Faster Than a Contessa 26

[Hi Ho]

My vote is for a Tartan 27 or 30

[thomm225]

Most small boats though cannot compare to the extreme good looks of the Contessa 26. And, at least two of them have circumnavigated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3pcXWUZ5Pk

[David_Old_Jersey]

Probably rarer than hens teeth in the USA, but as this is an international forum I will mention the UK built Halycon 27 (same era as the contessa on design and looks. But roomier!).

[David_Old_Jersey]

Archive details of Halcyon 27 - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Archive details of Halcyon 27 - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers

The Sadler 25 & 26's were/are pretty sweet as well..
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?CLASS_ID=3315
http://www.mikelucasyachting.co.uk/s...6-brochure.php

[land-locked]

Thanks to everyone. Based on the feedback I've seen here and about 6 hours of research (more still needed), I've become pretty interested in the Tartan 30. It seems to me that for the same low price of the Contessa 26, I can get a faster boat that's equally seaworthy and reliable.

Of course, the increased length means I'll pay a bit more at the dock, but that's a price I'm willing to pay for more speed. And the increased draft is the other downside with the Tartan, but the convenience of being able to sleep 6 makes up for it.

I'm still not sure I've ruled out a tri, but the Tartan 30 is looking pretty good right now. Anyone have specific experience with is?

[Hi Ho]

Don't buy the Tartan 30 it will cost you down the road. We bought one when we quit racing and set it up for cruising. We really enjoyed that boat and sailed the daylights out of it for 5 years. My wife then decided that we needed a bigger boat if were going to do this full time so we bought the C&C Landfall 35. This also has been a great boat but I still miss how the Tartan sailed and it's speed! The Tartan 30 was not meant to be a full time live aboard and cruiser but for short periods of time such as a 3 to 4 months at a time for two it was a great boat.

[land-locked]

Thanks a lot, Hi Ho. Could you clarify what you didn't like about the Tartan? Aside from your first sentence, you actually made it sound pretty good. Was it just the lack of space/comfort for a full-time live-aboard? I'm pretty comfortable living in a tight space, I'm not too big on collecting possessions, and I'm single, so what space the Tartan does have is all mine for now. So if that's the only issue, I'm not too worried. But if there are other concerns I'd love to hear them.

[Hi Ho]

Land-Locked


My first sentence was intended to mean that the Tartan was such a great boat that the Admiral knew she wanted to step up to full time live-aboard / cruising. She wanted a boat with a larger galley etc. Our Tartan was aft galley version with limited counter space etc. The Tartan is a very well behaved boat that sails very well in all weather conditions. For a single or couple she is very easily handled. A friend of ours bought our Tartan and we always comment when we are done with extended sailing / live - aboard we would love to buy her back. They are simply a great boat easy to maintain and affordable to own.

[land-locked]

Hi Ho, thanks for the great response. I probably should have picked that up the first time, but I suppose I'm a bit dense. The Tartan 30 sounds like it's just what I'm looking for.

[land-locked]

I very much like the look of a Tartan 30. I'm going to try to check one out soon and get a feel for it, but I'm still a bit hung up on whether the speed advantage of a Searunner 31 would make that a better option for me than a Tartan 30. How much faster would a Searunner 31 really be? I'm mainly concerned about speed here, but are there other differences (apart from the obvious ones) that I should take into account?

[gjordan]

Land Locked, about a 30 foot monohull (of good design) , and a Searunner 31 trimaran. In the real world, the smaller cruising tris are a little faster overall, but not a great difference. Racing tris go like hell, but have very little room. I got to sail on a Searunner 31 when I was living and cruising on a Contessa 26. The Contessa is noted for being a cramped boat, but the Searunner didnt seem to be a great advantage in space. The owner bragged about his passage times (daily average) but his wife told me that he didnt count the days spent in the doldrums, which would have put it a bit faster than my Contessa, but not by a huge amount. I like the shallow draft of a multi, but a well designed centerboard mono isnt much different. I would not rule out a well built, and well equipped multi for cruising, but I would buy it for the build and equipment rather than for thinking you are going to get from point A to point B in much shorter time. I also got to sail on Searunner 37s and a 40, and I think the difference is greater on the larger tris. Just another CF opinion. _____Grant.

[land-locked]

Thanks, gjordan. I was sort of hoping that was the case. Unless the speed difference were really substantial, I'd rather go with the Tartan 30. I prefer the look, the layout, and the cockpit, so it would've taken a substantial difference in speed to sway me toward the Searunner. Now I've just got to keep saving and keep my eye on available Tartan 30s. It seems like there are quite a few out there, so I don't think it will be hard to find one once I'm ready.

[Jim Cate]

Before you get sweaty palms about a Tartan 30, have a look at a Yankee 30. A similar S&S design, but somewhat faster than the Tartan. We took ours to Hawaii and back from SF for our first blue water voyage, and it was a success. Did a lot of single hand racing in her, and was overall winner for 4 series in a row (PHRF ratings).

But if you want a fast mono in the 26-30 foot range, a Santa Cruz 27 would be hard to beat. Many have done the single hand transpac, and been well placed (I sorta remember one winning some years ago... not so sure). Excellent construction and design, great fun to sail.

So many choices...

Jim