To sailboat racing? Man the bug has bitten me hard, Star's every weekend, starting to get more interested in crewing or own day owning the larger boats. This coming from a die hard put the throttles to the wall powerboat guy.

My boss and friend tells me tales of racing his Swan 46, all the trials, costs, and glory that comes with that. What fun it must be to captian a large Swan waiting to cross the start line with 30 other such vessals only feet away. Or sneaking between the first place boat and the down wind mark, mear feet between gaints. As lines fly, crew races, and the chute is taken down. Now being on a 130ft J boat during such a menuver must be a site to behold.

I have pulled this with a Star. We were about 6 inch's apart and I wasn't going to let him get a better postion. So we rounded the mark like that and I got on top of him. But it was a bit hairy trying to rip in the main and pole, had to be done in about 10 seconds it seemed, before we jibbed so the boom wouldn't smack them and cause problems.

Maybe I should change my sig to Swanguy.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

AAAACCCCCKKKK - bloboat "racing"!!!!!!
No, no, no, no.
Look, go to the yellow pages and look for help. Sailboaters Anonymous or something.
You will become an ignorant, "the air is free and so is everything else", 30-degree-list, stoopid-hat-wearing, wearing baggy-worn-out-shorts-with-30-pockets to hold all the stuff you steal from powerboaters, $20 in your pocket when you get to the marina on Friday and $20 in your pocket when you leave on Sunday, sails-up-in-the-marked-channel, loose-halyard-lines-clanging-all-night-long, freeloading, boomvanged mooch. DON'T DO IT.
AAAACCCCCKKKKK!

__________________
Thank You!
Fred
2009 ML350
2004 SL600
2004 SL500
1996 SL600
2002 SLK32
2005 CLK320 cabrio
2003 ML350
1997 C280 Sport

Helsinki puts out a fine boat, fer sure. I started on 420s & Lasers then J22's and now if I race I crew on whatever I can ride, cause I am no longer in the position to hit the water every weekend. Take advantage while you can. I grew up in a racing community and it is an addiction that only poverty can cure

If you get the chance, see if you can catch a ride delivering or crewing to the Antigua Classic Yacht Race one year ( or more ). It blows them all away, even though it isn't on the Swan/Rolex or ect... circuits--you get to see some of the retired America's Cup boats and the like.

Don't listen Hatt, me dear old dad had a '80 formula 46 w/950 Hawk Marines in her when I was a twinkle in his eye and I would rather sail to Bermuda on an Island Piglet than ride from Kennebunkport to Ft. Lauderdale in GHWB's old Cigarette any day, any time. Wish him and his brother still had the Jim Smith though

screw wind powered boats.. give me a ciggarett boat anyday

I bet you don't even know who don arronow was or what kind of car he drove......sigh

I love all boats, but go fast just really isn't my thing. My dad was HEAVILY into boats mostly in the 70s & 80s and went through a Cigarette/Formula/Fountain (my fav, the man and the boat) phase, but fishing and sailing rule my nautical world. Hats off to the poker run crowd but I just can't wear that many gold chains and still swim

I do love all kinds of boats. Its an addiction worse then drugs really, ruins fortunes.

I am just as happy running big diesels through their pace's as I am sailing. Racing sailboats is challanging, its a thinking sport I like that.

Depends on the boat, if you have only sailed on something like a Pearson, or a Hunter, or a barge like an Island Packet(No offense to people who own those boats, they have their place. Excpet Hunter, sorry but they are the Kia of the boating world) yeah then sail boats can be dogs.

But a Swan, Hinckly, X Yacht, or something fast and hot. Man those things can move. I have sailed on some older woodies, the Blackpearl for example. The power of those vessals is amazing when the wind picks up.

Also not all sailboat owners are cheap. I deal with boat owners 6 days a week, their are tons of cheap powerboat owners. Racing said Swan in a serios manner costs at least $100k per year.

If you wanted to compete in the Swan/Rolex, Swan/Ferrari one year(remember that?) Newport to Bermuda, or any other of the large races, figure $100k-$300k per year for a large boat!

So not all sailers are cheap.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

How close dare you go...

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Bennetton paid $5M+ for his Swan in 1993-4.

Sounds about right, the new Swan 100's go for all of that.

I can't even fathum what the old European money that owns and races the J boats spends. Probably about the GDP of a third world country.

On a more realistic scale, maybe I'll get a Star or J22/24 next year...insted of a center console...

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Read Tristan Jones' books before you totally give up on voyaging, Hatt. I'd really, really like to have a Pacific SeaCraft double ender ketch for a cruiser, but Packet makes a very seaworthy (albeit hullspeed challenged) ride. Pearsons are slow like Morgans but their cousin the Ericson 41 (sloop) is a fast MFer. I can't believe you mentioned Hunters and not Bayliner's too

You can spend $100K on a J24 if you try really hard.

I own a Bayliner, they are OK if you rebuild them. Perfectly fine for close to shore work. But if I had the money I'd dump it for a Regulator dont get me wrong. I work on all the above mentioned boats a lot. I am amazed that their are people who sail around the world in Catalina 27's and survive. Ever pull apart the hull to deck joint on a Pearson? After doing so I don't want to leave the sound on one.

Island Packets and their ilk are very nice boats, if you want to cruise they are great. I'd take one around the world, without a second thought.

I do want to cruise a lot one day, when I do it will be on a Hallberg Rassy or a Swan. I want a heavy boat that can move, to outrun and avoid weather.

I know a German couple who recently crossed the Atlantic in their Hallberg Rassy 46. The trip was uneventfull. My friend had tons of offshore miles on the Swan, some in horrible conditions. IE the boat was knocked on her side, total knock down!

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

On a vacation in Norway about 6 years ago, we connected with a 420SEC owner (through the internet), and he took us all over and around Oslo.

There were THOUSANDS of boats in the harbour, I have never seen so many in one place, and he said, a Norwegian would give up his car before he gave up his boat.

From what I saw, I totally believed the statement Steinar made to be true.

In Norway they are connected to the sea in a way we can't imagine here.

But they eat a LOT of fish. We were told by a tour guide that the Union contracts for road building crews, specified that they CAN'T be fed salmon more than four days a week!

And not EVERYONE there likes lutefisk, (marinated in lye)

Fewer yet like Rotefisk, which believe it or not is marinated in dirt!!

It's a breathtakingly beautiful, clean and friendly place. Especially in summer with the long days.

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

http://www.hallberg-rassy.se/hr53/hr53.shtml

Thats the boat to circle the globe in. I don't want to rough it, so something in the 50ft range is needed. I also want hot showers every day, ect. Massive tankage, heavy hull, ect Rassy has it all. They are quick to!

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200