First Sailing Dinghy

by Ian

As it is likely that I will be solo most of the time I need to look at a dinghy which can successfuly sailed single handed but could accomodate another adult on occasion.

Local club lists the following classes
Enterprise Solo, Mirror, Laser and Topper.

Would initially join a club and take courses but don't expect to have any interest in racing, however that may all change once I have learned the basics.

I would like to be able to sail in the lakes.

A rather long preamble to the question - what would your recommendations be for a suitable dinghy?

This is my bio:

Age 61
Male
Fit
11 Stone
Never Sailed Before

I would budget £2000 - £3000

Any advice would be appreciated,

Ian

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Hi Ian,

I love the fact that age 61, you want to sail! It really shows how committed you are to learn this wonderful sport.

Okay lets go through the dinghy classes you listed. Firstly it is unlikely you will be able to fit in a Topper since it is meant for children and teenagers rather than adults and you might find it a little bit too limiting.

A mirror is a great boat to start on, because you can have someone next to you instructing you as you go along and it is large enough to have food or baggage that you can take with you.

A laser is an advanced boat that is very difficult to learn on. While you might progress to this stage later on, I know for a fact that coaching people on this boat is very hard and you will get a much better instruction from a larger boat that allows you to be accompanied by an instructor.

So my advice is to start with a mirror and progress up to a laser when you are ready for it!

Check out my pages on Toppers, Mirrors and Lasers.

Best Regards,
Alex