Fusion Dinghies

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jakeroyd

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If you will permit me I would like to bring to your attention the fusion dinghy.

http://www.fusionsailboats.co.uk/

These dinghies are a fusion of a dinghy that can be sailed safely and one which can be sporty when required.

The designer and owner of the business is Glen Truswell , an International 14 world champion for the last 2 years who I have had the priviledge of knowing and working with in the past.

It is Glen gybing the boat about 2/3rds of the way through the video.

For my ten pennies worth I think the prices are attractive.

Glen recently showed at the Southampton Boat Show where he was favoured with some orders.

Enjoy..........................
 
Yet another dinghy 'class'.
The price seems attractive, but realsitically you have to add on cover and trolley, so the race verson is over £3k.
Somebody who just wants a simple boat to go sailing and the kids to learn on could buy a used boat for less.
Anyone who wants their kids to progress needs to buy into an established class.

Hard market to break into, big competition from RS Feva and Laser Pico. Among others.

It's like the original Laser, as a boat it's IMHO, horrible. But buying one you are buying into great one-on-one racing wherever you go, and for that I love it.
There are dozens of better single handers which could replace the laser, the best have sold a thousand or so over a decade or two, others a few dozen.....many new classes have lower 'ticket' prices, but they devalue like a Yugo.

The key to success is probably bulk orders from beach holiday operators.
 
Glen if I remember correctly nearly made one of the Olympic teams.
He was unimpressed with the sailing ability of my then Moody 27 ��
 
That looks like a good design with decent performance but not hugely different from the existing established classes such as Teras, Fevas etc.
If it's to get kids into sailing I think the social aspect is important and therefore better to get a class that is sailed in your area/ club. Not much point in having the best dinghy in the world if you are the only person with one.
I think it's a pity that there are so many different classes nowadays. My club has keen Oppy, Tera, Feva fleets for kids but the adults all have different classes so we can only run handicap races. The handicap officer gets all the blame for poor results.
 
All these new designs are killing sailing. Our club members are desperate for the camaraderie that the old class racing used to bring but nobody can agree on what to buy. Hence we end up handicap racing on portsmouth yardstick & racing is dying as a result.
Just because somebody sailed a particular class well does not make him a good boat builder. What one needs is an established builder who will support the class for a long time & support an owners association; not just bring out another design when he feels he can make more money by dragging sailors away from the older model.
There are lots of cheap starter boats out there for those who want to just potter. I suppose the most important items when buying one is - is it cheap & when I get fed up can i stick it in the garage roof & forget it
 
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Daydream believer said:
All these new designs are killing sailing. ......
Just because somebody sailed a particular class well does not make him a good boat builder....
Click to expand...

GT won the Merlin Nationals in a boat that he modified fairly significantly himself, so I'd say he knows a fair bit about boat design.

All of these rotomoulded boats seem cheap compared to a traditional GRP (let alone plwood!) dinghy, but production costs of hulls are very low. The problem is masts, sails, foils and fittings cost much the same, and the development and tooling costs are very high.
 
"Our club members are desperate for the camaraderie that the old class racing used to bring but nobody can agree on what to buy."
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?465535-Fusion-Dinghies#E5GgiIAOSQtjitoX.99

My son & daughter sailed Cadets in the 80s & 90s, as did many top sailors and are still in contact worldwide with many of their Cadet competitors.
The downside is that grandaughters race modern classes and are often told things like " I used to sail with your Mum in Cadets, I could tell you a thing or two about her!"
 
DanTribe said:
"Our club members are desperate for the camaraderie that the old class racing used to bring but nobody can agree on what to buy."
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?465535-Fusion-Dinghies#E5GgiIAOSQtjitoX.99

My son & daughter sailed Cadets in the 80s & 90s, as did many top sailors and are still in contact worldwide with many of their Cadet competitors.
The downside is that grandaughters race modern classes and are often told things like " I used to sail with your Mum in Cadets, I could tell you a thing or two about her!"
Click to expand...

Some of the old designs are still the best.
My son & daughter are now 44 & 46 & still talk about the times they had together in their cadet. they can often be seen mixing with some cadet friends who seem to be the friendships that once forged last for ever.
Our club still has a fairly strong cadet class & I expect to see my grandson in one next year..
 
Another boat for leprechauns.

What about a dinghy for the larger gentleman with dodgy knees? (not double floored)
 
Hi!

I am close to purchasing a Fusion Sailing Dinghy.
Found this thread and would love to hear if anyone have had the opportunity to sail and own one by now?
Pros/Cons and general experience would be of great interest.
I have been comparing the Fusion, Cascais and RS Feva but the Fusion just seams to check most of the marks for a very reasonable price.
I am 184cm, 85kg and will mostly be sailing myself with the occasion of bringing a friend along. Im therefore also looking into the Pro version with a larger mainsail.

Cheers!
 
AndersSailing said:
Hi!

I am close to purchasing a Fusion Sailing Dinghy.
Found this thread and would love to hear if anyone have had the opportunity to sail and own one by now?
Pros/Cons and general experience would be of great interest.
I have been comparing the Fusion, Cascais and RS Feva but the Fusion just seams to check most of the marks for a very reasonable price.
I am 184cm, 85kg and will mostly be sailing myself with the occasion of bringing a friend along. Im therefore also looking into the Pro version with a larger mainsail.

Cheers!
Click to expand...
I visited the site where these are made a couple of years ago. I was filled with the impression that it was a business in desperate need of considerable investment for modernisation, process control improvements and energy saving.

The boat design looks like a "metoo" copy of many others of a similar nature. They are out there in larger numbers as you yourself and others have noted and probably for a good reason.

I think you will have less of a problem finding anything else to have a trial sail in.

I would be concerned about the availability of spares in the future.

I certainly wouldn't buy without a trial which anyone marketing this type of boat should be able to enable if they are customer orientated.

I wouldn't want to be in the position of any contract rotamoulding company given the recent hike in plastic raw materials and gas which is used in large quantities for heating the moulds.

Modern injection moulding techniques are more easily controlled , automated and are much more energy efficient.
 
Thank you TSB240 for your comments.
I have read that they did some collaboration with Topper lnternational a couple of years back and market the boat there as Topaz Fusion.
Perhaps that also includes production techniques or it may be strictly distribution network.

Given that many sailing schools have chosen the model I feel quality control and spares would be a ticker on the procurement list for any serious school but its hard to guess.

Go To Gemba as the Japanese "Lean management"" says (see for yourself) as you have done is a good way to make an opinion.

My own concern is the limited market for a boat that suits my constraints. The docking space I have for this year enables a boat of maximum 1,5m beam. Laser are having supply issues and some internal conflicts (Class and regulations) as I understand and RS cant deliver any boats right now (To Sweden at least).
 
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