The Boston Whaler Harpoon 4.6 Trainer came
to my attention via a US Sailing training video. The open design, materials
and workmanship of the Harpoon 4.6
is much like that of its bigger sister, the Harpoon 5.2.
;)
Many of the items discussed on the Harpoon 5.2 Page apply similarly to these boats, such as boat inspection, flaws, availability etc. Kenyon Spars, North Sails and Elvstrom Bailers were standard equipment.
In regard to pricing, I have heard some claims that the Harpoon 4.6 generally sells for more than the Harpoon 5.2. Perhaps this might be due to the fact that there are a lot fewer Harpoon 4.6s than 5.2s, however, I could not confirm this. Typically, the trainer will sell for less according to my limited experience. Location, condition, season and actual demand will have the greater influence.
The following text is from the original brochure about the Harpoon 4.6 Trainer:
An idea in Club racing whose time has come.
There was a time, not so very long ago, when the average young sailor's concept of the ideal club racer conjured up images replete with 470's and Flying Dutchmen.
Fragile, complicated, ultra high performance sailing machines with blinding, neck-jerking acceleration and precise, if somewhat jittery, handling. Then something started happpening. A lot of those very same sailors started getting tired of the constant nerves-on-the-edge sort of feeling that goes with racing a nervous, skittery, overly-sensitive performance boat.
And tired also of racing with - and more often than not, losing to - the kind of high-powered competitors
these world class boats constantly attract. Yet, the only alternative seemed to be
stepping down into a boat that was - by comparison - boringly slow,
ponderous in its handling and about as quick to respond as an overweight walrus.
Now, with the Harpoon 4.6, there is perhaps for the first time, a meaningful alternative.
A boat that is fast and and yet refreshingly umcomplicated. A boat that's really enjoyable to sail.
And yet, forgiving. A boat that teaches you when you've made a mistake,
instead of punishing you for it.
A boat that's stable, tough, and roomy. With a degree of spaciousness that can only be describes as vast for a boat this size...
...and most importantly, it is a boat that is absolutely unsinkable, and which can easily support the weight of its full crew even when totally swamped. Sailing coaches have said that the Harpoon 4.6 is so forgiving it teaches new sailors when they make mistakes, instead of punishing them for their inexperience.
