40 One-Design Class Sailboat Handbook 



BUYING A NEW CLASS BOAT 



Buying a new one-design class is the easiest and safest way to obtain 

 your craft. You go to a local showroom, pick out the class boat you want, 

 perhaps take a trial sail, and then buy it. If there are no dealers carrying 

 the class boat you want, you may order it by mail directly from the manu- 

 facturer and it will be shipped to you by freight. The names and addresses 

 of the manufacturers of the more popular one-designers can be found 

 in Chapters 6 and 7. 



So popular is sailing today that most banks and commercial-loan firms 

 will finance your new sailboat (sometimes secondhand ones, too) in much 

 the same way as a new automobile. Financing can be arranged through 

 the dealer, directly with your own bank or other lending institution. A 

 down payment of from 20 to 30 per cent of the purchase price is required 

 by most companies. Interest rates and duration of contracts vary with the 

 amount of money extended. You can also find that loans are obtainable 

 for sailboat repairs, overhauls and insurance, by using your boat as 

 security. 



Insurance. It's only common sense to protect your boat investment with 

 insurance. Boat-insurance policies are usually figured for the specific 

 period of time during which the boat will be in use. Most policies also 

 state specific limits within which the boat will be operated. However, it's 

 possible to sail beyond the stated limits by notifying your insurance agent 

 and having your policy properly endorsed. Most boat insurance gives 

 broad protection, including protection against liability for injury to any- 

 one on the owner's boat or on any boat he may collide with; against the 

 cost of medical payments for personal injuries; against damage to the 

 owner's boat; and against liability for the injury of anyone hired to per- 

 form work on the boat. 



Trailers. The importance of trailers in spreading sailboating's popu- 

 larity cannot be overemphasized. They not only facilitate intersectional 

 and national regattas, but also permit those who don't belong to a yacht 

 club and have no mooring for their boat to get into the act. The garage 

 becomes the boat's home port— waters anywhere can be its racing course. 



While the smaller one-designers present few difficulties, some of the 

 larger ones do. For example, a keeltype boat needs a special trailer to 



