Having completed your training course, hopefully you are considering purchasing a dinghy to sail at Northampton Sailing Club. If so then you might find the following of interest.

There are many different sailing dinghies on the market. In fact the range of boats available is so large that to any newcomer to sailing it can be bewildering. Some are produced in large numbers and others are aimed at niche markets. Some have fallen from popularity or have simply not sold in great numbers.

Modern production techniques mean that the vast majority of boats made today are made from glass reinforced fibres or similar material.

These modern boats need far less maintenance than traditionally built wooden boats and enable you to maximise the time spent taking part in your new found sport (sailing) rather than sanding, painting and varnishing, etc. which wooden built boats demand on a regular basis in order to keep tem seaworthy.

Experience has shown that quite a few people taking up sailing purchase inappropriate boats. As a result they are lost to the sport at an early stage, either through frustration at not being able to satisfactorily sail and thus enjoy the boat they have chosen, or because they have purchased a boat that has seen better days and is more of a DIY project than a boat to sail.