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Hi Brooke,
I had posted to the forum a few weeks ago some feedback on my boat. I've copied that below.
We have the deep 6.5 keel. The boat points very well. In a plus 15kt wind with full sails, she'll heel over which can cause loss of helm. A quick turn into to wind resolves, but that was a bit scary the first few times. She needs to be reefed in anything more than 16kts. The hardware on the boat is solid. Our boat was on the hard over a year and we had no mechanical issues at all this year. Our Volvo Saildrive is hard to start if it sits for over a week, but beyond that, I really like the system. I've been told the rubber ring sealing the engine needs to be replaced every 7-8 years. I guess I'm due soon. I like the saildrive system vs shaft. No water in the bilge period. Better reverse and no sideways thrust. Re performance....I'm a little surprised the boat isn't much faster given the sail area. We get 7.5-8kts max on Narragansett Bay in a 15-18kt blow. But she is a lot heavier than lets say a J Boat. Probably more stable as well. Down below, fit and finish is just ok. Its not a condo as you're probably aware. The doors on my bulkhead won't close as things have shifted and/or swelled. I'll be fixing that over the winter. Re the company....they were actually quite helpful when I was purchasing. They reviewed the boat with me via pics I provided. They answer the phone, return calls and were helpful with parts when needed. Can't complain. I do hope they can right the ship in Fairport. Its always nice to have a strong manufacturer behind you....
Furthermore, in light wind, she performs fairly well. Best conditions seem to be between 8-15kts. Site lines are great except with full genoa (135%). No worse than other boats I suppose? The boat is beamy and as a result, a fair amount of adults can fit comfortably aft. There are alot of lines on this boat. The Harken main sheet system sits just forward of the 48" wheel. Add the jib sheet and jib car lines and you've got a bit of a mess in the cockpit. We keep it as neat as possible under way. There is ample stowage up top, but not alot below.
Re your question on PHRF. We're just in the "learning to sail" phase and not ready to join a race. Its our first sailboat. Perhaps next year?? There seems to be a fair amount of inventory out there right now. I understand the 2004 models and above came with a Carbon mast? Doesn't really make a diff to me, but perhaps others?
Hope this answers your questions.
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