Ex-Americas Cup Race Boat Converted to Cruiser

[fkittson]

Does anyone have any ideas on how a ex Amaricas cup race boat would be if I it was converted into a ultralight world crosser. Everything in the cabin would be made from lightweight composite and venear. What is the headroom under the deck like. I have been seeing so many for sale on yaughtworld.com at great prices. Would to hear all your ideas on this.
Thanks everyone

[Johnathon123]

Mate

Why oh Why.

they were designed to sail in a really really small wind range, with no excess.

races were just called off if the wind was to much.

Do you remember when the aussie one broke half and sank!

[cat man do]

Amaricas

Where is this mythical land?

[skipmac]

Like Jonathon123 said. All the recent (at least 20-30 years) boats were built to extreme standards for racing, all components as light as possible and used at the extreme maximum limit of their strength rating in moderate winds. I wouldn't feel safe sailing most of these boats out of sight of land.

[Dockhead]

It would be very much like trying to convert an obsolete Formula 1 race car into an RV. I suppose it is possible -- but why?

[fkittson]

I just thought I would be a fun idea to start this thread and see where it goes.

[Nateman]

How cheap? Can you post some for sale links?

[Canibul]

Think about the price of replacement costs for an parts you need for a one of a kind, very high end, specially engineered boat. They didn't use standard rigging, and you would have to have anything you needed custom built. Price a boom, rudder, stay, shroud, or probably even an eleventy seven jewel, high torque, triple purchase double speed jib turning block machined from solid unobtainium. And spares. Oh lordy. And your carbon footprint just got bigger than Donald Trump's ego.

I've been below on the France III, back in another life when we were both in Newport with both crews stumbling back to the docks in the wee hours. Not much below deck. Hull, sail bags, and some hammocks, as I recall. Oh, and some newly emptied Moosehead bottles.

[Blue Stocking]

Warren Brown, Bermudian sailor, converted Ted Turner's Tenacious, named her WARBABY, and took her from top to bottom of the World.
I know crew members who did various legs.

[Lowcountry]

I think you'd have more success converting an open-60 than you would with an America's Cup boat. I've been onboard one of the Velux-5 Ocean Race boats, and they are pretty vigourously built and rigged.

[John Drake]

I assume you are talking about 12 meters. I was on Courageous a long time ago when it was in Newp, racing. Nothing down below. Low overhead and quite cramped. All aluminmum construction and actually, not very light, by modern standards.

Not sure of your price or size range, but if you had some crazy compulsion to do this, you might consider a Farr 40 or similar. Probably a fraction the price of even an ancient 12 meter.

If you have real money, get David Pedrick to build you a copy of his new Navy 44.

As for an Ocean 60 or 70....those are sleds, meant for breaking hull speed and skimming the water at the greatest possible speed. You would be hard pressed to have anything close to a comfortable, enjoyable ride.

The lightest, fastest real cruising boat is probably a J Boat...but that is just a guess.

If you are looking for more speed....and can handle it...you can overcanvas a boat. Change the rig to a solent and have a Code 0 and everything. Or, get a fairly light boat, and rip out the interior.

But, I suspect your goal is to cruise on a pretty cool, real racer. In that case, One of the Farr's is probably your best bet. I have seen some very VERY high end ones that were obviously fit out for cruising, in absolute luxury....while still being a racing hull. Key West race week will have them.

Best of luck.

[Canibul]

Which evar way ya go, gonna get spensive.

[westsail42]

I guess it would depend on which boat and what era it is from.

I sailed aboard Stars & Stripes a couple years ago (she raced in a mid-1990s AC I think). No way could you convert this to any sort of offshore cruiser without major structural work. Might as well build a one-off for that much effort.

How about an old Volvo/Whitbred round-the-world racer? I have seen a few for sale over the years.

[swagman]

There's a logical reason no one has done it yet.
All the composite sleds and IAC boats are too big for shorthanded sailing, as well as being far too much work to convert into a cruiser.
I'd suggest the same for any of the Volvo / Whitbread 60 / 70's.
It would be interesting to hear someone has bucked the trend, but they'd not be doing it to save time or money.........
JOHN

[Sand crab]

This record setting cat wasn't Americas Cup but was in about every other race. At 108' long and only 3.8 million she's a real steal. Anyway the pics reveal what a coverted racer would be like.
2000 Multiplast Maxi Catamaran Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com