Beachcomber Sailing Dinghy

[Trevor C]

There is one of these for sale on ebay - anybody heard of it?

[Nigel]

Hi Trevor,

I have one. My one(small)page of information did not indicate they were ever made in wood though. I can send you a scan if you wish.

My GRP one is great fun in a blow and really flies on a run. Very stable because of the low centre of effort. I took mine out in gusting force 6s in a club race a couple of weeks ago. Did not come close to capsizing (unlike almost everyone else) and came third by attrition. Being picky, I find mine a little slow to tack and she does not point quite as high as a modern una bermuda rigged boat ( but this is sailing with just the main so the jib should improve these characteristics

I know of one other in North Devon and spoke to a guy in Invergordon last week who had one as a boy (so that makes them over 30).

Best Regards,

Nigel

[davidh]

Trevor.

you don't see many of these now, another casulty of the Laser / plastic fantastic shift in single handed sailing. Last one I saw was atop a bonfire when we cleared out an area of the 'elephants graveyard' (barbarians!!) but we gave a Viking funeral to a Leader as well so it had good company.

I think they missed out at the time against the minisail, then the Piccolo and then the sunfish/sailfish????? - back in the 60's the biggest class in the world.

Sorry to have missed you Monday Trevor, I picked up a last minute job and as on the Island

D

[Trevor C]

Thanks for the info.

I was not overly impressed by the boat show. Only Lakeland wooden boats had a "proper" wooden dinghy as far as I could see. The Spirit 56 yacht was stunning, just £660k plus VAT, but it outclassed everything else on the water - in my view.