Pearson 36 vs C&C 37

[dnr]

I''ve left a couple posts regarding my boat search, and have been offered great advice so far. I have centered my search for a Florida/Bahamas coastal cruiser down to two centerboard models, the late 80''s Pearson 36-2 and the mid 80''s C&C 37. I''ve reviewed old posts in the message board, joined the email lists for both Pearson and C&C, and researched all pertinent resources on the net. My conclusion from all this reading is that the Pearson is roomier but slower, especially to windward. I would expect to have to rely on the engine more with the Pearson. However, I compared the boats on Carls Sail Calculator website, which resulted in the table below. I am not much of an expert on sailboat design, but I interpret the data table to indicate that there should be negligible sailing differnce between the two models. Am I missing something?
Performance Comparison
LOA C&C 37 (1985) 37.55
Pearson 36-2 36.27
LWL C&C 37 (1985) 28.87
Pearson 36-2 29.68
Beam C&C 37 (1985) 11.7
Pearson 36-2 12.36
Displacement C&C 37 (1985) 14500
Pearson 36-2 15107
Sail Area C&C 37 (1985) 641
Pearson 36-2 663
Capsize Ratio C&C 37 (1985) 1.92
Pearson 36-2 2
Hull Speed C&C 37 (1985) 7.2
Pearson 36-2 7.3
Sail Area to Displ C&C 37 (1985) 17.25
Pearson 36-2 17.36
Displ to LWL C&C 37 (1985) 269
Pearson 36-2 258
LWL to Beam C&C 37 (1985) 2.47
Pearson 36-2 2.4
Motion Comfort C&C 37 (1985) 26.68
Pearson 36-2 25.69
Pounds/Inch C&C 37 (1985) 1207
Pearson 36-2 1311
Thanks for your help
Doug Radabaugh, boat shopper

[paulk]

PHRF ratings make comparing sailing qualities between two or more boats much simpler. If the ratings weren''t somewhat valid, owners would scream about their results until the ratings were corrected. Comparing all the different stats (beam/draft/waterline lengths/ballast/ etc.) can make you crazy because there are so many variables beyond those that you''re actually looking at. In my (admittedly not new) PHRF rating book, the C&C 37 CB model rates from 114 to 108, depending upon the area you race in. This is not a big spread - indicating that the boat performs at about the same level, regardless of average condidtions. The Pearson 36-2 w/CB ranges from 123 to 132. Though again, not a huge spread, this does indicate that the Pearson should be slower than the C&C around a triangular course by at least 10 seconds a mile. If you enjoy getting the most out of your boat, the C&C will reward you by being a bit more responsive, but if you''re cruising, the numbers don''t reflect a huge difference in arrival time.
For color commentary, I sail a J/36 with a rating of 84, and might be able to pass the Pearson to leeward on a beat. (It makes the Sabre 38 owners (PHRF 117) nuts when I do that.)