Coastland/Windsport have now opened bookings for campervan & tent pitches next year. Coastland are situated directly behind Restronguet SC.
If you are planning on coming to the Mirror Nationals in 2027 (2nd to 5th June - the end of half term week), this the closest accommodation available. It's a small site, so the number of pitches is limited and early booking is recommended.
I think hanks made using YKK LB10FR micro-buckles are the best available. Sadly the minimum quantity I had to buy was 100, but I have used most of them over the last few years.
Lenney Trenoweth kindly gave me two old Firefly masts and suggested I convert them to use on a Mirror dinghy. Thanks to Rob Hartley, that's what we did.
Firefly masts are quite a bit longer than Mirror masts. If you have a Firefly mast that has broken at the gooseneck, or at the point where the jib stick attaches to the mast, it will still be long enough to make a Mirror mast.
70493 'Pocket Rocket' Paul & Evangeline Hayden with 70697 'Forget me knot' Jude & Paul Collier and 70354 'Bluebell' Euan & Zoey Bradshaw - photo © Andrew Burge
A fantastic mixed set of sailors showcased just why the Mirror class is one of the best investments you can make. With sailors from 5 to 75, single handers, junior teams and Haribo-dispensing parents there is no excuse not to get involved.
Whilst the strong winds on the Sunday challenged and tested the whole fleet, the experience and learning was demonstrated by all as the wind moderated on the Monday.
With winds peaking in the high 20s, the first day was dominated by capsizing across the fleet. The exception, with a special mention, being Edward and Fergus Goble who demonstrated some quality sailing and perseverance to maintain both smiles and dry feet.
At the sharp end a capsize from James and Meris Date and Matt and Pippa Burge, allowed Ian and Ted Dobson to slip away and take the race win. In race 2 a capsize from the Dobsons allowed the Dates and Toby and Molly Wincer to stretch out in front. A strong performance by the junior team of Felix and Rupert Garlick gained them a 4th in the first unfortunately followed by a broken mast in race 2.
Hi are the grp hulls or the half grp/wood hulls any heavier than all wood hulls please.
the answer depends a bit on the type of GRP hull. Let me try and explain
Older (i.e. 1980s - 1990s) GRP hulls were made from chopped strand mat. The two makes I know of are the Holt Mirrors (see https://www.ukmirrorsailing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1937:holt-grp-mirror-dinghy&catid=180&Itemid=202) & Bell Ferranti Mirrors (see https://www.ukmirrorsailing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=485:bell-woodworkingferranti-grp-mirror-dinghy&catid=180&Itemid=202). These were also availabe in a composite (GRP hull, wood decks) version (from Holt and Bell/Widebeam, see https://www.ukmirrorsailing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=574&Itemid=1056). These boats were heavier than carefully built wooden boats (one recorded at 85Kg, by comparison, the minimum hull weight of a Mirror is 45.5Kg). They were also not very stiff (so panels would bend when you sailed in a chop/waves and if you tried to have tight standing rigging (shrouds & forestay), the hull would just bend. These two problems meant they were no good for racing, and, as a result, they just tended to be purchased by cruising sailors or Scout groups etc. where low maintenance was an overriding factor.
It was not until Jonny Collova (AKA "The angry ant") of Vasco Boats, a boatbuilder from Australia, came up with a foam sandwich Mirror in 2000/2001 that things changed. Foam sandwich hulls are made from a thin layer of GRP (woven mat rather than chopped strand mat), then a quite thick (8mm, 10mm) layer of lightweight foam, then another thin layer of GRP (woven mat). It's a bit more challanging to make a foam sandwich hull, but the result is a far better boat. These foam sandwich boats were down to (minimum) weight and stiff. Please note, these boat are quite delicate, and can be subject to compression damage (e.g. if you put a hull on a sandy beach with a stone on it, a compression mark will be left on the hull), example here. This sort of damage is normally cosmetic than structural.
In 2002 TridentUK (who had taken over Bell/Widebeam when it went bust so had their moulds) started making a foam sandwich boat (see https://www.ukmirrorsailing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=486:tridentuk-frp-mirror-dinghy&catid=180&Itemid=202) and these are still being made (now moulded by Ginger Boats with new moulds). In 2008 Winder Boats started making their "foam sandwich" Mirror which currently dominates the racing circuit in the UK.
The weight of a wooden boat is largely determined by the plywood used for the panels and, to a lesser extent, by the weight of the hardwood parts, in particular the aft transom doubler, the thwart and the outer gunwales. The care an attention during building also makes a difference. Early plywood (for example in 1969) was thin gaboon outer layers and a thick inner layer of (rather "carroty") mahogany. In the mid 1990s Bell/Widebeam were using Taal gaboon ply (three or five gaboon plys of equal thickness), generally regarded as the best ever.
So in summary, older GRP hulls are heavier than wood hulls (in general). Modern GRP foam sandwich (sometimes called FRP) boats are either right on minimum weight or not much over. Well built wooden racing hulls (Goodwin, Duffin, Platford, Sherwin,....) will also be right on minimum weight or not much over. Badly build wooden boats can be a fair bit heavier (55-60Kg)
