Hunter 45.7 VS Trimaran?

ImASonOfaSailor · #1 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

Does anyone have a hunter 45.7 or a Corsair trimaran. If you were to race these boats which would win? My dad and I were talking about this and he had a Abbott 33 telling me that he was keeping up with a 45.7 Hunter? Then I mentioned the boat I was looking at he said that the Abbott did 10 knots to weather and could out point any boat? I am trying to decide if he is correct or not? I wish I could test drive boats before you buy them!

Faster · #2 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

The winner of that "Race" would depend on a lot of factors. Wind direction and speed (how much beating vs running or reaching) would play a huge part. To weather they may be more or less matched, with the edge likely going to a well sailed 46 footer. (Hunter 45.7? maybe not) I've been on a Corsair 25C doing 18 knots with the wind abeam, but that same day we beat to weather at 8 knots for max VMG to weather... similar to what a high performance 40-something mono would do.

Off the wind if the velocity is enough to allow the tri to get the speed required to overcome the angles it needs to sail, it should do that leg faster.

Racing tris and monos is really not an apples to apples comparison.

That an Abbot 33 is a high pointing boat is probably true - it's a very narrow hull with tight sheeting angles. Will she do 10 knots to weather? I don't think her waterline length will support that theory - and it's not a real planing hull form.

And btw - once you put down some money to show you are serious, you CAN (and should) sail them before you buy them!

tommyt · #3 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

Faster is absolutely correct. All depends on weather and water conditions. The one thing that is certain, in really heavy weather the 45 footer is going to be a lot more comfortable as long as it is a well designed boat.

As to the testing of boats you can charter or show the dealers that you are serious. Show me the money!!!!!!.... and you get a ride.

ImASonOfaSailor · #4 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

The winner of that "Race" would depend on a lot of factors. Wind direction and speed (how much beating vs running or reaching) would play a huge part. To weather they may be more or less matched, with the edge likely going to a well sailed 46 footer. (Hunter 45.7? maybe not) I've been on a Corsair 25C doing 18 knots with the wind abeam, but that same day we beat to weather at 8 knots for max VMG to weather... similar to what a high performance 40-something mono would do.

Off the wind if the velocity is enough to allow the tri to get the speed required to overcome the angles it needs to sail, it should do that leg faster.

Racing tris and monos is really not an apples to apples comparison.

That an Abbot 33 is a high pointing boat is probably true - it's a very narrow hull with tight sheeting angles. Will she do 10 knots to weather? I don't think her waterline length will support that theory - and it's not a real planing hull form.

And btw - once you put down some money to show you are serious, you CAN (and should) sail them before you buy them!

so what is your opinion on the corsair then? Have you sailed on a Hunter 45.7?
How fast is it really? I do remember one day when we were on Lake Erie and we could not Pass the hunter, and we were doing 7.5 knots and we just could not pass this boat ! I will never forget that day, but after taken a ride a very short ride on a corsair, I will never for get that ride. It was at least 10 knots of wind and with out even trying we were doing 7 to 8 knots and you felt the boat nudge foward it was cool.....

Faster · #5 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImASonOfaSailor

so what is your opinion on the corsair then? Have you sailed on a Hunter 45.7?
How fast is it really? I do remember one day when we were on Lake Erie and we could not Pass the hunter, and we were doing 7.5 knots and we just could not pass this boat ! I will never forget that day, but after taken a ride a very short ride on a corsair, I will never for get that ride. It was at least 10 knots of wind and with out even trying we were doing 7 to 8 knots and you felt the boat nudge foward it was cool.....

Our ride on the Corsair was a thrill, to be sure. The acceleration is amazing and coming onto the wind and sailing at a "mere" 8 knots suddenly felt slow!

But it was also a very wet ride - and this was in relatively benign conditions. I know our friends spend as much time trying to slow the boat down as the conditions pipe up, since the results of digging an ama into a wave would be disastrous. They are not relaxing boats to sail. Multis do not naturally de-power by heeling over, and don't "broach" conventionally - they flip over.
Corsairs are also very pricey for what you get. (boat-wise that is, - the performance is worth the tab)

bestfriend · #6 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

C'mon Son, just buy the damn Tri already! Making fun of Sailingdog is getting old and we need a new set of training wheels.

Now seriously, get the Tri, I want to hear all about it, sounds pretty cool.

I was watching a video of one of those big open ocean racing trimarans with the cockpits on the side, whacky, what a ride! Edit-now that I think about it, it may have been a catamaran.

ImASonOfaSailor · #7 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

Our ride on the Corsair was a thrill, to be sure. The acceleration is amazing and coming onto the wind and sailing at a "mere" 8 knots suddenly felt slow!

But it was also a very wet ride - and this was in relatively benign conditions. I know our friends spend as much time trying to slow the boat down as the conditions pipe up, since the results of digging an ama into a wave would be disastrous. They are not relaxing boats to sail. Multis do not naturally de-power by heeling over, and don't "broach" conventionally - they flip over.
Corsairs are also very pricey for what you get. (boat-wise that is, - the performance is worth the tab)

They Flip over? What are you saying? Not by what I have been reading! You will know when to let it out to dump the main sail. I think if you get on big enough you will not have that issue!

Faster · #8 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImASonOfaSailor

They Flip over? What are you saying? Not by what I have been reading! You will know when to let it out to dump the main sail. I think if you get on big enough you will not have that issue!

Sorry, but they do - things happen very fast at those speeds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8OM2...related&search=
Cheeky Monkey is a modified Corsair 31 and was being sailed by both the new and former owner, a highly experienced multi sailor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHpJJNGmMVg

These little ones show nicely what can happen when you bury an ama

Here's one you'll like - dramatic, exciting and no mishaps (though there is mention of a capsize in the blurb)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHpJJNGmMVg

I'm not trying to dissuade you from multis - but you need to be realistic about the demands of sailing them, especially the high performance ones.

Monos are more forgiving and more relaxing - but perhaps not nearly as much fun!

bestfriend · #9 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007

I'm glad that never happened to ME on my Hobie.

sailingdog · #10 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007

Cruising design multihulls are significantly more difficult to capsize than racing designs...and the Corsairs are pretty much racing designs when you get right down to it. For instance, to compare a cruising design and a racing design, let's look at the Corsair 28 and the Telstar 28.

The C28 has a much smaller cabin than the Telstar 28. In a C28, I can't stand up, since the height of the cabin is considerably less than my 5' 4", and in the Telstar you have nearly 6' of head room.

I believe the amas on the Corsair are a good deal smaller, with less buoyancy, which increases their tendency to submerge.

The sail plan on the Corsair 28 is a bit larger than that of the Telstar 28, even though both boats are the same LOA and about the same LWL.

Finally, the Corsair 28 is a lot lighter than the Telstar 28.

BTW, as a general rule, you reef a monohull for average wind speeds, and you reef a multihull for the peak wind speeds. A monohull deals with the gusts by heeling, and spilling the excess wind out of the sails... a multihull can't do that, but a multihull needs less sail area to be driven at a given speed, since it weighs less and has less water resistance as a general rule than a monohull.