Monday, March 03, 2014

Just Say "NO" to Lasers

RS100


After posting about the RS Aero on Saturday, I spent a bit of time browsing the web for news about other single-handers launched in recent years, like the RS100.

It turns out the RS100 even has its own blog RS100 Sailing. And owners of RS100s can create their own profiles on the blog and tell the world why they chose the RS100 and what their sailing plans are and what beers they like etc. etc.

Most of the sailors on the site are from GBR. I can only see one USA sailor, Richard Barry. He sails out of Annapolis and is the proud owner of RS100 sail number 192. (I don't think that's Richard in the photo at the top of this post. That photo is from the RS100 brochure.)

Apparently Richard really doesn't like the Laser. He describes it as "boring" and "old-fashioned" and a "pain box."

And he signs off his profile with this impassioned plea...

Just say “NO” to Lasers. Don’t take that crap any more. You are going to live, what, 80 years maybe… on the outside? Why waste it sailing a boring, minimalist, ugly, craptastic little boat? Life is too short, dude!


Hmmm!

Some people really don't like Lasers, do they?

But could he be right?

Have I wasted the last 30+ years of my life?


12 comments:

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

In my opinion, "No". You haven't wasted the last few decades of your life. But I'm concerned about the next decades ahead. I think it's high time for you to move ('down') to something more age-apparent. Maybe an Alerion-28. Something where you can go sailing with Tillerwoman. (It's an Eastern boat!)

Tillerman said...

28? What does 28 signify? I hope it's not what I think it means. No way am I going to be able to get a 28 ft boat on my roof rack. And it probably has an engine. And a head. Ugh!

O Docker said...

I think Doc just wants you to spend as much time on boat maintenance as the rest of us.

Then you could honestly say with no reservations that you had completely wasted a day.

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

LOL! (But waiting to hear from Tillerwoman!)

Tillerman said...

Tillerwoman says absolutely not to the Alerion-28, because it wouldn't fit in the garage

bonnie said...

Oooh, now I have to go find the dancing Alerions...

Luke said...

I think the RS100 might well be technically superior, but the key point is your reference to sail # 192 vs lasers now at above 206,000. I'm not going to waste 30+ years of my life waiting for the next laser replacement develop decent fleets locally, regionally and globally. It's not the boat, it's the competition that draws me to my laser. Replicate that with a faster boat and I'm in, but until then.........

Tillerman said...

Good point Luke. A technically better boat is not much fun if you have nobody to race with.

To be fair to Mr. Barry his profile is dated 2010 so he was one of the first RS100 owners, certainly one of the first in the US. But I don't hear of any fleets building up in the NE US in the last 3 or 4 years. I wonder if he is still happy with his decision. I wonder if he still has #192.

It is a big leap of faith to buy a boat like that and hope that others locally will do the same. It almost needs 4 or 5 friends from one club to agree to take the plunge together.

On the other hand if everyone waits until there are "decent fleets locally, regionally and globally" as Luke would, then a new boat will never take off.

JP said...

Ah, the old "best boat" question. Of course it depends upon what you want to use it for - a Laser or RS100 wouldn't be much good for a sailing expedition north of the Arctic Circle but maybe that not something either you or Mrs. T want to do. Others might say "but they're slow as they don't foil" or "but it has no fridge" if that's what is important to them.

Tillerman said...

Yeah. It's pretty pointless arguing with other sailors about what is the "best boat." We all have different need and interests. All that really matters is what is the best boat for me. And I must admit that after 30+ years sailing Lasers, overlapped with about 15 years sailing Sunfish, I do sometimes wonder if I should add another small single-handed dinghy to my menagerie before I'm too old to sail boats like this.

And then when I am too old for Lasers and RS100s and whatever, I can buy a boat with a fridge.

Joe said...

I've been down the path of "other " dinghies, and it's pretty boring without a fleet to compete against......Banshee...Force 5.

Tillerman said...

It would be fun if US sailing clubs did Portsmouth handicap dinghy racing.

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