​Slow Handicap Fleet

The Slow Handicap fleet at Ogston Sailing Club is made up of many different classes of dinghy, if a dinghy has a Portsmouth Yardstick of 1076 or more then it may be part of the Slow Handicap fleet.

The most popular dinghies which make up the existing fleet are -

Supernova
The Supernova grew out of a collaboration between the then Lightning 368 Class Chairman, Frank Puranik, and Mark Giles the Lightning designer and builder. The desire was for a larger and faster single handed racing dinghy that would, like the Lightning before it, attract sailors into a new class offering a distinct combination of features not easily found in other existing designs. What evolved was a boat of similar and slightly larger vital statistics than an International Laser but with a completely different approach to the rig. A stayed, foredeck mounted, bendy mast supports an eight square metre fully battened mylar sail loose footed on a stiff alloy boom with track attachments for mainsheet blocks, kicker and clew outhaul. This results in a powerful rig that can be controlled by three lines, kicker, clew outhaul and cunningham, easily adjusted while sailing so that the rig can be altered to suit a wide range of crew weight (60 - 90 Kg) and depowered as wind strengths increase. The hull volume and shape contributes a stable platform for the rig and with little tendency to bury the bow or to gripe to windward, when allowed to heel, the overall sailing characteristics are safe and predictable. The initial design was launched in 1996 and favourably reviewed in the yachting press.
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Class association -https://www.supernovadinghy.org/

Solo
A popular dinghy that is available in wood, fibreglass or a combination of the two. In recent years these have become very competitive at our sailing club because they are generously handicapped and are agile boats that suit reservoir sailing well. Older wooden boats are generally slower than modern fibreglass hulls. The sails are notable because they are ‘fully battened’, that is to say that the sail battens run right from the mast to the leach. This helps the sail keep its shape, particularly in light winds, but can be difficult to re-shape after a tack. Sails can be in conventional Dacron or modern laminate materials.
These can be fairly technical boats with controls led back to the helm via continuous line systems. Some people find them a little uncomfortable because of the large centreboard case that runs much of the length of the boat.
An older example might cost £1000 whilst a new boat is around £7,300.

​Class association - www.solosailing.org.uk/index.asp

​Comet
There are a number of small Comet single handers: Comet, Comet Mino, Comet Xtra, Comet Zero. The Zero is aimed at beginners, though all are similar in shape and size. The Xtra is designed for competition and has a composite sail. The sail area varies between models making some faster than others. All are made of fibreglass.
A Comet can be found for £300 up to around £5000 for a new one. The others are similarly priced.

Class association - www.cometsailing.org.uk/

​Comet Trio
A straightforward dingy that we use for training because they are easy and forgiving to sail and are very adaptable. They can have a two-sail setup, which you will be familiar with, or they can also have an asymmetric spinnaker (like an extra big jib on a pole extending from the front of the boat).
Trios are always made from fibreglass and are relatively easy to maintain, being essentially weatherproof. The mainsail is able to be reefed making it easier to sail in stronger winds. The furling jib is also a luxury item. If you want to take it on the sea, you can fit an outboard on the back by adding a motor pad.
Considered a safe and easy dinghy, but not a particularly modern design.
Second hand (not often available) they sell for around £3,500. New they are around £8,500.

Mirror
This is a very popular starter boat which was designed as a home built boat some 60 years ago but has progressed from a wooden boat, with wooden spars - constructed by copper stitching ply panels - to recent factory built grp versions with Aluminum spars. More than 70,000 have now been built and whilst a new craft can cost £6000, there are many second hand ones available on the usual market places such as Ebay and Apollo Duck at very modest prices. £500 should get you a perfectly serviceable boat though it may be quite a few years old. It is particularly ideal for teaching younger members of the family to sail and can fly a spinnaker to liven up light wind sailing.

Class Association : www.ukmirrorsailing.com

​Other dinghies in the Slow Handicap fleet include the Splash, Firefly and Solution.
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For more information about the Slow Handicap fleet at Ogston, contact the fleet captain, Phil Hind on slowfleet@ogstonsc.co.uk