I’ve been looking for a boat to get me back into dinghy racing. OK, so I’ve still got a Musto Skiff, but realistically I don’t have the time or fitness any more to ever hope to be competitive in it. In Scotland, the only really active single-handed traveller fleets are the Laser (just not my thing), Musto Skiff and the Solo. So, the Solo it is then!! 🙂 .
The key thing that swung this decision was that the Solos have an excellent Scottish traveller circuit, which typically attracts ten to twenty competitors to each event. These are usually one day events, which cuts down the cost and hassle considerably, since there is no need to pay for accommodation.
The Solo Dinghy was originally designed in 1956 by Jack Holt, and since then nearly 6000 have been built, mainly in the UK. This means that there are loads to choose from on the second hand market. However, although the Solo is a ‘one design’ boat (i.e. all hulls and sails must be pretty much identical), design methods have changed over the years, and boats are available from many different manufacturers.
To cover just the real basics, the different construction materials available are:
The Solo has no weight equalization system. However, by choosing the correct mast and sail combination, Solos are competitively sailed by helms across a wide weight range.
I had originally hoped to buy an FRP Composite boat for around £2,000 but was advised by other sailors to save my pennies to buy a fully FRP boat, and that I should be looking to spend between £4K and £5K for a boat that would be competitive on the traveller circuit. The reasons given were that an FRP boat will be faster, require less maintenance, and will also hopefully hold its value better.
In the end, I did follow most of this advice, and picked up a 2004 Winder Mark 1 Solo for £3,500. She’s definitely been raced hard over her life, and has a few dings here and there. However, I think she’s pretty good for what I paid. I’ll post some photos of her once I get her on the water, but since there is currently 4″ of snow outside, that won’t be today!
Along the way however, I compiled some information on Solo prices, which might be helpful to others in the same situation. The graphs below show the asking prices of boats for sale in the UK between about September and December 2017, and were taken from places like the UK Solo Association website, ApolloDuck, Ebay, and the UK Dinghies & Bits for Sale Facebook group. Obviously these take no account of the condition of each boat, whether it came with a road trailer or covers, etc etc. However, it should hopefully give a good starting point for anybody looking for a second hand Solo dinghy:
For anybody interested, the full spreadsheet can be downloaded here.
I’m looking forward to getting on the water with my new boat now – as soon as the water isn’t quite so frozen! 🙂
An Outdoor Life 