I spent a fair amount of time on the Alpha 42 at the 2015
Annapolis show and had lengthy conversations with the owners. Very nice people. I did not explore the "reasons" or corrective actions for
hull #1's loss.
A few observations:
I think this is a capable
boat. I didn't crawl in the
engine rooms or bilges - I spent very little time below decks as my interest is in the sailing features, always looking for new stuff or good ideas to apply to my own boat.
This specific rig has a quite small
mast section. Because of this it has double spreaders and a LOT of standing
rigging aloft. But it's a Selden
mast, which I hold in high regard. I would have spec'd a bigger section to allow a
single spreader rig just to simplify the
rigging. Take a look at other 42 foot cats to compare. This is around the break point for single/double spreaders on
aluminum spars, but few 42s have double spreaders. The chain plates are really far aft. This is a good thing for the rig, but a bad thing for sailing downwind with the main - the sail will be against the shrouds really quick, effectively preventing DDW with the main without the risk of a jibe. Not a rigger, I don't understand why the chainplates were so far aft. BUT, this means peace of mind if the owners choose a sym spi for deep angles without the main. Easy cruising.
The
genoa leads are really far inboard. This is a good thing for upwind angles, but this boat also has a self tacking solent. I discussed with the owners the options of using a reverse barber hauler for getting the clew of the
genoa outboard for off the
wind angles. Of course, having a solent means that you have to furl the genoa to tack it upwind, which kinda negates having the far inboard genoa track. Pick yer poison. I would not have chosen the self tacker if I was ordering this boat in favor of utilizing the really good sheeting angles on the genoa. If it only had boards.....
The traveler track is pretty short. Given the aft location of the chainplates, at least it's consistent. Get the sym spi for deep angles (with no main) and this issue and aft chainplates are a bonus.
No
mainsail outhaul adjustment. Sacrilege!
But most cruising cats don't have adjustable (underway) outhauls, so this boat is no outlier. It's a shame this valuable feature is overlooked on so many boats.
Dave