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I've been wondering about the nebulous concept of "performance" lately as I weigh the pros and cons of different boat designs. Sailing performance, or windward performance, are terms that are batted about and various metrics such as the PHRF rating are used, but I wonder, what exactly does it all mean?
I'll try and explain. Larry Pardey of all people should be concerned with sailing performance. He is one of the very few sailor that goes engine-less. And yet, he favors battenless sails, heavy displacement full keel boats. He sails, and is happy with, boats that are NOT considered "performance boats" in general.
Steve Dashew prefers battens, roach, long LWLs and likes to surf short-handed going at high speed with his hair on fire. His boat might be considered "high performance" but I have a friend who sails Moths who would call any Dashew boat a slow "lead mine." Multi-hull sailors probably think we're all slow.
What about going to windward? Even a WestSNAIL 32 would knock the socks off Captain Cook going to windward (and in every other way), but would bore the pants off someone who races modern sleds.
So if Captain Cook would be impressed, but Palo would be bored, and Larry Pardey would be happy but Dashew would be upset, is this concept of "performance" we talk about really just a matter of perspective? i.e. is it all in our heads?
MedSailor
I'll try and explain. Larry Pardey of all people should be concerned with sailing performance. He is one of the very few sailor that goes engine-less. And yet, he favors battenless sails, heavy displacement full keel boats. He sails, and is happy with, boats that are NOT considered "performance boats" in general.
Steve Dashew prefers battens, roach, long LWLs and likes to surf short-handed going at high speed with his hair on fire. His boat might be considered "high performance" but I have a friend who sails Moths who would call any Dashew boat a slow "lead mine." Multi-hull sailors probably think we're all slow.
What about going to windward? Even a WestSNAIL 32 would knock the socks off Captain Cook going to windward (and in every other way), but would bore the pants off someone who races modern sleds.
So if Captain Cook would be impressed, but Palo would be bored, and Larry Pardey would be happy but Dashew would be upset, is this concept of "performance" we talk about really just a matter of perspective? i.e. is it all in our heads?
MedSailor