C380 Performance

[so34chi]

We expect to be in the market for our next boat this year and my wife was completely smitten with a C380 that she toured last summer. There are two performance questions that I have and I hope that some C380 owners will respond.

One C380 owner I know characterizes the boat as a fresh winds craft that is readily immobilized in light airs. His boat has the wing keel. Do others find this to be the case?

The same C380 owner notes that his boat is not particularly competitive sailing upwind. Two other owners of wing-keel 380s don't seem concerned with their boats' upwind performance. This brings up the question of whether there is a significant difference between the wing keel and full fin keel in upwind performance.

We will not be considering in-mast furling boats and have a bias toward full-depth keels.

For those who might be tempted to respond with the usual anti-Catalina diatribes, we are Great Lakes coastal cruisers, are aware of your concerns, and are also contemplating some fin keel boats with blue water offshore pedigrees.