Do I buy DD an Oppie or a Topper?

[Katymac]

She is 9
About 4ft 8 & 4st 10

She is quite a good little sailor & has been on several oppie courses

BUT if I buy her an Oppie will she grow out of it soon

Should I buy her a Topper or should I wait until she grows?

TIA
KMc

bump

hopeful bump in case anyone sails?

bump

I'd buy an oppie. I sailed oppies until I was 12. I can't do the conversion from stone to Kgs which is what I know. I was a skinny child (oh how things change) and only weighed about 33 kgs when I was 12, but I knew kids who were a lot heavier and still sailed oppies. I think oppies are brillint boats to get kids comfortable sailing - so yes, by the age of 12, maybe 13 she'll be out of it, but will probably be more confident in her sailing skills.

by the way, do you know what a second hand oppie costs? One day ( a long way off) I want to get my boys into them

She's about 30 kg (ish)

I can't find a cheap oppie - but there is a cheap (with a good history) topper for sail at a local club

here's one

Does she want to race or do Swallows and Amazons sort of things? If the former the Topper, if the latter perhaps the Oppie?

That's what I thought - but all the Topper courses start at 12 so i wonder if it's an age thing, rather than a size thing

Still can't fins an oppie close by in our price range

buy her a topper and use the sail reefed down or buy a special cut down sail until she is big enough to use the full sized sail.

Really - I think £375 is pretty good for a Topper

I'd have to get a launch trolley (unless I can use the mirror trolley?)

Now I need to decide what to do with the Mirror

My Uncle (who died of cancer) left it to DD, my dad restored it

But DD & I can't get it in the water - it's way to heavy

So sell or keep in case she grows into a big strong girl?

Keep the Mirror!!!

BTW why can't you get it in the water? Which part is difficult?

I am talking to dh at the moment. He is the sailor and not me. He reckons you may get away with the trooly for the Mirror ( we have a mirror). Dh also says that a topper comes close to the mirror in wieght. My boys have just completed their first sailing course in an opppie.

Dragging it to the slip puts my shoulder/neck/lower back out

Getting it down the slip without falling over is a nightmare

Getting it back on the trolley & then up the slip is impossible

It is just too heavy

I was hoping a plastic boat would be lighter

DD is just to small to pull it about

My skeleton is just too wron to cope

"worn"

trooly that was supposed to say. Keep the mirror too if you have room

tolley done it again

Oh - that's bad news

So I guess it's keeping looking for an optimist then (I'm sure they are lighter)

DD has done a course in an Oppie
2 in a laser/pico
and is on another in an oppie

I actually think she wants an Oppie - but I'm not sure I can afford one

I had a Topper and loved it, but that's because I was crap at sailing and could control it .

Just an idea but have you thought of a Mirror? All the kids at the yacht club I was a member of learnt on one of them - my brother managed to put a hole in it (on the trailer in the garden) hence the topper.

Are you a member of a sailing club. At ours they a really friendly and would always help you out if you needed it.

OK I see the problem.
There must be some stats somewhere on how much the different boats weigh.

Oh shit didn't read whole post, you already have a mirror - is there no one who can help you with it? All the sailors at the club encouraged their kids to learn in one

They are great - I just want to be self sufficient

I also think they think I'm a bit weak & watery

Which I am - but I also have arthritus & it bloody hurts to get the boat out

In that case I would go for a topper, I was a weak teenager and could manage it - I have such happy memories of it might have to come up and have a go (we are in Suffolk!)