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In 12 years of Aero sailing I have not seen or heard of such wear to the non-slip.

So how did this happen?

Should it be repaired? Absolutely.

I understand the Aero deck, particularly where screws go into it, is marine ply sheathed in epoxy impregnated woven carbon fibre.

It's light & stiff, but when the skin gets punctured water can get into the marine ply, softening it. Repair - expensive.

Screws have to have sealant around them to prevent.

The non-slip on this boat as you say is worn right down to the gel-coat, and possibly down to the carbon sheath.

There seem to be a couple of small holes, down to what? I cannot be categoric regarding the core in this part of the boat.

Further the class rules require the non-slip to be in good order and maintained:-

Rule C.6.1.3 Modifications
(c) - - - 'texture must be maintained' - - 'must be reinstated' - -

Rule C.6.1.4 Maintenance
(e) - - - 're-application of moulded deck non-slip areas' - - -

I had my 1'st Aero 8 years and had to reinstate the non-slip. I did think to do it myself, but was advised its a job best given to a good repairer.

I don't remember the exact cost, but it was in the 3 figures £xxx..

Given the above and the apparent very hard sailing I would also urge you to check;-

the rudder gudgeon pins, firm or loose. The screws go into marine ply core.

the rudder stock to tiller joint, they can loosen and corrode from the inside.

the tiller extension UJ. If the tiller has been kept with the extension folded back into the bag between sailing it strains the UJ. If the outer is splitting it's a relatively cheap part to change.

08/07/2026 11:07:00
Jonathan Rickels
Posts: 122

Thank you! One thing I forgot to mention, was the textured/grip gel coal on the forward outer corner hiking surface has a section 1 inch x 24 inches that is completely worn smooth and is so thin the fiberglass is visible. Port side is shown. Starboard side shows the samwe wear, but not as bad. I've never seen that before, but tells me it was sailed a lot. I assuming that needs to be repaired?

06/07/2026 01:23:00
Sterling
Posts: 7

Check all screws are tight, or can be snugged up tight. This includes popping the vang cleat off its fitting and checking the deck mounting screws underneath (water pools in the recess and can soften the timber if not sealed properly).

While you're at it, make sure the ball bearing race doesn't need tightening up/no ball bearings gone missing.

Check if the black finger hold strips on the sides of the cockpit are loose (sometimes the screws need tightening - or the holes filled and renewed).

Go over the hull carefully, top and bottom, wearing reading glasses if you need them. Unless the boat has been recently repaired/refreshed, I'd be very surprised if there weren't at least one or two small dints in the gel coat, possibly with small cracks at the edges. It only takes a very light blow / careless fall/drop on the foredeck to cause a dent. Very repairable by a boatbuilder.

And run your finger around the chines, and gunnel, this will reveal any chips or scratches your eye might miss.

Check the teeth on the cleats for wear/replacement (sometimes filing the teeth can get another season or two out of them.

The rivets in the gunnel eyes near the cleats can get loose over time, no biggie, but annoying (my boat builder epoxied them back firm).

04/07/2026 00:35:00
RonF 'Delphine'
Posts: 48

Hi Sterling,

I bought my 2nd Aero June 2022, so very similar age to the one you're intersted in.

Mine hasn't been sailed as hard as you imply, but it has had regular usually weekly use.

Apart from one nick in the gelcoat on the transom lip, and some marking on the deck at the forward end of the cockpit where the traveller can rub it is perfect. Like my 1st boat at 4 years; and when it was traded in at 8 years old.

You don't say whether the boat has been lake, freshwater, sailed or sailed on the sea. If it has been sailed on the sea has it had a wash with fresh water every time it has been brought back ashore?

Salt can embed in the ropes and really stiffen them up, not good for a lightweight racing dinghy where fifelity of control is paramount.

And the blocks will also suffer. If its been washed regularly then there shouldn't be a problem.

What are the conditions for launching & recovery? If waves, or stony beach, or concrete slipway it would be worth turning the hull over and checking for dents. The Aero hull is FRP, Foam Reinforced Plastic, the inner and outer skins are single layer woven carbon fibre.
Small impacts can leave marks. Heavy impacts can cause delamination and a permanent dent in the foam. These may not necessarily be visible if the outer skin has bounced back into shape. Going over the hull with your fingers pressing down should find any.

It's not a simple or cheap job to fix. But it can be done, and repaired close to the original build standard by agood, prefereably RS Approved, repairer.

Mast collars aren't such an issue post 2020, when as I understand Selden moved to fixing them with epoxy resin. But please check. Loose can be repaired, but aligning the collar exactly with the axis of the mast needs care.

Similarly detaching of the sail bolt rope track is less likely. But again please check for craking along the base of the track on both sides where it joins the mast; lower and upper, though the upper does most bending.

Foils should be in good condition; no chips on the edge, and leading and trailing edges should be straight. To test hold the head up to your eye and look down. If thre's bend or twist negotiate; new foils are not cheap.

At 4 years old, whatever manufacturer, the top cover will be showing its age. Not necesarily worn out. But you should be thinking of replacing in 2 -3 years.

The trolley should still be good. Bit if the wheels squeak loudly when pulled with the boat on its a sign the wheels haven't been greased. A simple job to fix, but possibly an indication of an owner who sails hard and slips care?
There should be a blue plastic insert in the front of the A-Frame that extends past the large hole for securing on a road base. They did tend to come out at this age of boat.

Aero sails last well, and unless they've been alowed to flog egularly or pulled down and not flaked or rolled, they don't show wear. If they show short sharp creases then think in terms of replacing sooner rather than later.

At 4 years they may be coming up for replacement. Can you raise sail on shore and get the sai/s to set smoothly without creases?

The bolt rope does shrink, easily fixed by a good sailmaker; but it usually isn't significant at 4 years. If you cant't get a crease out of the luff when setting for upwind without eally cranking on the vang/kicker then this may be the cause.

The sail material itself also tends to shrink with UV. The heavy denier Dacron has less tendency to stretch out of shape, than say a Laser sail. However I can't vouch for excessiver 'heavy' weather sailing. Again in light wind espacially is it easy to set for a smooth aerofoil shape. The battens should be the correct tension.

The sailnumber should match the number on the transom plate. And be spaced as per the rigging guide.

The sail window should have the correct colour swatch.

The drain holes at the bottom of the hull mast tube and the rear cockpit bottle water holder should be clear; as should the hull vent under the front end of the toe strap.

The mast tube recessed mast collar may show signs of wear. There should be a stainless steel, it will have greyed, cup at the bottom of the mast step tube. The hull mast step tube below the recessed collar should still have it's gelcoat intact. No scratches down to the laminate. Not such a worry if there are as long as the laminate is sound, but this is the one part of the Aero hull it is either extremeley difficult if not impossible to repair.

NO Water should come out of the hull stern bung when the boat is tipped bow up.

That's the bst I can come up with.

hope you find the boat satisfactory, and can negotiate a good price.

Enjoy your Aero sailing.

03/07/2026 17:47:00
Jonathan Rickels
Posts: 122

Check the hull for GRP crazing, those tiny, spiderweb-like cracks in a boat's gelcoat, which can be caused by the harder & brittle gelcoat flexing over a softer fiberglass laminate. While often cosmetic, it can allow moisture into the hull and lead to deeper delamination if left untreated.

Main culprit is usually UV damage, eg the cover is not on properly when in the dinghy park. An owner who sails all year round is less likely to be caught out by that.

It can also happen because:

Flex and Stress: Gelcoat is rigid and struggles to bend. When GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) flexes under stress, pressure, or impacts, the gelcoat cracks first. It could be around the mast collar. Needs to be a crack to be a problem, see attached image. Superficial fine lines are not a problem, water get in.
Manufacturing Defects: If the gelcoat layer is applied too thickly, or if the fiberglass beneath was incompletely saturated during manufacturing, the surface becomes prone to stress cracking. Certainly not a problem with my Aero and I’m not aware of any other either.

In general the Aero is pretty bullet proof.

02/07/2026 08:56:00
[email protected]
Posts: 26

The only thing I would look at is the mast collar at deck level. It may now rotate but this can be easily replaced with a kit by RS which includes collar and adhesive and mast end.

01/07/2026 20:11:00
Mark1654
Posts: 25

Hi all- I'm looking at buying a used Aero manufactured in 2022. It has been sailed hard in all weather conditions. Salt water. The metal fittings show some corrosion. By hard, I mean I mean is has been sailed year round and in rough weather. No damage or past repairs. Looks great. One more thing is the textured/grip gel coal on the forward outer corner hiking surface has a section 1 inch x 24 inches that is completely worn and is so thin the fiberglass is visible. Port side is shown. Starboard side shows the same wear, but not as bad. I've never seen that before, but tells me it was sailed a lot. I assuming that needs to be repaired?My question is: Is there a risk with buying an Aero that has been sailed hard? Does the hull and spars degrade over time with use?

01/07/2026 20:02:00
Sterling
Posts: 7

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