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Old 25-09-2021, 07:55   #1
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Westsail 32 in light air

Does anyone have any experience with selling a westsail 32 in 6-7 knot winds? What about 8-10 knots?

I have heard all kinds of stories about how hard they are to move, especially downwind.

At what wind speed do they move reasonably well?
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Old 25-09-2021, 08:25   #2
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

I cruised 6 years full-time on my W32. It needs a very large headsail at those wind speeds. It will get you there as fast as a C&C 26-27.
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Old 25-09-2021, 09:22   #3
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Thank you for that info
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Old 25-09-2021, 09:22   #4
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

A Westsail 32 is rated slightly faster than an Alberg 30 and a bit slower than a C&C 27.
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Old 25-09-2021, 11:50   #5
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Where can I find those ratings?
Thank you
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Old 25-09-2021, 12:08   #6
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Here is a pretty comprehensive list. This will give you a pretty good sense of how various boats perform in different locales, ie different wind conditions.

https://www.ussailing.org/competitio...-class-lookup/
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Old 26-09-2021, 10:10   #7
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Hello Harry Black. As you dig into all that PHRF data suggested by others, please be aware of one small Detail: A PHRF rating is for a completely empty boat. Good luck
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Old 26-09-2021, 10:40   #8
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Understood. Thank you
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Old 26-09-2021, 11:20   #9
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

slow is a relative thing...in 6-7 knots of windspeed, just about any sailboat will be slow.

most sailboats are slow....relatively speaking..... being restrained by their waterline length

A 40' boat will likely go just as slow as W32 in those low wind speeds...
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Old 26-09-2021, 11:23   #10
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Black View Post
Where can I find those ratings?
Thank you
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Old 26-09-2021, 11:29   #11
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

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Originally Posted by MicHughV View Post
slow is a relative thing...in 6-7 knots of windspeed, just about any sailboat will be slow.

most sailboats are slow....relatively speaking..... being restrained by their waterline length

A 40' boat will likely go just as slow as W32 in those low wind speeds...
No, a 40 foot boat would/could be much faster especially if it's built more like a racing boat and not something super heavy like a Westsail 32.

For example a C&C 29-2 (PHRF 171) would destroy a Westsail 32 (PHRF 222), Alberg 30 (PHRF 228), Bristol 27 (PHRF 240) etc in light winds

it's light, (at 6700 lbs) has a decent waterline and is great in light winds.

Westsail 32 (19,500)

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/cc-29-2
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Old 26-09-2021, 11:33   #12
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

8-10 knots of wind speed will not make mush difference...you really need about 15 knots of wind to get most boats up their rated speed....

determining hull speed is a moving target, general accepted as 1.34 x square root of LWL.
for instance if your W32 has a 25' LWL.....your theoretical top speed will be about 6.7knots
By comparison, a 40' boat with 36' LWL ....will have a theoretical top speed of about 8 knots.

But a pro driving a W32 is likely to beat a 40' boat driven by a neophyte sailor, so sailing skill is a big part of boat speed.
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Old 26-09-2021, 12:49   #13
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

PHRF ratings favor light air and windward performance, two things that don't mean a lot for a cruising boat. With their full keel wetted surface a W32 is at a severe disadvantage to boats with a cutaway forefoot long keel or a fin keel boat. It's not that they won't move under sail, just that they don't move as fast.

On our way back from Tahiti had very light winds till we picked up the NE trades above the equator after the doldrums. Winds were never more than 10k and often half that. Still managed to average better than 50nmpd with one no wind day in the doldrums good for 12nm mostly current progress. One thing the W32 won't do is go hard on the wind in choppy conditions and very light air. Crack off a bit and they will move. Given a bit of wind they will embarrass outright racers on a close to broad reach. We averaged 118nmpd with almost no engine time and two crossing of the doldrums. Worst day 12nm, best day 176nm through the water for over 10,000 miles. FWIW W32's regularly win their class and sometimes over all in the on corrected time in their class and finished ahead of supposedly faster boats like the Valiant 40.
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Old 26-09-2021, 13:25   #14
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Quote:
Originally Posted by MicHughV View Post
slow is a relative thing...in 6-7 knots of windspeed, just about any sailboat will be slow.

depends. I have heard some of the 40 foot speedsters can sail as fast as the wind .. up to a certain speed. in other words .. they could do close to 6 knots of speed in 6 knots of wind .. which I am sure the westsail could not
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Old 26-09-2021, 13:35   #15
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Re: Westsail 32 in light air

Quote:
Originally Posted by gonesail View Post
depends. I have heard some of the 40 foot speedsters can sail as fast as the wind .. up to a certain speed. in other words .. they could do close to 6 knots of speed in 6 knots of wind .. which I am sure the westsail could not
You are wrong about that. Here is a Westsail doing 6k plus in 8k true wind....with working sails. Oregonian might post a picture of a Westsail doing 4k plus in 4k true wind..

https://youtu.be/KfhnPAU7r1Y

There are many other examples, but i couldn't be bothered to post them
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