25-30ft racer/weekender

[Ripster]

Background - just sold my 37ft AWB cruiser which was bought for both fun and but mainly accommodation when we lived 3 hours away. We have now moved far closer so don't need the accommodation and facilities but still want some sailing. This time more performance oriented than comfort.

Question - With budget of say around £20k what 25-30ftr would the panel recommend/suggest to provide fun and a half decent performance round the cans in some local regattas and provide passable accommodation for a couple for say 2-3 days away now and again. We are used to furling sails, cockpit controls and a wheel, but have crewed tiller boats with mast winches etc.

Any input welcome - thanks

 

[Rum Run]

Can I be the first to suggest an Impala plus new sails?
I don't know if it's the right answer but no doubt someone will. And as Flaming says, "you never know I might be right "
Good question anyway, I look forward to more considered and knowledgeable answers

 

[lpdsn]

Impalas are pretty competitive under IRC if sailed well.

Dehler 31 is more of a cruiser (and you'd have to stretch your limits a foot) but is very favourably rated by IRC.

The old Beneteau Firsts sail well too. It depends upon quite where you set the boundary between cruiser and racer characteristics.

 

[roblpm]

Can I be the first to suggest an Impala plus new sails?
I don't know if it's the right answer but no doubt someone will. And as Flaming says, "you never know I might be right "
Good question anyway, I look forward to more considered and knowledgeable answers

Good call but I imagine lots of the interiors are a bit tired?

Slightly over budget but how about a hanse 301. I believe they have done well racing and a nice cruising boat.

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2000/Hanse-301-3109218/United-Kingdom#.WjOuRHOnzqA

At our club at this level the successful racing boats dont ever cruise and I think the interiors are pretty old and manky!

 

[lw395]

I would look at what's racing locally.
I used to own an Impala, at the time there were a handful of them around the Solent.
What I would say is, around the cans, racing against other Impalas, you have no chance unless you have as much crew weight as the others, unless it's very light.

Really, IMHO, racing is about the people. Where do you fit in?
Personally I don't want to win everything, but neither do I want to be racing against people who have a big edge like buy sails every year if I'm not.
I don't want to sail as a husband and wife team in a fleet of lads' boats.
I want boat-on-boat racing, not debates about handicaps.

So look around the fleets and see who you want to race against, that will take you a long way towards choosing a boat.
For competitive racing without breaking the bank, Squibs at the Royal Dart?

 

[Ingwe]

At this sort of price range I wouldn't get too fixed on a particular boat (unless there is a local fleet of them) as it will mostly some down to what is available in good condition especially if the ability to cruise is important. On the more race boat end of the spectrum you could pick up a J80 in that budget or if you wanted something with a little more comfort a bit bigger and with an inboard you could pick up an Archambault Grand Surprise - there were only ever 3 of them in the UK but there are hundreds of them in northern France so if you don't mind a ferry crossing you should pick one up under budget.

 

[LouisBrowne]

The MGC27 would be a possibility: good club racer, sails to its rating, similar performance to the Impala but better accommodation and stiffer so it's a good cruiser for a couple or a singlehander.

 

[wotayottie]

I would look at what's racing locally.
I used to own an Impala, at the time there were a handful of them around the Solent.
What I would say is, around the cans, racing against other Impalas, you have no chance unless you have as much crew weight as the others, unless it's very light.

Really, IMHO, racing is about the people. Where do you fit in?
Personally I don't want to win everything, but neither do I want to be racing against people who have a big edge like buy sails every year if I'm not.
I don't want to sail as a husband and wife team in a fleet of lads' boats.
I want boat-on-boat racing, not debates about handicaps.

So look around the fleets and see who you want to race against, that will take you a long way towards choosing a boat.
For competitive racing without breaking the bank, Squibs at the Royal Dart?

Absolutely right. Since no handicap system works well ( even NHC) when there are big boat differences you either need a one design fleet or a boat that is very similar in size and performance to the others in the fleet you want to enter. We have a case at a local club where the skiper went out and bought a boat with an IRC handicap far higher than anything else in the fleet. In many ways it spoiled his racing. So IMO the answer is to decide on the ype and maybe the fleet you want to race in and then see what boats they use.

 

[Ripster]

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes, someone said before, be careful not to go and get something that appears like a rocket (and well might be) but gets penalised heavily due to the rest of the fleet in the racing group. Here in Torbay, Sonatas and Impalas are (were) popular, but Impalas seem few and far between. I've seen a few 285 firsts and some MGs as well as hunter OODs. I shall get the local club's view on it too. When I started out, I have always fancied a J-boat (having race crewed on the larger ones in the past) but I haven't seen many (or any I think) racing around here.

 

[roblpm]

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes, someone said before, be careful not to go and get something that appears like a rocket (and well might be) but gets penalised heavily due to the rest of the fleet in the racing group. Here in Torbay, Sonatas and Impalas are (were) popular, but Impalas seem few and far between. I've seen a few 285 firsts and some MGs as well as hunter OODs. I shall get the local club's view on it too. When I started out, I have always fancied a J-boat (having race crewed on the larger ones in the past) but I haven't seen many (or any I think) racing around here.

J92 is probably nearly in your budget. Not sure I would want to spend too many nights on one though!

Remember though that again as others have said it depends what else is racing. If its all symmetric spinnakers then having an a sail boat might not be much fun?

 

[doug748]

Albin Ballads sail well and generally do ok in club races. As a bonus the Nationals are still held in the Westcountry so you can have some serious racing if you want it:

http://rwyc.org/blog/2016/05/31/albin-ballad-national-championships/

 

[Channel Sailor]

1990 ish Laser 28 but could be too old, thrashed and more for light air.

Trapper 300, again old, smaller, but plenty of budget left over to kit out with new sails, rig and maybe some lead on the bottom of the keel.

Or there is a 1995 Sun Odyssey 28.1 in France for sale that might do the job. The last of this design (similar to my own Sunway 29 Sport) before they became more Cruiser like with the 28.2.

At this age of boat something heavier built but still sails well to its handicap might be less hassle. But not quite so exciting to sail.