Which dinghy sailboat faster Snipe or Bucaneer 18 ?

[Curtisfromcarlsbad]

I would like to know which boat is faster for single handed (I weigh 205 lbs.) and with a crewmember (combined weight around 365 lbs) just out of curiosity.This would typically be in bay sailing 5-12 knots of wind. Each boat would be on the standard main and jib alone.Thanks

[JimsCAL]

The B18 is slighty faster based on Portsmouth Numbers. 86.9 versus 91.9 for the Snipe. So roughly 5% faster.

[CalebD]

What Jim posted makes sense based on the waterline length and sail area/displacement of these 2 boats. I'd think they would be pretty similar with the larger boat having the edge in speed.

What I wonder is do the Portsmouth Numbers take into account the planing ability of these hulls?

[danielt63]

Originally Posted by CalebD

What I wonder is do the Portsmouth Numbers take into account the planing ability of these hulls?

Yes. Portsmouth numbers are based on the results of actual races.

[Curtisfromcarlsbad]

Is the planing ability better on one of the two boats ? And thanks for steering me to the Portsmouth numbers Jim. I printed out all the centerboard dinghys to compare.

[CalebD]

I am no hydrodynamics engineer so take this with a few grains of salt as this is just my opinion.

Some of the fastest boats are ones that routinely plane and someone is always trying to break the last speed record. There are a bunch of factors that effect the way a hull planes: shape, weight, sail area, wave height etc etc. I'm going to say that the faster hull will be the one that looks 'fastest', meaning the hull looks like a Laser: flat bottom, gradual entry to the water and not beamy or wide. Some of the biggest ocean racing boats are like giant Lasers on steroids.
With that in mind the Buccaneer 18 looks more like a bigger version of a Laser in hull shape then a Snipe does but they are not really that different overall and they both will get up on a plane in the right conditions.
That said I'd bet money that a Snipe using a spinnaker racing a Buc 18' without one would be faster. Matched evenly I'd bet on the Buc 18' but not by much.
The 5% difference in Portsmouth ratings also make me believe that the Buc 18' could be a tad faster on a plane then a Snipe.
This website will compare 2 boats side by side: Sail Calculator Pro v3.53 - 2500+ boats
I could not find the info for the Snipe but you can enter it. They do have the specs for the Buc 18' though.

[Curtisfromcarlsbad]

Interesting ! Thanks CalebD. The reason I bought the Snipe was that it is only 5' wide and the trailer is 5'11.5" wide at the outer edge of the trailer tires. My passageway to my back patio is 6'. I will be able to manually push or pull the trailer and boat all the way back into the least visible and obtrusive area of my large back patio and free up one of my only two driveway spaces. The sailing dinghy will take up approximately 20% of my entire back patio area. I do not have a garage as it has been converted into a room. All the other sailing dinghys I could find were wider than 6'. I will have to cut about 1.5 " off each fender edge so that only the tire will potentially rub against my cinderblock wall as I eyeball that last half an inch of clearance!The passageway to the back starts at 7' then over the course of about 30' tapers to 6' wide between my house ant the cinderblock wall. the patio then starts as a nice big square then a rectangular area that will house the Snipe is off to a 90 degree angle. I used to have a Macgregor 26m but that took up a driveway space as well. Rig and launch time was 1.5 hours. The Snipe rig time took 20-30 minutes my first time and only consumed about 10 of the physical energy that the Mac required to launch/haul out. Everything was much lighter in weight and I used bungee cords at three points to hold the mast up in the windy conditions as I connected the sidestays and headstay. And I was bullshitting and smiling and taking my time! If I like this Snipe as much as I think I will I am probably going to try to sand and repaint it in the back patio in a year or two. I also might put a couple of reefs in the main at a sailmaker so that I won't be overpowered when singlehanding as this boat is designed for two. Would that work ? Put in a reef point to reduce say 15-20% of the main and a second reef point further up to reduce in winds of 12 knots or more ?