Is it stupid to take a racing style sailboat around the world?

[Supercat568]

There's someone sailing all around the Pacific with long passages in between destinations on a 2005 Sayer 37. Weighs 4.85T empty, 2½ of that is ballast in the bulb keel. Fractional rig, cedar/fiberglass/kevlar around the keel and areas that get beat by waves. He did 375 miles in 48 hours...not too shabby! It was ripping conditions, his girl was sick the whole time. But...do you think this boat is safe enough? Thank you
Edit: also..the keel fits 150 liters of diesel in the fin part. I'm beginning to live this boat more and more. Are there any American boats built like this?

[Benz]

Depends on your definition of "safe." A bathtub is safer in the hands of a competent seaman than a late-model tank-built full-keeler in the hands of a fool.
As long as the boat doesn't come apart and they don't put it on a reef (and we have posters here who have a similar boat that's still together), it should be perfectly safe.
Not what I would choose, but different strokes....

[Chotu]

Well, the Vendée Globe race just started. I don’t think any of them are stupid or in peril.

https://www.yachtingworld.com/tag/vendee-globe

The only thing you’d need to be careful of is making sure your payload can support you on the trip.

[Rucksta]

Originally Posted by Supercat568

He did 375 miles in 48 hours...not too shabby! It was ripping conditions,

Must have been taking it easy.
Once you push beyond 9 knots the workload increases.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Depends on how good a sailor you are, and what kind of physical condition you are in. My boat, roughly same length, weighs twice as much, but I feel safe in rough conditions.

[Dave Lochner]

Web Chiles recently completed a circumnavigation in a Moore 24. A small racing boat similar to a J24. He did it as a 70 + year old.

[basssears]

Read the book The Captain and Mr Shrode:
https://www.amazon.com/Captain-Mr-Sh.../dp/0615651186
... Bay Area sailor in a higher performance boat, his take was his ability to point higher and go faster shaved days off his passages and made him less exposed to adverse weather.

[basssears]

... of course I forgot to add (spoiler alert) his hull keel joint opened up on their Atlantic crossing and he basically had to sail full speed into the haul out slings in the Caribbean to keep from sinking.

[Gmcgyvr]

If it’s a noodle mast with runners &/or checkstays - you’ll need to make sure you will never do an involuntary jibe in heavy weather- could lose the mast easily.
Ask previous owner how he managed jibes by himself with runners.

Originally Posted by Supercat568

There's someone sailing all around the Pacific with long passages in between destinations on a 2005 Sayer 37. Weighs 4.85T empty, 2½ of that is ballast in the bulb keel. Fractional rig, cedar/fiberglass/kevlar around the keel and areas that get beat by waves. He did 375 miles in 48 hours...not too shabby! It was ripping conditions, his girl was sick the whole time. But...do you think this boat is safe enough? Thank you
Edit: also..the keel fits 150 liters of diesel in the fin part. I'm beginning to live this boat more and more. Are there any American boats built like this?

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Supercat568

There's someone sailing all around the Pacific with long passages in between destinations on a 2005 Sayer 37. Weighs 4.85T empty, 2½ of that is ballast in the bulb keel. Fractional rig, cedar/fiberglass/kevlar around the keel and areas that get beat by waves. He did 375 miles in 48 hours...not too shabby! It was ripping conditions, his girl was sick the whole time. But...do you think this boat is safe enough? Thank you
Edit: also..the keel fits 150 liters of diesel in the fin part. I'm beginning to live this boat more and more. Are there any American boats built like this?

Boats are designed and manufactured for a specific purpose/market and waters. Using them outside those parameters is possible (oftentimes successful) but not without a greater risk undertaken.

Do your homework.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[patswil]

Originally Posted by Rucksta

Must have been taking it easy.
Once you push beyond 9 knots the workload increases.

Ocean going catamarans routinely male 20+ knots

[sy_gilana]

No Not Stupid.
Sounds like this boat



https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...er-229416.html

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by patswil

Ocean going catamarans routinely male 20+ knots

They do? Cruising cats? Citations?

[Dougtiff]

Not really answering your question, but i recall a couple cruising a older wood Americas cup boat, kept a reef in the main sail all the time.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Gmcgyvr

If it’s a noodle mast with runners &/or checkstays - you’ll need to make sure you will never do an involuntary jibe in heavy weather- could lose the mast easily.
Ask previous owner how he managed jibes by himself with runners.

No, Gmcgyvr, That danger you refer to is over stated.

In the first place I have a "noodle" three spreader mast with runners and checkstays. It has been safe for 34 years and 55,000 miles including a circumnavigation. I have done involuntary jibes (not many).

The most recent all-standing jibe (my fault) was off Costa Rica in 2014, 25-30 knots, full main, (also my fault). The main became fully back winded and the boat was knocked down to windward and pinned there for 15 minutes. Eventually the main tore completely.

Typically, when running, the runners and checkstays are loosely set and wrapped on a winch, not cleated. If the main is not prevented and is involuntarily jibed, it comes against the runner and checkstays, which pay out, braking the impact, however mainsails on most cruising boats have a preventer rigged.

To jibe singlehandedly: one releases the preventer, cranks in the main until it is close to centerline, or at least within the width of the boat. The runner is set close under the mainsail and the runner on the new side is loosened. The boat is turned by the lee, the main jibes over to the extent of the sheet. The new runner is firmed up and the main is let out and the preventer is put on.

The most often failure on uncontrolled jibes is broken gooseneck, which occurs when a mainsail jibes completely from one side to the other without any restriction, then slams against the mainsheet and the loads concentrate on the gooseneck. This can happen on any boat regardless of the type of mast.