Above: Cath and Mark Thompson taking delivery of their new Topaz OMEGA in August 2008
Top: Sailing in their OMEGA.
Photo taken April 2009
Cath & Mark Thompson: New OMEGA Owners
“Not having sailed a plastic hull before I was expecting to feel some
hull flex, there was none!”
We had 15knts gusting 25 so it wasn’t optimal sailing but the boat
was a pleasure and easily controllable in the gusts.
I just had the main up and Cath set the jib for the down wind legs
and furled it back up for the reaches… We were being a bit patsy really, it seemed really easy to control
when the gusts hit and there was no way we were going to tip ‘er
over.
I had the stays set a bit far back so I need to drop the mast and set them forward a bit, but I think I had the rake of the mast just perfect. I'm really impressed so far, cath loved it and we both can’t wait to get the boat wet again… and it will be awesome to get that gennaker flying!
UK sailing Centres - Over 200 OMEGAs - Scottish National SC, Royal Yorkshire YC, Pembroke WS, Carsington S&L, Oxford & DS, Derwent Res, Master Sun, Mark Warner, Medina Valley, Surrey Docks WS, Trafford WS, Southend MA, Royal Victoria Docks, Felixstowe Ferry, Enfield Scouts, Doe Park WAC, Nottingham SC, Neptune YS, Walsall OP, Grangewater OEC, Wirral SC, Grangewater OEC, etc etc.
ASK YOURSELF THIS: Why spend close on double the price for old outdated, high maintance GRP designs, when TRILAM has so many advantages over it?
The Beachlands Boating Club, Auckland.
With funding, they have now received their new Topaz Omega Sport. This is for the use of their club members and to enable the younger members to gain new skills along with the thrill and experience of sailing a large, advanced dinghy.
Bob Curtis of Beachlands Boat Club:
The Topaz Omega Sport has been a huge success at the Club and has generated a lot of interest. Our notice board now has many photos of the Omega below the wording “Pride of the Fleet”. As regards to the Navy’s statement "A fantastic boat, we cannot find fault with one thing about it" I am in total agreement.
Article from the Pohutukawa Coast Times: "Beachlands Boating Club ready to set sail again"
Pride of the fleet is a new 4.7 metre Topper Topaz Omega thermo-plastic family sailing dinghy. The boat can carry four young sailors and an instructor, is easy to rig and sail and is an ideal training boat as it comes with headsail and gennaker.
"We looked at lots of options from a safety point of view, and decided this was a very safe boat with terrific buoyancy," says Bob..... The club is grateful for the funding support it has received from the Lion Foundation, NZ Charitable Trust and Four Winds Foundation.
Very experienced NZ Dinghy sailor:
While sailing the fantastic Topaz Omega Sport in Tauranga with everything up and an experienced female crew on the wire we noticed a Javelin behind us in the same mode, having a waterproof camera with me I decided to take a photo as they went by, they didn't !
Comments on a sea trial with the NZ Navy
"A fantastic boat, we cannot find fault with one thing about it".
Very experienced NZ Dinghy sailor Andy "Lightning" Phillips:
I have sailed this boat in almost all conditions up to about 30 knots. Overall I have been extremely impressed with the versatility of the boat with its ability to easily instruct in and its responsiveness under gennaker in windy conditions.
The boat's high volume bow means it doesn’t tend to ‘drive down the mine’ or bury itself at the bottom of waves making it very forgiving and great fun at high speeds! In lighter winds you can carry the gennaker at quite tight angles allowing the boat to plane in anything over about 8 knots.
Upwind, the boat performs well especially two-up with one on the trapeze. Plenty of mast-rake allows the boat to point high whilst still having a lot of power and not giving up too much downwind.
The rig and sails are well designed with a potentially powerful mainsail made from durable materials whilst having the ability to reef if needed. Having a roller furling headsail is also fantastic for launching and retrieving, downwind sailing and in terms of making the whole usability of the boat superior to anything I’ve sailed before.
Having a tapered alloy rig with spreaders ensures longevity for the product as well as low cost. Having the continuous hoist/retrieval line on the gennaker adds to the versatility of the boat allowing it to be sailed single handed easily as well as keeping the cockpit tidy and tangle-free.
"Overall I thoroughly recommend this boat as both a racing yacht and purely recreational boat."
