BLUEMOMENT

West Kirby Sailing club is an excellent place & the Marine lake is pretty shallow, there is a fair chance he could stand up in most of it if he capsises. I'm pretty sure that the club has a strong training set up for youngsters in Optomists, which is probably why there is one for sail (somebody just graduated to a Topper perhaps)

Get them to go to the club & ask a few questions, I'm sure they'll get good advice & there will probably be a regular training session for the kids, perhaps initially crewing for a more experienced kid.

BTW no connection with WKSC but I come from the area &.was once member of Wallasey SC & then the neighbouring Dee SC. West Kirby has a good reputation, but the Dee was more into Cruising.

Julian wrote: But she also wishes to buy a dinghy, she had in mind a mirror which is a sound boat as long as they all go sailing together, but too big I think for a lone 9 year old after the novelty wears off for his parents...

I'd suggest finding him the chance to try lots of different dinghies so that if he is still keen enough to want one himself after the initial enthusiasm wears off, he has experience of a range of types.

My local sailing school (Galloway Sailing Centre on Loch Ken) keeps a fleet of about six different types: big/wee, staid/exciting, monohull/notproperboats and so on. No Optimists, though - perhaps parents here aren't rich enough to buy all the go-fast gadgets which Oppiebrats seem to need.

Mark wrote:Ben Ainslie currently sails a Finn. Are you going to suggest a Fin is anything other than a dull underpowered heavy barge?

Looks like a lot of fun to me - but what do I know about dinghy sailing?

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9-Bn1iUfBg[/youtube]

Silkie wrote:

Mark wrote:Ben Ainslie currently sails a Finn. Are you going to suggest a Fin is anything other than a dull underpowered heavy barge?

Looks like a lot of fun to me - but what do I know about dinghy sailing?

Just my personal opinion, Silkie. I found the Finn to be heavy and dull. In contrast I thought that the RS600 was fast and fun. Even in the days before the modern crop of Dinghies I thought my Phantom was way more fun than the Fin and my recollection is that that could carry the same crew weight, and that's before even consider the exotic boats.

I guess that's why there are so many different boats. Everyone likes something different.

Don't know a great deal about dingy sailing, but there are lots of young kids sailing around in Toppers in Peterhead.

Funny old thing, perception!

Perceptions of childhood need to be dribbled out bit by bit at family gatherings so that the humiliations suffered are tempered by guffaws of laughter & tears of joy from other family members.