Quote:
Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat
Our last trip to Yamba:
From Southport. We had to slow down for the second half of the trip, we were going to arrive at near low tide! Ended up putting the mainsail away altogether around Cape Byron.
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Well done...sounds like a fun trip. What was the
wind speed and
current? We tend to be quicker southbound around Byron as well, but we're certainly not pressing the case for the L440 as a
racer. That said, the
ARC results continue to place the Lagoons very highly.
We are cruisers, not racers. So the critical test for us is over longer distances...and we agree completely with dennisail's remarks...
Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisail
The only real way to compare (cruising!) boats fairly is on long crossings...(and) preferably at the same time. As boats will be fully loaded and sailed in all conditions.
Remember, coastal cruising averages will be faster than ocean passages since they will be shorter with good forecasts and therefore its less likely you will have "slow" weather and wont be bobbing in no wind or battling headwinds.
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Well said dennisail
For us cruising is about passing long distances safely and comfortably in open waters. So we say again that 5kn is good for
passage planning (over ANY distance) and 6-7kn is great for actual speed over long distance. We enjoy the 8-10kn averages as much as anyone else when they happen -- We
recall doing the ~220nm from Mooloolaba to 1770 in <24hrs with gale conditions approaching and around the top of Fraser Island...and ending up with a cacophony of bits (flying
fish, squid, even a mutton bird!) on the foredeck at sunrise -- but those days we leave to the gods of winds and currents...and we make our plans without them.