When shopping for a boat, take your time to find the right boat for you, given where you are presently (skill wise) and where you plan to be over the course of 1 – 3 years. Talk to coaches to get recommendations on what might be right for you at this time, other sailors to see what their experience with different equipment has been, and online for information. Within the Opti World in particular, there is a huge range of blades, spars and sails that are specific to the sailor based on height/weight/skill level, so as you look at options try and find the right fit..
Keep in mind that extras like dollies/covers/blade or spar bags/practice sails can all add up when they have to be purchased separately—most used boats will have some/all of the above. That said, depending on your boat and where it will be stored, etc. you don’t necessarily need everything right away.
If you don’t know what to look for (how to tell the difference between cosmetic and structural problems), find someone to help you. Every boat has its “issues”—Optis their mast steps, C420s longitudinal stiffness, Lasers deck/hull joints, etc. etc. It’s important to remember that most boats can be repaired and returned to competitive form for surprisingly affordable amounts. There are several great repair outfits right in RI (see list below)
Class Websites: great for general info about the boats, class rules and classified sections for used boats and equipment. Some require class membership to gain access to parts of their websites.
Vanguard Sailing Center, Portsmouth, RI (401) 683-0400 www.vscri.com
New and used boats and equipment.
Boat Swap: Saturday, April 17th 9am – 5 pm. Boats for sale must be dropped off by Friday, April 16th. Bidding on boats for sale begins at 10 am on the 17th. Call the VSC for more info.
WOM (word of mouth): boats often end up staying within a program as they are handed down between siblings and sold to team mates. Check with Kim and Galen—we usually hear of boats for sale.
Classifieds and the Internet: it’s often worth looking in unlikely places as good boats occasionally turn up.
YC bulletin boards: most YCs/programs have a space where “For Sale” notices can be posted.
Sail1Design: www.sail1design.com good classified section w/all kinds of boats
Repair Shops:
LaserPerformance & Vanguard SC (see above)
Guck Inc., Bristol RI (401) 254-5090 see Lars Guck
Jibe Tech, Portsmouth, RI (401) 683-0484 see Andy Pimental
DeMelo’s Fiberglasss Repair, Bristol, RI (401) 578-2696 see Horatio DeMelo
