Vintage Sailboat- Which to choose?

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

"Please note that many classics have extremely short LWL (or else - extremely long overhangs). This bears on attainable speeds - especially so in smaller boats."

This is very true. My Mariner 35, although 40 feet total length with the bowsprit only had a waterline length of 26.75 feet, whereas the Westsail 32 has a 27 foot waterline. The Nonsuch 30, a cat boat, has a waterline well over 28 feet which would make a faster boat with a considerably shorter total length.
kind regards,

All true in theory. Many CCA boats had stern overhangs that would immerse near hull speed or while heeling, lengthening LWL. Full bow sections would also extend the LWL when heeling. So many of these could exceed hull speed possibly more regularly than a shorter LOA boat with simlilar LWL. I've cruised on a hinckley B40 and while it's theoretical hull speed is 7.1 knots or so, we easily cruised steadily at nearly 8 many times while powered up on a beam reach with the hull wave in contact with the hull all the way to the transom. For certain not as fast as any modern 40 footer, but certainly faster in a straight line than a 32 footer with equivalent 28 foot LWL.