hello Stevely
Well I'm 65 and quite a bit lighter at about 80Kg and there are a good many Supernova sailors who are older than I am. I have dodgy knees too (I think it goes with the territory!) and serious problems with my wrists and hands - which has led me to retire from circuit sailing. I love sailing my Supernova though and would hate to think of having to sail in something more sedate. In fact I wouldn't do that - I'd rather go biking or something! Currently I club sail inland and manage quite happily even in the breezy stuff which can be great fun.
The Supernova can be a bit technical, but it's only a bit (much less than some classes) and all those little alterations make only very small differences. They are not critical to sailing at club level and the boat can be happily sailed with a standard setup once you sort that out.
What no-one on this forum can judge is what your skill set is. The Supernova is a performance boat and requires some skill to sail, but even if a novice it shouldn't take too long to acquire some of those skills as long as you don't try to overdo the sailing in more exteme conditions in the early stages.
If you're yet to buy a boat, a trip out in a Supernova would be a great idea prior to committing. If there's no-one locally who can facilitate that then you could try the Association boat. I'm sure someone else on this forum could advise how that works and what it's availability is.
Good luck!

[stevetos]

I sail with Norman at Roadford and i have finished on the same leg as him.And it was the same race.I sailed lasers for years there great boats but i got the mk1 supanova and then bought a brand new mk2e im 65. when i ordered the boat i was 95 kg i was told i had type 2 diabetic so i want to finish at least in shouting distance to Norman So went on a diet the fast 800 for all the type 2 out there. im now 80kg. We at roadford went from just Norman sailing a nova to 10 in 2 years they dont all race but sort of says it all. i love my boats i havent even sold the mk1 as i like to lend it out.I did the nationals this year as it was in plymouth i think i would now be a bit better in the new boat if i was to enter now. i dont want to sail anything other than the nova i have a flying 15 for when i get to old in my 90is should be about the right time to give up the nova.TRY ONE

[Stevely]

Thank you Norman and Stevetos, for the really helpful comments. It has reaffirmed a lot of what attracted me to the Supernova in the first place. Its easy to get distracted by boats that can be used for other purposes like cruising with family etc. but reality is a lot of my sailing will be lakes at one of the clubs near me, and its my hobby thats not really shared by family.

Unfortunately while my club in North East Hampshire has had one or 2 Supernovas in the past there currently aren't any here to test. Have considered the SDA loan boat and emailed someone about it, problem is distance and i dont have a tow bar on this car which i maybe changing in the next couple of months. Anyway definitely seems the way to go, hopefully get something sorted soon.

[stevetos]

i will be at Roadforde from the 23rd until the31st half term week. Staying in my caravan if you want to try a supanova as i say i have 2.

[Kevin]

Hi Stevely,

What I remind myself when I bought a Supernova five years ago is the strength of the class association. It’s very active with plenty of racing events all over the country. There can’t be many dinghy classes old or new with 100+ entries at the Nationals, be that on the South Coast or North Wales. You might not fancy the racing so much but the class is doing ok to keep the momentum going.
A single handler has to be just that, can you handle it on and off the water on your own? They’ll be plenty of stuff about technical rig settings etc but what makes the boat lively on the water, a low hull weight, makes it a doddle to move about in the dinghy park. If your sailing on inland waters choose one of the lightweight trolleys to make moving it easier. Can you comfortably raise and lower the mast. If you travel with the boat how quickly can you pack it up and load it onto a trailer.
I had a number of Lasers over many years and they’re ok, but you can’t disguise a 1970s design. They’re a grunt to sail, uncomfortable and wet. You can’t drop the sail easily when you want a break and everything on them is retro fitted and miles away from the original design brief. There’s loads of them out there though!
You must try before you make your decision. Don’t just go for one sail, see if you can have a Supernova for a couple of days, rig it, launch, sail, recover. I hope you make a decision that suits your sailing requirements.

Regards
Kevin
1226

[Stevely]

Thanks for further responses and apologies for tardy response.
Stevetos, unfortunately work commitments at the moment mean I won’t be able to get down there but the offer is much appreciated.
Kevin, thank you for your encouraging comments.

So now boat type. I have read that Giles Mk1s showed significant weight differences, and early Hartley Mk1s should perhaps be avoided but for no other reason than “there are usually issues when a new builder takes over”. Is this a real problem and what numbers count as early Hartley’s and should they really be avoided? Also with Mk2 most focus is on the newer epoxy boats, but are the early FRP Mk2s a good entry point? Cannot find much written about them other than FRP absorbs water and gets heavy. Any other points I should be wary of other than boats that perhaps haven’t been so well looked after and requiring significant repairs?

[stevetos]

i have posted on here that theres is a difference its taken me 3 months to get the hang of the lighter boat. its not a lot but i dont think you make a mk2 of something and make it worse than the previous boat. my mate jumped in my mk1 no 441 giles boat and although Norman wasnt racing he won the first race and came a close second to a mk2e i can now do things in my new boat that im sure i could not have done in the mk1 it has made me get better places. Josh at Roadford has a mk1 and beats me regularly so i think there is a difference.But I dont know how you would allow for it in minutes on the PY

[Stevely]

thanks Stevetos. I was particularly curious about whether the Mk2 FRP had any real drawbacks against Mk2e.