Been and gone and done it

Post by **Rupert** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 5:37 pm

After years of slagging them off, I have to confess that today I went out and bought a GRP Solo...I had my 40th birthday this year...
You never know, it might just be the boat I've been searching for all these years. I'll try her out tomorrow and see. She dates from 1978, so I'll be racing in the "Old" catagory at Baltic Wharf. Looking forward to seeing how she goes against Finns and OKs!

Post by **neil** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 5:43 pm

A Solo....so for Christmas you can have the matching Pipe and Slippers.

Post by **Rupert** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 6:11 pm

And those nice grown up nappy type things for when I can't get to the toilet in time...

davidh · Post by **davidh** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 8:07 pm

Not to forget that you'll now keep forgetting things, like, where was I. This is important racing wise as by the time you finish everyone else has packed up and gone home - yet you'll still win by 3 minutes on handicap!

Be good to see it at BW - yet another new boat making it's debut!!

D

Post by **stu** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 9:26 pm

comiserations;

So now you can throw away that rig tension guage and get a tape measure to measure the rig tension.

alan williams · Post by **alan williams** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:03 am

Well you sure have done it now boy. No more reasons why you can't come out to play with the big boys at sea. Seriously I used to own Cunning Stunts Solo 238 at the same time that I owned Hornet 2038 Visionary. 238 was brought for Shona who never sailed her because of the name I raced her for a time at Tamar River SC and used to enjoy the prize givings as the Commodore used to get very flustered reading this boats name out. Enjoy the Solo it was after all Jack Holts favourate boat and they can be amazingly quick.
See you at BWSC with my newer Finn.
Cheers Al

Post by **neil** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:50 am

Damn! I forgot that I've got one as well. Not for long though.

charlespsmith · Post by **charlespsmith** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:11 pm

Pipe and slippers - tell that to the marines - the Solo is a hard man's boat. I seem to rememeber it has more cloth on a single mast than any boat other than the Finn. That is without a hike aid.

I have had four! And oh boy do they go in a wind. Incidentally the Solo Class Assoc does good dowloadable tuning guides and a couple of tuning videos

Cheers
Charles

davidh · Post by **davidh** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:57 pm

Au contraire Charles......

I think you'll find that the Phantom has a lot more sail - and no help to get the brute upwind! All joking aside, the Solo is a great boat and well worthy of it's place in the singlehanded scheme of things.

With yet another 'new' singlehander about to hit the streets at the boatshow (think a cross between an MX-Ray, an RS 300 and a Vareo) one can only wonder how things will work out. After all, the laser is now some 35 years old, has it 'peaked' as a design?

Another of those boats that has the ability to sail way above it's handicap in good hands...we've been warned!!

D

nick · Post by **nick** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:09 pm

Charles took the words out of my mouth. I've sailed Solos for the last 20 odd years, and I don't consider myself the decrepit old fart that Rupert obviously thinks Solos sailors are. What that makes Mirror sailors I shudder to think. The Solo is a slowish boat undoubtedly, but that just makes for closer, more tactical sailing, a little bit of brains required perhaps, unlike those overcanvassed plastic fantastics or planing w------ !

The Solo is arguably that fastest growing 'traditional' class, 80+ new registrations per year, and you should be welcoming it to CVRDA events, not being the bunch of patronising snobs you appear to be.

Nick

Post by **Rupert** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:58 pm

Nick, Charles, I raced her for the 1st time today, and managed mid fleet for the 1st 2 races and 3rd in the last in a Handicap fleet, in winds ranging from force 2 1/2 to force 1/2, and I'm knackered! Most of the Solo sailors I've shared changing rooms with over the years look a little like Terry Wogan does in the Children in need Wrestling advertisment. When I'm thrashed by them, I wonder how someone "of age" manages to sail that fast. Then they take their shirt off, and they turn out to be 13 stone of solid muscle, 6 feet wide and the shoulders, but worryingly bowed of back...
I think I'm going to have to work out!
BTW, I think the piss taking happens to sailors of most classes, Nick - I've certainly never been spared as a midget Firefly sailor, and Alan and Neil can probebly point you in the direction of some good Finn sailor jokes on the Phantom site.

Post by **neil** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:04 pm

I think if you look you'll find we were being patronising about the owner not the boat.

davidh · Post by **davidh** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:50 pm

I for one think the laugh will be very much on Ruperts face at baltic wharf - when i'm trying to tack the sandtex scow (like mrs thatcher, the lady's not for turning) and then pulling the plank across, with each and every windshift.... I'll be the one wanting a solo next!

Even a Finn might be a preferable option in those circumstances (now there IS a boat that gets the P*ss taken, big time - yet stil flourishes)

D

Post by **Rupert** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:19 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by neil
 I think if you look you'll find we were being patronising about the owner not the boat.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I've sailed a lot of boats at cvrda meetings, and have had the pi$$ taken out of me in all of them - but till Neil wrote that I'd not quite figured out it was me and not the boats...

charlespsmith · Post by **charlespsmith** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:16 am

Blast - I had forgotten that damn great Phantom. I should have remembered - we have one at FPSC.

Charles