Which sport boat is best

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by Abby cat, Jun 17, 2016.

  1. Abby cat
    Joined: May 2016
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Blenheim,NZ

    Abby cat Junior Member

    I thought I would start the debate on which sports boat is best.
    For example.
    I believe that the Thompson 750 is the best because it is newbie friendly but can beat more modern designs.
    But I have only sailed on one sports boat so I have a narrow point of view so I would like to find out which boat is best.
    [​IMG]
     
  2. TANSL
    Joined: Sep 2011
    Posts: 7,369
    Likes: 699, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 300
    Location: Spain

    TANSL Senior Member

    Well come to the forum.
    It would be interesting limiting a little the question because, although it is understood that you are talking about sailing (but might be not), the range of possibilities is infinite. For example limiting the tonnage or type of navegaviĆ³n or hull type would be a good start to raise the question of "what sport boat is best".
     
  3. Abby cat
    Joined: May 2016
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Blenheim,NZ

    Abby cat Junior Member

    Yea sorry i'm a bit new here.
    what i was assuming was light displacement trailerable fast gennaker boats between about 5m and 10 m.
     
  4. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
    Likes: 349, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1362
    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

  5. Stumble
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 1,913
    Likes: 73, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 739
    Location: New Orleans

    Stumble Senior Member

    There are just too many variables. By what definition would you consider something the 'best.' Even wanting to sail with two people versus three changes the boat, want to race Grand Prix or just mess about. How much do you care about crossing oceans, or do you want to day sail.

    There is no single answer, it just depends on what you want to do.
     
  6. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
    Posts: 19,126
    Likes: 498, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3967
    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Between 5 and 10m is a huge range to fit within and there are literally thousands of designs to choose from.

    Simply put, you need to be a good bit more precise about your needs, so you can refine your search.

    As an example the Swift Solo (a favorite of mine);

    [​IMG]

    fits your basic requirements.

    So does the RS Elite:

    [​IMG]

    Please refine your question and lastly, there's no such thing as the best sport boat, just ones that always seem to kick your butt on race day and the ones that don't.
     
  7. Abby cat
    Joined: May 2016
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Blenheim,NZ

    Abby cat Junior Member

    It is more about personal favorites rather than to pick and choose.
     
  8. CT249
    Joined: May 2003
    Posts: 1,449
    Likes: 191, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 215
    Location: Sydney Australia

    CT249 Senior Member

    Here's the original sportsboat, the Impala 28 by David Thomas.[​IMG]

    Why can you call this little one-design racer/cruiser, which actually rated OK under IOR, a "sportsboat"?? Because that seems to be the sort of boat that those who coined the term "sportsboat" meant. In about 1978, a group including Yachting World magazine decided to have a major test of a group of potential offshore one-design classes. The Impala 28 was the winner in what they called the "sportsboat" division, which seems to have meant something that wasn't a daysailer with a lid (ie J/24) or a "serious" offshore boat (Peterson OOD 34, Sigma 33).

    I've still got the article somewhere, and if I recall correctly, the description of "sportsboat" read as if they were coining the term. No one picked it up at the time. I started out as a young sailing journo shortly afterwards and can recall that we all struggled to find a term for the emerging breed we now call "sportsboats". It wasn't until about the mid '90s that it started to be used to describe Melges and Mumm 30s and similar boats, many of which would not be called a "sportsboat" these days just as the Impala would not be called a sportsboat.

    The point is that when no one agrees what a sportsboat is, we can't know which is the best one. Personally I find some of the more extreme "sportsboats" are a bit odd. If you're going to sail something that you can't use as an offshore racer or daysailer then why not just get a kite, foiler, beach cat or skiff?

    My favourite would be the original Stealth 7.8 - way faster than a Melges but with an interior.
     
  9. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
    Posts: 19,126
    Likes: 498, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3967
    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    It is about picking and choosing and you are the only one, that has the bells that need to be struck, so our opinions about what suits us, isn't very valuable to you.

    Simply put, you need to take stock of what you want; aestedics, performance envelop, sailing type you enjoy, general sea states you expect to encounter, general wind condisions you'll sail in, equipment you desire, rigging preferences, etc., etc., etc.

    With these often difficult questions answered, your search will narrow the list considerably and the few remaining can be more closely evaluated.
     
  10. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Geez...so many to choose from.

    Best to go with the most popular in your region.

    Better fleet sailing and better resale value
     
  11. Stumble
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 1,913
    Likes: 73, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 739
    Location: New Orleans

    Stumble Senior Member

    Cruising
    -day sailing
    -coastal cruising
    -ocean passages

    Racing
    -number of crew 1-8
    -inshore
    -Offshore
    -ocean
    -budget/year
    -OD or handicap
    -trailerable

    There are far to many variables to narrow it down.
     
  12. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
    Posts: 19,126
    Likes: 498, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3967
    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    I agree with Michael, select from the choices at the local fleets, because you'll have folks to compete with, if this is your desire and the resale value will be higher, where they are more prevalent, when this time comes.
     
  13. CT249
    Joined: May 2003
    Posts: 1,449
    Likes: 191, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 215
    Location: Sydney Australia

    CT249 Senior Member

    /\ Good idea, but if the OP is sailing near his listed address there is no sportsboat fleet.

    The state of sailing of NZ seems to show that the whole idea that lifting the profile of the sport with America's Cup challenges and Volvo wins is a crop of rubbish. Outside of a few types in Auckland, the fleets are quite small even on a per-capita basis, and sailing is only 35th most popular sport (or thereabouts) despite the huge amount of publicity it has earned.

    Another indicator of how the current hype in sailing is at kilter with reality is the fact that although the area near the OP's place had some of the very first modern sportsboats, these days the closest thing to a "sportsboat fleet" seems to be the Flying Dutchman fleet in Nelson, and that sure ain't no sporty.
     
  14. Gary Baigent
    Joined: Jul 2005
    Posts: 3,019
    Likes: 136, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 509
    Location: auckland nz

    Gary Baigent Senior Member

    This is Laurie Davidson's 34 foot lightweight the Wednesday Night Racer under construction at Cookson Boats in very early 1980s - and this, along with the Jim Young Rocket 31 and Murray Ross's 930 have to be the earliest "sports boats" ... but how about Jack Holt's Yachting World Diamond of 1961; that design also appears to be a purist sports boat. And then we could keep going further and further back too. What about the Napier Patikis and Thames and Half (second picture) and One Raters of late 19th Century - and so on and on.
     

    Attached Files:


  15. Abby cat
    Joined: May 2016
    Posts: 9
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Blenheim,NZ

    Abby cat Junior Member

    do you know what/how i think ???
    i want a broad perspective of what is pepoles favourite and why.
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.