32ft cruiser/racer, what would you buy to sail single handed?

[ifoxwell]

Under NHC you can race any cruising boat. And the chap from RORC who gave us a talk recently insisted that you could get a useable IRC handicap for any cruising boat. Mind you I dont think he convinced anyone in his audience.

It really rather depends on what sort of racing you fancy. One of my clubs does white sail racing so a decent fin keel cruiser would be quite OK. But if you want to play amongst the IRC lot with empty interiors and carbon sails, then you need a boat that I wouldnt want to cruise. Big dinghies with deep narrow fins and spade rudders arent a good recipe for single handed cruising

We have a club member sailing a Comfortina 32 which does very well on handicap easily keeping up with 35ft boats unless the wind is strong enough to get boats to hull speed. See http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=1104

In reality the racing is just an excuse to go and use the boat, and fortunately most of the boats we race against on our river do so in a similar way so I'm not so worried about your first point.

That Comfortina looks interesting and yet another design I've never heard of, does any one know anything more about them?

 

[underdog]

Another Scandinavian offering for your consideration: An Artekno H-323 (A big H Boat)
http://www.ybw.com/forums/album.php?albumid=77
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=3683

Bought this 6 years ago and have been very pleased with her. Easily sailed singlehanded with her 3/4 rig, especially with the self tacking jib. Not too reliant on crew weight to keep her upright. Comfortable cruising for 2 or 3.

 

[Foolish Muse]

There are a lot of very good reasons to go with a tiller rather than wheel for a singlehander, so that will help to shape your choices. You can find a bunch of criteria in Chapter 3 of this free book: http://sfbaysss.org/resource/doc/SinglehandedTipsThirdEdition2.pdf
I've spoken to a number of serious singlehanded cruiser/racers and come up with the basic ideas. One key thing is that I would never buy a boat with a liner. Too many important things will happen behind the walls.

Have fun.

 

[RobF]

Hey Ian,
I fear that a Comfortina might be out of budget - I seem to recall that they are fairly rare and fairly pricey. I think I would be tempted by the Jenneau 3200, 32i (a bit more cruiser focussed) or the Bene First. However, I note that Boatshed are brokering a nice J-105 which will fit the bill for a sportier boat.

 

[ifoxwell]

Hey Ian,
However, I note that Boatshed are brokering a nice J-105 which will fit the bill for a sportier boat.

I have noticed that. How comfortable woudl something like a 105 be and how manageable woudl it be single handed?

 

[ifoxwell]

I've spoken to a number of serious singlehanded cruiser/racers and come up with the basic ideas. One key thing is that I would never buy a boat with a liner. Too many important things will happen behind the walls.

Have fun.

Interesting thought, I'll keep that in mind.

 

[RobF]

Single handed would be fine. You can steer and reach the mainsheet / traveller at the same time. It's got an autohelm too. I note that there are some winches half way along the cockpit which might work well for jib sheets.

As for comfort - probably more comfortable than a Red Fox! V berth (as a den for Elizabeth) and a couple of saloon berths. I think I would be tempted to update the cooker if at all possible.

I think the main downside would be that the shakedown sail would be across the Irish Sea. Might make an interesting summer holiday if you can sail her from County Down to the East Coast. At least the prevailing South Westerlies will generally be in your favour!

 

[flaming]

I have noticed that. How comfortable woudl something like a 105 be and how manageable woudl it be single handed?

Very manageable singlehanded. They have a stellar rep as a bulletproof offshore doublehanded boat.

But comfortable...? Not in my view. I did a lot of sailing on a 105, including a race to La Trinite, then a few days pottering. It has sitting headroom only, and just isn't built with cruising in mind. In fact the story goes that Rod Johnstone did a distance race in a 105, then cruised it back. When he got back his first order of business was to start designing the 109 as something more suitable to the cruising part of the brief!

I would absolutely put a 105 on your shortlist if shorthanded distance racing is the top priority. If round the cans is the top priority there are better bets, as it's not a ww/lw machine, but it's no disgrace, Redeye still turn in pretty decent results. But if you want / need to encourage reluctant or new sailors to come cruising with you then look elsewhere.

 

[eddystone]

Dehler 32? Don't know how long they've been around and therefore affordability but seems you have to go to Germany or Holland to find one.

 

[Judders]

As for comfort - probably more comfortable than a Red Fox! V berth (as a den for Elizabeth) and a couple of saloon berths. I think I would be tempted to update the cooker if at all possible.

Oh does the OP have a Red Fox? Which one?

I ask partly out of interest and partly because if it's a Red Fox 28 then to be honest, so far as I can tell, it's a much better boat than most of those mentioned.

 

[ifoxwell]

Oh does the OP have a Red Fox? Which one?

I ask partly out of interest and partly because if it's a Red Fox 28 then to be honest, so far as I can tell, it's a much better boat than most of those mentioned.

Hi. Its an early, standard Red Fox 200. Great boat and we are really pleased with it. You can see what we get up to on it here

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsrC0qy2tqsNUQTM6mLcR7Dm75QPfybjI

 

[Judders]

Hi. Its an early, standard Red Fox 200. Great boat and we are really pleased with it. You can see what we get up to on it here

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsrC0qy2tqsNUQTM6mLcR7Dm75QPfybjI

Excellent. Built by my co-owners father.

I dare say a Red Fox 28 or Laser 28 would be too small for your requirements but 'round our way they sail away from a First 310 long before the handicaps get involved.

 

[doug748]

" In fact the story goes that Rod Johnstone did a distance race in a 105, then cruised it back. When he got back his first order of business was to start designing the 109 as something more suitable to the cruising part of the brief! "

The 109 is a good shorthanded cruising boat, though I guess you will be needing an 80k budget to buy one.

A sailing companion of mine raced his and cruised it predominately singlehanded. When cruising in company, with a rag tag of slower boats, his tactic was to use only his main, he usually kept up or got in first.

He impressed me once by returning to the UK from France to get his engine fixed and catching up later. I remember he made the passage from Plymouth to L'Aberwrach in daylight. He handled his sails traditionally, I think one advantage of a fast boat is that you can make cruising progress singlehanded in a range of conditions even when undercanvassed. You can be in third gear and still make well above average progress.

Before he retired he made a circumnavigation of home waters, by that time he was nearer 80 than 70 years old. He had more than his share of engine problems with that boat (Yanmar ,I think) but that was the engine's fault not the boat, of course.

 

[Tintin]

I chose a beneteau first 325 when faced with a similar decision and am loving it. Great for singlehanding. Tiller. I added a Raymarine SPX auto pilot bought 2nd hand on Ebay. I also have an older Raytheon unit as spare.

Its a fast boat and points well.

 

[Averisera]

I can make a pretty good pitch for the Aphrodite 101. I have one in the US and single/double hand race my boat. It rates on our PHRF at 144 which matches a J30 and a Beneteau First 325, for example. The big plus for the boat is that is easy to sail fast, seakindly and doesn't suffer from a small crew. My wife and I cruise in New England to and from regattas, sometimes taking two weeks. The lack of headroom is fine underway but gets a bit old after the second week. I don't think they are very expensive to buy. Ours is easy to maintain and buy sails, gear for her.

 

[ifoxwell]

I chose a beneteau first 325 when faced with a similar decision and am loving it. Great for singlehanding. Tiller. I added a Raymarine SPX auto pilot bought 2nd hand on Ebay. I also have an older Raytheon unit as spare.

Its a fast boat and points well.

As that's the kind of boar and kind of aurohelm I'd like to get I'd love to know more about how you get on with the Autopilot when sailing... as in does it sail well, hold a good course etc.

 

[ifoxwell]

I can make a pretty good pitch for the Aphrodite 101. I have one in the US and single/double hand race my boat. It rates on our PHRF at 144 which matches a J30 and a Beneteau First 325, for example. The big plus for the boat is that is easy to sail fast, seakindly and doesn't suffer from a small crew. My wife and I cruise in New England to and from regattas, sometimes taking two weeks. The lack of headroom is fine underway but gets a bit old after the second week. I don't think they are very expensive to buy. Ours is easy to maintain and buy sails, gear for her.

Thanks I'll add it to my ever growing list of boats to consider

 

[Averisera]

Aphrodite 101s are tough little boats, worth a look. We have a blog which you will find by searching on the boat name, Averisera. There are lots of pictures of work we have done, cruises made and races entered. After May 2014, we moved into a house on Cape Cod that swallowed us with work so the boat is in dry storage now. Look at posting from the beginning to May '14 to see the fun stuff. Things that appealed to us include no liner, exposed wiring, tiller steering, end-boom sheeting, flat deck, fast enough with a 102% jib to collect plenty of trophies. The boat goes to windward like a Soling and with the small jib, we tack quickly on every header. We have runners but only use them in stumpy conditions, seldom around a short course. Hope this helps.

 

[Tintin]

As that's the kind of boar and kind of aurohelm I'd like to get I'd love to know more about how you get on with the Autopilot when sailing... as in does it sail well, hold a good course etc.

Yes and yes.

The s100 remote helps too, in fact is invaluable.

 

[Cheburator]

Another shout for the JOD 35 - and I am biased Very well built - GRP/Kevlar/Carbon - takes punishment very well and is very seaworthy. When it was chosen as the Tour de France boar it wasn't for nothing. Wipe down interior, but still has most creature comforts. Decent head room for a racer/cruiser - I am 6'4" and I am fine. Plenty of space at the back to mount auto helm.

An absolute beast off the wind - double digits in anything over 17knts. Double handed we fly the kite in the low 30s and we have seen 15 sustained and 18 surfing. It would even go dead downwind. Upwind is just about Ok. Shame it rates high under IRC...

P.S. Surprised no one has mentioned Archambaults - they seem to be creeping in budget...