Money in the New Boat Fund Raises the Question: “Which boats should we buy?”

One member’s opinion on the Laser Vago, and why it would be the best fit for our club.

BY KEN INOUE
 
If you have been attending meetings or reading the list, you have probably heard that we have a substantial sum of money in our new boat fund. I propose we spend this money, and add a new type of boat to our fleet. Come on, who out there doesn't enjoy getting something new to play around with? 

So then the question becomes: What kind of boat would we like the club to get? I’d like to share my thought process that leads me to choose the Laser Vago as the perfect addition to the WYC dinghy fleet.

After sailing for a quarter, I have found that I enjoy single-handed sailing. This is mostly because I like to go sailing as much as possible, but I don’t like waiting to find a sailing partner. Now, Lasers are a fun boat to sail, and still somewhat challenging for me in higher winds, but I would eventually like to try a bigger challenge. Unfortunately, beyond the Laser there is no real single-handed performance boat in the club.

At the same time, I know that our double-handed dinghy fleet is insufficient. When I look at the Flying Juniors (FJs) I don't think, “Wow that looks fun to sail.” The club FJs are heavy and underpowered. (Seriously, who thought that the FJ would make a good racing boat?) 

So where does that leave me? Our single-handed fleet is the most used, but with nicer boats I am sure we could get a lot more double-handed sailors. Sure enough, there is a decent compromise: The Vago.

Now, I am not going to talk about all the features, but this boat works fairly well as a single- or double-handed boat. The Vago can fly a gennaker and it has a single trapeze which, to me, makes it an accessible performance boat. Oh, and did I mention that the suggested price is $8,395?

There are advantages and disadvantages to every boat design, but the fact that the Vago can be single- or double-handed seems like the way to expand our fleet. This is a boat that all members can benefit from, and with a reasonable price, the club doesn’t have to break the bank.