Anybody sailed a Graduate dinghy?

[Kelpie]

The other half has well and truly 'caught the bug' to the extent that she wants a boat that she can go out in when I'm not around. The Wayfarer is far too large for the purpose and apparently it's "not her boat".
The Graduate has caught her eye, principally I think because it looks so sleek; it also appears on paper to be small and light enough to be manageable on the slipway by one person.
However neither of us has sailed one. We are both used to Wayfarers and yachts and view boats as things that keep you dry, not contrivances of the devil that catapult you into the water upon making the slightest mistake. Would a Graduate be a bit of a shock to the system?

 

[Lakesailor]

I have just started using a flighty dinghy after having had a Heron and a clinker dinghy.

Start with a capsize drill. Remove all apprehension. Falling in no longer a worry.

​

 

[fastjedi]

Yes - My very first boat at the tender age of 17

I sailed Graduate 2739 at Tamworth sailing Club from 1980 - 1983. At the time TSC had a very strong Graduate fleet that included David and Steve Cockerill (www.roostersailing.com) It was handy that a 9 stone weakling could manage single handed in a moderate wind as I was going through crew at the rate of one a month!

 

[seadog30]

Grad dinghy

As a keen dinghy racer (Enterprise, Int 14, Cats and Lasers) I was keen to get the kids involved from an early age. We first had a mirror which was fine with an 8 year old crew but it soon got to cramped and slow as they grew. We then bought a Grad which I knew to be reasonable performance but lighter and not so tippy as an Enterprise. It was a great boat for club races and with decent sails easy to sail well with Father and young Daughter. It was also big enough not to be uncumfortable and safe to take out to sea.

Great boat safe and easy to handle on and off the water single handed.

However with baggy sails and an unsorted rig its a dog to handle.

Good Luck

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks for the info, sounds like it might fit the bill. Just to fill in, SWMBO is a perfectly competent sailor and doesn't need to learn anything about sail trim or boat handling, but she is hoping to be singlehanding this thing and would prefer to stay dry, if possible!

(For reference, we *never* wear wetsuits even when racing or sailing out to sea in the Wayfarer, simply don't feel the need)

 

[Thistle]

Our first boat and good fun ... though the wooden road trailer was "interesting"! Changed to an Enterprise because that is the main club fleet; could happily have stayed with Graduates.

 

[lw395]

I think they are having a bit of a resurgance, a search of the Yots and Yotting forum will bring up some graduate threads.
I think somebody has modernised the rig recently?
It's a fairly good boat for smaller people.
I last sailed one in about 1980 IIRC, I was smaller then.
No spinnaker. Is that what you want?

 

[claymore]

Great little boat - especially the Alpha

 

[Lakesailor]

You just missed an Alpha on ebay almost on your doorstep

 

[lenseman]

I used to own a Graduate dinghy (sail number 256) until recently, fabulous little yacht.

I have still got the main sail and boom for it.

 

[Kelpie]

You just missed an Alpha on ebay almost on your doorstep

Um, slight geography lesson required !?

 

[Cantata]

It's a racing dinghy, it will be great fun, and I think you'll need to accept that if you sail it enthusiastically, sooner or later you will end up in the drink.
Lakey's capsize demo is all very well but it was flat calm. The reality of a capsize in the conditions which will make you capsize will be very different, no problem if you are fit and agile though. I dinghy-raced until my 60's and did find capsizing less enjoyable and more demanding as years went by.

 

[Lakesailor]

Um, slight geography lesson required !?

Not as I was telling Claymore. It was under his post in which mentioned an Alpha. I thought you wanted a Graduate.

 

[Seajet]

Not as I was telling Claymore. It was under his post in which mentioned an Alpha. I thought you wanted a Graduate.

Lakesailor,

I have no experience with Graduates, but I think in this case 'Alpha' is one of the racing sub-designs of Graduate available.

 

[Lakesailor]

It seems there was an Alpha version of the the Graduate. The one for sale on ebay was not a speedy looking boat.
Mention on some forums seems to suggest the earlier Alpha was a rather slow boat.

 

[Seajet]

It seems there was an Alpha version of the the Graduate. The one for sale on ebay was not a speedy looking boat.
Mention on some forums seems to suggest the earlier Alpha was a rather slow boat.

Lakesailor,

there was of course the actual boat design called the Alpha, roughly 11' bermudan rig which I suspect you were thinking of, as far as I know all were grp.

An inexperienced chum had one which I went out in one day, can't say I was very impressed; for that sort of thing, handy 1-2 person grp general purpose dinghy, an Otter would be infinitely better.

The Alpha struck me as looking a bit like a small Bosun.

 

[NealB]

I have got a very ancient Supergrad.

They are great boats: decent performance (based on N12's of the day) but very forgiving. I've not managed to capsize mine by accident (yet), light for heaving around on land, great for single-handing.

I do need to rationalise my 'fleet', so could be persuaded to sell mine for a very realistic price!

 

[fastjedi]

Photo added to my profile album.

Tamworth Saling Club, Kingsbury Water Park 1981 .... Happy Days!

 

[explores]

A Grad was swmbo,s first boat and we enjoyed it very much.Lots are sailed single handed so go for it.

 

[claymore]

The Alpha Grad was built by George Robson at Ferry Nab - pushing it a bit now but I think he designed it. In its day it was a very quick version.
Adrian Baker who went to SP systems had a hand in developing them John Robson sails at Ullswater now - George 's son - brilliant sailor especially in the grad which he sailed at Arnside for a time.

What I'd give for a memory!