Which sport boat is best

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

  1. SukiSolo
    Joined: Dec 2012
    Posts: 1,269
    Likes: 27, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 271
    Location: Hampshire UK

    SukiSolo Senior Member

    There seem to be quite a lot of so called 'sportboats', but it depends on your requirements. One thing I did notice having sailed both a Farr 727 and a Snapper 24 (amongst others) is you could perhaps cruise the 727, but not the Snapper. Both were good fun and planed readily and both pretty similar speed upwind, but more height on the Snapper. Deeper higher A/R keel, but the rudder too high an A/R even the designer thinks so...;)

    There's stuff like the SB3 and all manor of boats as PAR says literally hundreds.

    Link for 727 - homegrown for a Kiwi...;)
    http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=141

    Link for now renamed Snapper - now DAW24
    http://www.oceanhomeandyacht.com/Ocean_Home_&_Yacht/24_Sport.html
     
  2. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
    Posts: 19,126
    Likes: 498, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3967
    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    No, I don't know how you think, nor you aesthetic, performance, equipment, etc. concerns, which is why we (my assumption) are all over the place with replies. If you ask 100 sailors, which is their favorite, you'll get 80 different answers, which isn't very helpful.

    Boats in general and sailing in particular are experienced oriented and since everyone has different experiences, the opinions of each will be diverse. Again, there are hundreds to select from, with at least a few favorable comments that can be made about each.

    Only you (again) can refine your search and the typical way, is to establish a priority list of the things you value, not what anyone else might have to say. This priority list will immediately narrow the list of possible choices, at which point you can look at what others might have to say, balanced against what you need and desire. The first thing would be to whittle down the length a bit, as the number of 5 to 10 meter boats is a daunting amount of information to absorb (thousands of designs). It's a bit like asking what's the best sedan, thee are so many possible choices and favorites, based on so many variables, it's impossible to offer much more than generalities.

    For example I prefer smaller boats that can be setup and put away quickly. I've found these boats get used much more often. I like a quick boat, but now getting older, have begun to realize the value of cockpit shelter and protection. In spite of my preferences, I own midsize and larger yachts, with only a couple of small boats. It's just the way things have worked out for me, some are investments, others projects and a couple my own design and build. I have a number of J boat buddies and a few well fed Melges 24 owners, but they are active racers, so having something with a large and active fleet is handy for them. I don't run the weekend warrior races anymore.

    So, will you race? If not you options are more open, if so, you'd be wise to select an active fleet boat in you area. Will you need cruising accommodations or will this be a day boat? One will need a cabin and some stowage space, the other not so much. This priorities list goes on and on and the more detailed you are about it, the smaller the list of potential candidates will become. No one is looking to insult you or insinuate anything other than, attempting to focus your search down a touch, as it's pretty large at the moment. For instance, if you narrowed the length to 7 - 8 meters and a few other considerations, you'd easily make the potential designs a few hundred, rather than a few thousand.

    Log onto sailboatdata.com and type in 7 m to 8 m in the search box. You'll pull up about 7,600 production boats in that LOD range. Admittedly, many will have been out of production for so long, you simply can't find them, but even if you can only consider 1/4 of them, this is still 1,900 different designs to think about, hence the request to refine the search parameters a bit.
     

  3. Gary Baigent
    Joined: Jul 2005
    Posts: 3,019
    Likes: 136, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 509
    Location: auckland nz

    Gary Baigent Senior Member

    Some Scandinavian late 19th and early 20th Century advanced sports boats by Swedish designer Gunnar Meligens. Nothing is ever really new?
     

    Attached Files:

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