snowgoose speed

[redtwin]

From what I recall the Snowgoose were the fastest of the Prout range, (apart from Quaser, which could do upto 20knots!!) some had the rig height increased as well. My 1st Prout was a Quest 31 and I sailed with a Snowgoose in early nineties, and I never could keep up with it, I know it was longer but the speed difference was a lot. Prout magazines had articles and pictures of many sailing almost every corner of the globe. The English chap who I sailed with did regular crossings around NZ, AUS and Fiji on his Snowgoose.

[kcrane]

Originally Posted by redtwin

From what I recall the Snowgoose were the fastest of the Prout range, (apart from Quaser, which could do upto 20knots!!) some had the rig height increased as well. My 1st Prout was a Quest 31 and I sailed with a Snowgoose in early nineties, and I never could keep up with it, I know it was longer but the speed difference was a lot. Prout magazines had articles and pictures of many sailing almost every corner of the globe. The English chap who I sailed with did regular crossings around NZ, AUS and Fiji on his Snowgoose.

Clearly a lot quicker than our BB385. Half true wind speed up to around 16-18knts, then tails off. Don't expect to see double figures in normal conditions, i.e. no tide, no surfing

[redtwin]

Prout owners site at Michael E Briant Director and Sailor may have more info on Snowgoose. None in Auckland currently, one further down South I think but dont have any details. There is a new Prout 38(also called BB 38) North of Auckland. There maybe others around that I dont know of.

[Eleven]

Check out Multihullworld (BROKER) who have a 37 Snowgoose in UK at the moment, in the details section there is a Practical Boat Owner Magazines trial when new stating sailing speed were generally half the wind speed in the F3 conditions, mainly reaching.
My brother sailed Red Sea - Seychelles - Mauritius - Durban in the 70's in his 'goose.
He reckoned to tack comfortably through 90 degrees, never had problems going into irons, spent a good deal of time analysing sail performance and was impressed by the lack of any wake.
However, the Events have the hulls expanded inwards to accomodate proper double beds and although this is done at the waterline there must be some effect. The central nacelle seems to sit lower too, see Catello on the above site.
They are the safest, easiest ocean sailor's boat. Unsinkable, single handed with the rear set mast, built into the rear bulkhead, and there are only a few mods to do to them. Wife, bless her, wants the double bed of the Event. Solo I'd settle fot a proper goose.
Extend the mast by putting a section at the foot. Replace rigging with this modern pastic stuff, it's amazing weight saving, keep reflectors and stuff low to reduce pitch and roll. Search for 'parasail', they make interesting claims on flying at 50 to the app. wind and provide a very stable flying off-the-wind genoa thing.
Ron Underwood, ex MD at Prout and now with BB, reckons they were conservative on mast height and reminded us they were new at the time and their safety record is impeccable. His own 'goose had a taller rig, 'Chello' was available recently.
I'm getting deeply frustrated in having to wait for the house to sell to buy mine and get gone.

[Eleven]

Sunspot Baby. From my experienced 'goosey brother. I've been listening to him go on about Prout's for years and eventually decided on retiring onto a Prout. We discussed all the ways his old goose could have been tuned.
He always reckoned performance was limited by forestay tension. His genoa would draw to about fifty degrees for good speed.
His solution -
Add a 'goal post' frame across the back of the hulls. Put the boom stuff up there and clear the cockpit. You've got a mounting for instruments, dinghy, wind gen etc etc.
But - add a rear stay from each corner of the hulls, over the extreme ends of the frame and you have it. A tensioned forestay with room for a fully battened main with a full roach.
He reckons the goose would take a three foot extension at the foot of the mast and the new plastic rigging should replace the stainless at re-fit time.
Voila - GT Goose.
Now you've actually got one. Does any of this make sense? My choice is the Event 34, limited by price and wife, but all the above apply apart from the potential performance.
His 'goose was the first multi in the Mauritius-Durban in the 70's 80's and came, I'm told, second on handicap.
Hope you still love yours, he eventually lost his in the divorce courts. She went off on a bigger (and slower) cat. Wonderful boats, the Prouts. I'm sure you are embarrassing many a keen sailor with your speed and comfort.
For those in Durban in those days Tony Walden, he married Sue (UK Pat) and retired ashore. He died suddenly just before Xmas.
He fondly told how he was given free membership of the Durban Yacht club for wearing his Eynsham Life Boat shirt as he stepped ashore for his first beer. Eynsham is a little village near Oxford, UK and about as far as you can get from the sea. But then things were different back then. Warm winds, Trev