50ft+ Hanse, Beneteau, etc slamming?

[Na Mara]

I sold a hanse 370 and bought a regina 43 precisely because I am no gentleman, I do sail to windward, and I got totally fed up with the slamming. Even worse than the slamming was the stalling. That hanse just would not make to windward in moderate seas (force 5 short chop or worse) and would have to be born off. I had absolutely no confidence that she could get me off a lee shore in any kind of serious sea state. The Regina on the other hand is a totally different ball of wax and I have total confidence in her in just about any sea state.

[kiwin]

The ability to go upwind in high or light winds is an important safety feature for any boat. Being able to clear off a lee shore is mandatory, and in my view is exactly why many long keel boats are dangerous. Many modern boats have such ridiculous sterns that they are similarly compromised. There are a variety of other boats, however that will perform well. It doesn't matter what you sail, there is a height/period/gradient if waves where pointing high is no longer optimal. Making to windward in a seaway is almost always a matter of footing off a bit and keeping the speed up. It's better for the boat, the crew, and it's almost always faster
The modern large production boats are not great upwind, and do start to slam relatively early, though later than their smaller stablemates. They are designed for accommodating lots of people for short periods. Sailing comes second.
My longest upwind passage was 3 weeks or relentless pitching and going slowly nowhere in a 70ft wooden schooner. No fun. And that boats highest point of sail was a close reach. I have several other two week plus passages of upwind. None of them are much fun. On the longer deliveries I tend to have a 45-60 minute rest every day for dinner. So at 17:00 the boat is borne away to a beam reach or slightly higher. This gives everyone a break, dinner is cooked, shaving and other ablutions are performed, minor repairs, rug inspection etc and dinner is eaten with little or no heel and the washing up done before going back on the wind at the 18:00 change of watch. Little is lost, but morale is greatly enhanced.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by Willy MC

Back in the 80's and 90's I delivered a lot of sailboats from New England to St. Thomas and other ports in the Caribbean. I eventually realized that from Bermuda drifting well east of the rhumb line produced a smoother ride and faster times.One time, I left Bermuda the same day as a buddy in a Swan 57 whose Owner was sold on the rhumb line.....a few days later, I was sitting behind Jost Van Dyke when he finally showed up......I was on a Shannon 50. For those who wouldn't be caught dead on a slow boat like a heavy Shannon 50.....In one November I brought 2 Shannon 50's from Newport to the latitude of St. Thomas....the long trip was 8 days and 23 hours.....and we never put the main up,
Good winds of 25+ and a beam reach almost the entire way......... honestly don't ever remember being disturbed by pounding in the 50,000 offshore miles I put on Shannons........ I'm a Yacht Broker now and describe the difference between the light, fast new boats and the heavier older designs as the difference between being on a polo pony or having a Clydesdale pulling your wagon....speed vs. comfort. willy mc

Amen! My Shannon 50 does not pound. Ever. I'll take the Clydesdale every day.

I wonder if one of those SB50s you delivered might have been the BRAVA (now QUEEN JANE)? And while I have an extremely vague memory of the broker who sold me the boat in 1999, his name might have been Willy... The QUEEN JANE has been my home since then.

[chrisr]

did quite a few ocean racing miles on a friends bene 47.7

the boat sailed up wind pretty well for a cruiser / racer. any slamming was much more due to the individual helmsman than the boat, and how hard we were pushing at the time

of course boats like this are a compromise and this shows when you compare to taking a true race boat to windward in breeze. the sheer power of something like a VO60 hammering to windward at 9k+ in 30k TWS is another thing altogether...

but i know which boat my wife preferred !

cheers,