[tsenator]

Ok. I''ll let Jeff H give a more detailed reason. But the wholesale statement that "Big aft ends ......contribute nothing positive to any aspect of sailing performance and tend to make a boat even less suitable for offshore use" is not completely accurate. There are many Ocean sailing yachts with very wide afts where the boats stay just as wide aft all the way back from midships. Just look at some "Around the world Alone" or "Volvo Ocean race" boats.

(example http://2002.volvooceanrace.org/gallery/photo/leg_9/L9download/images/prevs/prev19.jpg )

I could also gather many more examples, but you get the idea. Most of the best wide aft ends racing boats also have a fine entry. It seems that these boats can really get some good speed while "power reaching" It really matter''s how the aft end is done and the "bullock" lines and how cleanly the water breaks from the stern. There are some poorly designed pinched end sailing vessels that needs more energy from the sails just to get the quarter wave off the stern. Take a look at Nigel Calder''s new Cruising Handbook, there is a section that talks about this phenomenom with detailed engineering analysis and pictures of examples.

Now I don''t disagree with you that a lot of "dock side condo''s" with very wide sterns aren''t necesarily going to be a better sailing boat. Probably worse _Especially_ when the aft section also comes with a lot of freeboard.

But to discount all wide afts of having no sailing benefits is not accurate and misleading.