Racing vs Cruising

[robert sailor]

Well depending on exactly what you are going to use the boat for....offshore the Wauquiez is the best built over all...then maybe the Erickson. If its coastal cruising then the Pearson and the extra room make sense and for live a board either the E or the P. My opinion only.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Well depending on exactly what you are going to use the boat for....offshore the Wauquiez is the best built over all...then maybe the Erickson. If its coastal cruising then the Pearson and the extra room make sense and for live a board either the E or the P. My opinion only.

I'm leaning toward the Wauquiez because it has a tiller, is well built, quite fast and stable for a 33' boat, and I'm thinking it's about the right size for a singlehander.

I'll probably sail mostly coastal, but if I decide to go offshore, it's a pretty good boat for that as well.

On the other hand though, that Ericson 35 will go right along especially with that spinnaker up, but the engine is the original.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by gamayun

...This is why you might not want to buy a racer's boat because they do tend to break things. When I recently asked someone how close to shore they get to help counter a prevailing flood or ebb, he said "are you racing your boat or someone else's?"

There are some "cruisers" that have great cruising boats and almost never go out of the marina and (at least in Europe) there are some "racers" that almost don't use the boat. They bought it because sail racing is cool but then they found out that they need a crew and end up paying for that and found that expensive and not so cool. On the US you don't see many new cruiser-racers, in Europe there are lots of them. It is cool for the rich guys to have a "racing" boat even if they don't use it Also for those rich "racers" it is nice to have a racing boat if it is a new boat and the last model. The previous model is not cool anymore, so they sell it.

You may find it stupid (and it is) but not different from all those guys that have cruising boats and rarely go out of the marina...and they are many.

I agree with you in what regards boats that have done a lot of hard racing and in the US the reality can be different, but here you can find lots of cruiser-racers (performance cruisers) that were raced very lightly (my boat had made 6 races in 5 years and practically had not cruised) and those can make great cruising boats.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I will still stay away from a racing boat that has been pushed hard/raced a lot where you see lots of pictures with 8-10 people onboard. It's just hard on the boat and equipment, but I am looking at two relatively fast racer cruisers and one straight up cruiser as my next boat.

The boats are an Ericson 35 PHRF 123, a Wauquiez PHRF 138, and a Pearson 36 Cutter which has the most room/best interior for a cruiser I'm thinking. Both the Ericson and the Wauquiez draw 6' are more. The Pearson 5'6" and weighs in at 17,700 with 7300 ballast. (and LWL 30)

1984 Ericson Mk III Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1983 Wauquiez Gladiateur 33 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1983 Pearson 36 Cutter Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

In what regards used boats I believe you should choose the type of boat you want and age (according to the budget) and then make a search in what regards suitable boats, the more brands and models you consider the better because the condition of the boat in a 30 year old boat would be more important than the small differences between them and with more boats you have more chances to find one that is in much better condition than all the others.