Sailed an RS Aero this weekend....

[RobbieB]

While I'm out there jumping sharks, (sailing things other than ILCA's) I took a spin on an Aero this weekend. I went to the US Sailing Symposium in St. Pete and they had a really cool "Demo day" on Friday. A front came through in the morning which cooled down the temps and the wind made it "sporty". I'd read about the demo day so I brought my gear. The young'ins were hitting the water in shorts, Tshirts and a lifejacket.

The boat feels pretty small when you're on it, but it was really "sporty" in the conditions. Once offshore a little there was a nice rolling swell with some steeper wave faces here and there. The boat was really responsive to helm movements. The needle bow shape and aft flare made it easy to get your weight back in the boat to keep the bow up. I never buried the bow upwind or downwind. The boat "danced" on top of the water.

I was not sailing the largest rig. I think I was one sail down in size from the largest one. With my weight/size I could easily "horse" the boat down in puffs and to bear away sailing SW.

Reaching DW was super fun and fast. I did go DDW to get a feel for how to properly sit in the boat without being on my knees and managed to do that ok, but can see the challenge with folks who don't have small dingy experience.

I liked the cunningham, outhaul adjustments being lead to the rail. Can't understand why they didn't do that with the vang as well. I found the center mount position of the vang a little cumbersome being right under the centerboard bungee.

For a larger person the sailing conditions for the boat are what I'd call "champagne". When I went DDW and got a feel for what it is like to "scrunch up" in the boat I could see myself having comfort issues in lighter air sailing. Much like I have in the ILCA but have figured out how to manage over the years.

Overall, I found the boat a lot of fun and can see the attraction to it.

 

[dogwatch]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. The standard length vang is long enough to play when hiking and you can engage/disengage the cleat but you do want the tail in the cockpit somewhere you can reach it. No it isn't ultra- comfortable DDW in light airs but I find it bearable. The general view in my club is that the 7m rig you had by the sound of it is the sweet spot for men who are the right size for boat and for taller women. I don't think it is the right boat for larger men but tillerman doesn't like me saying that.

As you describe, it's a lovely responsive boat. It reminds me of the Europe I sailed decades ago, without the "the boom is trying to kill me" anxiety when gybing.

 

[tillerman]

The general view in my club is that the 7m rig you had by the sound of it is the sweet spot for men who are the right size for boat and for taller women. I don't think it is the right boat for larger men but tillerman doesn't like me saying that.

Glad you liked the Aero.

LOL. You can say whatever you like. Some larger men (very tall and/or considerably heavier than me) seem to do very well in the boat.

On the other hand, I have seen other heavier men sail the Aero once in a blow, do a screaming reach across the lake, capsize on their first tack, and decide there and then it's not the boat for them. Agility is important. As is finding a downwind body position that works for the individual in a cockpit which is a different shape from the Laser.

As for the dagger board bungee/vang tail issue
a) the daggerboard will stay up without a bungee
b) the class rules only require that the board is secured to the hull with a line or a shock cord.
c) Personally I tie off the vang tail to the daggerboard handle. That fulfills the class requirement to secure the board, and the vang line is always in a place where I can reach it. win win.

 

[dogwatch]

When the class first took off in my club, there were larger males sailing the 9m rig but they have all gone to other classes. OTOH there are plenty of average sized men and taller women sailing the 7m, average sized women sailing the 5m and recently, a youth contingent appearing. OK, just one club but with a fair-sized Aero fleet I think some lessons can be drawn.

 

[tillerman]

When the class first took off in my club, there were larger males sailing the 9m rig but they have all gone to other classes. OTOH there are plenty of average sized men and taller women sailing the 7m, daverage sized women sailing the 5m and recently, a youth contingent appearing. OK, just one club but with a fair-sized Aero fleet I think some lessons can be drawn.

Interesting.
What other classes did your larger males choose?
Am I right in thinking that your club is on the sea?

 

[dogwatch]

Interesting.
What other classes did your larger males choose?
Am I right in thinking that your club is on the sea?

They are reasonable questions but the answers would identify the club and I've long since decided not to do so on SA, due to the lunatic fringe here. Don't bother asking 20 questions in order to guess. Sorry.

 

[Bill5]

They are reasonable questions but the answers would identify the club and I've long since decided not to do so on SA, due to the lunatic fringe here. Don't bother asking 20 questions in order to guess. Sorry.

I am at a loss

 

[Xeon]

RobbieB . Glad you like it .
It’s a good boat and gives North American a newer option in the singlehanded market
I liked the boat when I tested it in 2016 but it’s just the Zero suited me and where I sail more.
If I sailed on the sea the choice would have been a lot closer.

 

[tillerman]

They are reasonable questions but the answers would identify the club and I've long since decided not to do so on SA, due to the lunatic fringe here. Don't bother asking 20 questions in order to guess. Sorry.

Fair enough.

 

[RobbieB]

When the class first took off in my club, there were larger males sailing the 9m rig but they have all gone to other classes. OTOH there are plenty of average sized men and taller women sailing the 7m, average sized women sailing the 5m and recently, a youth contingent appearing. OK, just one club but with a fair-sized Aero fleet I think some lessons can be drawn.

I've always felt the true "crazies" stay away from the legitimate sailing topics.

 

[dogwatch]

It would be good if that were true but it is not.

Sorry I don’t want to distract this thread any more. The OP had good things to say.

 

[Couta]

The 5 & 7 Rigs are perfect for their target crew weight...the 9 is a step too far. Fantastic boats, a well managed class and some wonderful people at the top of the fleet ...completely open to encouraging and assisting those that are nipping on their heels....it's a very accomplished packaged offering for an aspiring dinghy racing sailor.....but if you're a bigger unit, forget the 9 and get yourself a Finn!🤣😳

 

[GER308]

The 5 & 7 Rigs are perfect for their target crew weight...the 9 is a step too far. Fantastic boats, a well managed class and some wonderful people at the top of the fleet ...completely open to encouraging and assisting those that are nipping on their heels....it's a very accomplished packaged offering for an aspiring dinghy racing sailor.....but if you're a bigger unit, forget the 9 and get yourself a Finn!🤣😳

We have now a small fleet in my club and I have managed to get in touch with the class assoc. here in Germany and get a class regatta here and am looking forward to doing the race committee. Happy to have them but yeah I will stay with my Finn We are just a small sailing club on a little puddle but I try to keep us active whatever the boat.

 

[tillerman]

We have now a small fleet in my club and I have managed to get in touch with the class assoc. here in Germany and get a class regatta here and am looking forward to doing the race committee. Happy to have them but yeah I will stay with my Finn We are just a small sailing club on a little puddle but I try to keep us active whatever the boat.

LOL. That's pretty much the solution we came to at my club. The big guys (Flying Scot sailors in our case) do race committee for Aero regattas - and vice versa.

 

[Gouvernail]

The nine rig is just fine for me. The absolute only drawback only happens when handicap racing.
Although the big sail depowers well and is easy to sail in big breeze, a smaller sail goes faster.
Consider a J-24 where the fastest rig in 18 knots and up is achieved by switching down from the 150% Genoa to the 100% jib.
The J-24 still sails just fine in big breeze using the big sail but the little sail goes around a course faster.

However, as soon as the breeze drops under 12 the big sail goes WAY faster than the little sail.

As I live near a rather light wind venue, the big sail is simply much more fun. My AERO planes in much lighter breeze than my smaller sailed much heavier Laser.

Planing is always fun… especially when those nearby can’t.


But…. There are never 40 boat fleets of AEROs around here… so I still race my Laser

 

[RSsailingNA]

We love having the Aero at demo day even though it's not really aimed at programs and its great to hear someone really enjoyed it!
That was the RS Aero 6 Rig that you were sailing, our second smallest, equivalent to a Laser Radial size.
This boat went over to Tampa after the event where it's up for charter at the RS Aero Midwinter Series at Davis Island Yacht Club, drop me an email [email protected] if you're interested in sailing an event sometime!

 

[RobbieB]

RobbieB . Glad you like it .
It’s a good boat and gives North American a newer option in the singlehanded market
I liked the boat when I tested it in 2016 but it’s just the Zero suited me and where I sail more.
If I sailed on the sea the choice would have been a lot closer.

Forgot to mention I REALLY liked the adjustable hiking strap. With the shallow cockpit I could literally "lock" my feet in the boat for a super solid connection to the deck going upwind.

It would be soooo nice if ILCA would allow for an updated/adjustable strap, (exactly like on the Aero) instead of the half assed rope rigging w/cam cleat set up.

 

[Xeon]

Forgot to mention I REALLY liked the adjustable hiking strap. With the shallow cockpit I could literally "lock" my feet in the boat for a super solid connection to the deck going upwind.

It would be soooo nice if ILCA would allow for an updated/adjustable strap, (exactly like on the Aero) instead of the half assed rope rigging w/cam cleat set up.

The shallow cockpit is a bit of a double edged sword if you are sailing in it on small puddles in light winds in the midlands 😀.
So my friend who owns one, tells me .

 

[RobbieB]

The shallow cockpit is a bit of a double edged sword if you are sailing in it on small puddles in light winds in the midlands 😀.
So my friend who owns one, tells me .

I can definitely see some drawbacks of the cockpit in lighter air, but the boat is a cool concept overall.

 

[dogwatch]

The shallow cockpit is a bit of a double edged sword if you are sailing in it on small puddles in light winds in the midlands 😀.

Oh well. You could always sail a Solo. That's got a deep cockpit and you'd get good and strong pulling it up the beach.