Feedback

Laser 5000 still a great boat? Sailing a five-tonner for the last year and a half, I feel that the boat is the best I have ever sailed. Originally the 5000 was meant to be our stepping stone to a 49er, an introduction to twin wiring and an opportunity to gain sponsorship but now after a season's worth of sailing I'm hooked on the 5000 and all thoughts about 49ers have gone out the window! Looking back at articles from magazines, the 5000 seemed to be pipped to Olympic glory due to the fact it punished bad sailing and was not ideal for lighter crews.

Yes, the boat is heavy and may slightly favour heavier crews in windier conditions but punishing bad sailing is not a negative point. In my opinion if you are competing at a high level, mistakes should be punished and good crew work rewarded. Initially sailing the 5000 in a blow is a bit scary to say the least but my advice is to sail in lighter winds and build yourself up to sailing in the heavier stuff. Performance wise, I have found the boat really rewarding and seems to get better and better every time I take her out (and no it's not just my learning curve). Racing in mixed fleets, she is a good competitor, able to beat the supposedly simpler or faster designs, proven by the success the Richards brothers have been having beating 49ers at mixed events and we also surprise local competitors at a club level.

The class is extremely friendly with most sailors being extremely enthusiastic about the boat and willing to pass on information to help their fellow racers. Contrary to rumours, the class is not in decline. Many sailors have moved on from the class but many new faces are appearing too, which could be due to the fact that the boat is probably the best value performance craft on the market. In my opinion, the 5000 is the best boat in the world and I would only swap mine for a new one.

From Ian West-Lewis, San Francisco
505 still a class act? Absolutely! All performance boats can be sailed in the light stuff. Not too many are as robust, well designed, or well built. When the wind starts to really blow and lots of boats are heading for the shore the 505s are out there ripping up rooster tails. Another good point is you don't need a PhD to be sailing one, though you probably need one (in sailing) to win any regatta of note given the huge depth and experience of the fleets. A wonderful boat. Ian West-Lewis, San Francisco

From Paul Burke
Were we fair to the 1720? Mostly yes ! The boat is lively enough ( especially for 'mature' ex J24 types!) and as the top weight allowed for crew is 450kg you will more commonly see crews of 5/6 people racing rather than 4/5. The sponsorship angle can also be useful in keeping running costs down and is a big plus for the class. Regarding the bad rating for ease of handling the backstay , the rules allow for it to be split and lead to both sides.....this will sort problems here. We have never had a problem with the mainsheet...look at the arrangement on other boats. We would love to have a self-furling genoa but the thinking is that light air performance would be affected... For the issue with sails flying out of the gennaker pit ,try buying Goacher Sails' stowage bag. It's custom made for 1720s and also provides extra halyard stowage pockets.

From Sam Bourne
What were the 1720s on? As bowman on Pepsi, I had a close view of the crashes but not as close as some.... Luckily only hardware was damaged but it could have been a lot worse. Irresponsible sailing by a few dinghy sailors playing with 'big boats'. All of the collisions could of been avoided by sensible decision making and by giving an ounce of respect to the Sigma 33 sailors - very few T-bone crashes happen in that class and we go round marks very tight. I heard tales of boats with 15+ knots on the clock and no way out - just take the kite down early and join the queue like any other smart sailor rather than piling in after a rush of blood to the head.