DSK wrote:

The Topaz is beamier - more like an arrowhead shape in plan. It's a
sit-on, wet dinghy with an open transom. I haven't sailed a Laser,
but my experience of the Topaz was that it was okay in a breeze, but
frustrating in light
air - too slow and too tippy.

What a great combination... it's slow, but at least it's
uncomfortable!

It's slow, uncomfortable *and* liable to fall over. :-)

Maybe the Topaz is slow due to wetted area - it's flat-bottomed. Not a heavy
boat, it can be righted easily just by pulling down on the dagger board, but
you have to get the head into the wind first, or it'll just fall over again.


I sailed a Topper Buzz a few times and that's a fun boat... bigger,
faster, real fiberglass, I liked it more than a 420... it's not a
Johnson 18 but then so few boats are.

I might have seen a Buzz - is it similar to the Laser Stratos? Modern
dinghy, openish transom, probably has a spinnaker chute, maybe roller
furling jib. About 14', I think.


I notice they put a metal structural member to hold the mast. I guess
that's how they get away with putting a jib & "genaker" on a molded
plastic boat. Those rotomolded 'Escape' boats can't get any
horsepower, they deform instead.

I didn't feel that the Topaz was anything less than very sturdy. It's
moulded, but flex or deformation never entered my head when I sailed one -
more like tough as old boots.


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Wally
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www.wally.myby.co.uk