Charles,
I'll bet he paid less for the Nimbus he's flying than you could sell him a
PW-5.
A Nimbus won the region 9 sports class this year and the Nimbus isn't that
much harder to rig than a PW-5 (I've done both).
For me, I'm flying a nice Open Jantar that I know I paid less for than even
some of the used PW-5's currently on the market.
It is true that I probably can't land it in as small a field as a PW-5, but
then I can cover a lot more ground when I'm looking for a place to land, and
thus, have more options.
It is my opinion (and not only mine) that the older open class ships
represent some of the best values in soaring machines there are. Most have
nice comfy cockpits that aren't too sensitive to weight, most are fairly
easy to fly, and most of them climb really well and stay up well on weak
days. With the right rigging equipment, they aren't any more trouble to
assemble than your average 15 meter ship.
As for the one design aspect, I raced sailboats for 30 years at a fairly
high level both one design and handicap. I think one design sailboat racing
is a joke because no two are _exactly_ the same and the various class rules
range from ridiculously specific to almost meaningless. Most one design
classes ultimately end up something like the 1-26 class just to get the
participation.

Cheers! (flame suit on)


"Charles Yeates" wrote in message
...
Depends on pocketbook, eh? Some can afford a PW-5 and some ASH25M
Enjoyment of each can be equal.

Bill Daniels wrote:

If I am to joust with the forces of nature over hostile terrain, I want
all
the performance I can buy. Mother Nature just won't let you change her
rules.

Bill Daniels