Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff_H
....
As I have said before, these days, just like in the CCA era, once again, there is a proliferation of new racing rules out there and many of these produce extremely fast boats, but they are not exactly exmplary designs, producing compromises that run counter to motion comfort, structural integrity, and seaworthiness for the sake of speed that beats some arbitrary racing rule. I am not a fan of the boats that have emerged out of these rules.
But the cruiser/racer designs that have emerged out of the IMS/IRC rules and the performance cruising oriented designs that have been designed incorporating the principles learned at the grand prix levels of the IMS/IRC and filtered down into normal production boats has produced boats that are extremely easy to handle across a wide range of wind conditions with exceptionally comfortable motion and excellent seaworthiness. You should try one of these newer designs in a blow.
As to single-handing the boats that derived from these newer rules. I own a very early IMS type design. I routinely single-hand it. She was single-handed from South Africa to Maryland in the early 1980's. I met a fellow who single-handed a 25 year old sistership of my boat from South Africa to the Carribean spending the first 10 days in 30-50 plus not winds and seas that he estimated exceeded 15 meters (mast height). He averated over 150 miles a day including passing through the duldrums and used less than 15 gals of diesel. I would sooner make that trip in my boat than almost any 10,500 lb boat from the CCA era.
.....
|
Jeff, I've been following along with interest since starting out (still half-heartedly) on the long journey of finding alternative to the Hartley - a boat with "character" - something like CharlieCobras (long keel, cutaway forefoot) perhaps? Dunno, yet. It's early days.
You have stated your belief that many newer boats can handle a blow better than the older designs and I notice with interest that, according to your profile, you sail a
Farr 11.6 (modern, fin keel).
Examples of Bruce Farr's designs can be seen in almost every marina in Australia (just look for names like FarrOut, FarrAway, FarrGone, etc, etc.) and he and Joe Adams were probably Australia's best-known yacht designers in the '70s and '80s. Some of their designs produced wonderful boats - yours, the Farr 6000, the Adams 20, Adams 10 - and some rubbish as well.
Would you care to list a half-dozen or so from different designers in the up-to-40' range that would meet your ideals of "motion comfort, structural integrity, and seaworthiness"??
I, for one, would really like to know... Thanks.
