PHRF racer?????

[dinghy_sailor]

I am in the market for a new boat. Looking for a used boat in the 22 ft range. Something with a good rating. A rule breaker?? Who me. Friends have suggested a S2 6.9 or a Mirage 5.5. My sailmaker told me to look at a masthead rig. Most of my sailing will be shorthanded. I would like to hear what my sailing brothers think.

[Jeff_H]

The S26.9 is a very good choice. Another boat that sails well to its rating but is a bit slower is the Ranger 23 (not to be mistaken for the Ranger 22). J-22''s are good PHRF boats. Schock made a 23 foot daggerboarder in the late 1970''s and early 1980''s that was a fast boat and seemed competitive. Another good PHRF design, if you can find one, is a Kiwi 23 (a Ron Holland design). If you sail in an area with good winds a Farr 727 should be competitive.

As to the fractional rig vs masthead rig, a fractional rig allows a lot of flexibility in changing conditions. They do best under PHRF in areas with changable winds like the S.F. Bay area. Masthead rigs work well on smaller boats in venues where you are doing a lot of windward/leewards in mostly moderate to lighter winds.

Jeff

[SamSharpe]

Try a Capri 22, real nice boat with Daysailing accomadations

[dinghy_sailor]

Thanks Jeff for your input. I have joined the S2 email list and have my nose to the ground looking for one. I will be doing alot of singlehanding, the 6.7 seems to have more weight down low. Never seen a Kiwi in South Carolina. As to the masthead rig, I agree that for lake sailing, the fuller 155 would get around the course in light air. I will install a furling system to shorten sail. The S2 also has a centerboard that can be raised for trailering ease. We are having trouble with low water levels in SC. Thanks again.

[Jeff_H]

Furlers are a really poor way to ''shorten sail'' on boats this small. This is especially true for racing. The problem with furlers on boats this size is that you end up with dangerously poor sail shape (powered up) when partially furled. You are far and away better off installing a twin foil luff so you can easily peel down to a smaller sail.

One minor point on Fractional rigs. For a given sail area fractional rigs are generally a taller rig. Give the prevelent gradient wind affects in light air sailing this extra height will often offset the lost untaxed genoa area.

Jeff