"...a Porsche and a Hallberg-Rassy...."

[Resolution]

Over on another thread that has become far too serious someone posted that he could not afford to own a Porsche and a Halberg-Rassy.
Neither can I now, but I have, in a brief spell of enjoyable flush, owned a Porsche. It was exciting, red, fast, difficult to get in and out of, just what a sports car should be.
The Halberg-Rassy, on the other hand, is rather dull, always white with the blue stripe, quietly effective at all weather sailing, and very comfortable.
I cannot imagine that anyone wanting a Porsche would also want an HR at the same time.
Peter

 

[chinita]

Well, IME both Porsche's and HR tend to be owned by wealthy old farts; the Porsche because they can now afford to fund a long held desire and the HR because their residual values compensate for the Porsche depreciation.

I am the antithesis, a poor old fart with a Morris 8 and an old wooden boat.


Edit: I should add that, as a slightly younger old fart, I did have a HR36 :encouragement:

 

[chanelyacht]

I must admit I do like HRs, having sailed one in Sweden.

I also had a brief flirtation with Porshe's, namely a 911.

Cars though, maybe like boats, in something the Swedes do well - one reason why I enjoy my Saab estate. Understated looks, very comfortable, lots of space, and being the Aero 2.3, like whatsit off a shovel when I want some fun.

Maybe I should be Swedish?

 

[pvb]

I cannot imagine that anyone wanting a Porsche would also want an HR at the same time.

I had 3 Ferraris over 10 years, 2 of them new, and when the points on my licence reached 9, sold the car and bought a Hallberg-Rassy to replace my Westerly. Fast cars and nice boats do appeal to the same people.

 

[chinita]

I must admit I do like HRs, having sailed one in Sweden.

I also had a brief flirtation with Porshe's, namely a 911.

Cars though, maybe like boats, in something the Swedes do well - one reason why I enjoy my Saab estate. Understated looks, very comfortable, lots of space, and being the Aero 2.3, like whatsit off a shovel when I want some fun.

Maybe I should be Swedish?

I have a lot of time for Sweden and the Swedes. I used to visit sailing friends when they were at home in their summer house (built with amazing quality). They took me to their old boatyard were the annual rates were a fraction of ours; Swedes do not perceive sailing to be an exclusive pastime.

One evening they took me to a wine tasting in a local hotel. About thirty Swedes, and me.

Afterwards I asked why the whole evening was conducted in English. 'Because of you' was the answer.

I was also told that, in Sweden, to be described as 'very ordinary' was a compliment!

 

[boggybrn]

Being a cheapskate I went for a Porsche 924 and a Newbridge Pioneer!
Both taught me something about maintaining fuel injection systems.
There are toys to suit all budgets ?

 

[johnalison]

I have never owned a Porsche, or any sports car for that matter. Cars are just boring bits of junk which enable you to join the queue of other drivers trying to get somewhere without the even greater tedium of waiting for a bus.

On the other hand, my HR gives me, and my wife, enormous pleasure every time we take her out. Not only is she comfortable and easy to manage, not requiring a reef until the apparent wind gets up to about 24kn, but if you think you can sail faster in an AWB of the same size and vintage, you might have a surprise. HRs fall broadly into two groups, the modest ones like my 34, and the 40ft+ ones which form a significant part of the UK association membership nowadays. We all get on pretty well together, and rallies are well attended. It is true that many of us are older, or as I would say, mature, but that is largely because of the expense of acquiring an HR rather than the boats' lack of sailing abilities.

Many boat-builders have a house style, and I wouldn't suggest that Jeanneau, Hanse or some smarter yachts are dull because they are just plain white.

 

[arto]

Yes please. I'd happily have a Porsche and an HR. Sadly both are slightly more than I am able to afford, at least without putting off my retirement until sometime after my hundredth birthday.

 

[RichardS]

20 years ago a friend of mine bought a 911 and I bought an XK8. After a couple of years and many visits to the dealers he sold the 911 as it was a "pile of unreliable junk".

I still have my XK8 and it has only ever been to the dealers for servicing, and even then, not for the last 15 years. :encouragement:

Richard

 

[Seajet]

I was stuck behind a prat struggling up the hill out of Petworth the other day when a Porsche - I suppose it was a good one, flared arches, lots of exhaust pipes and ' Carrera ' on the back was behind, I tucked in to let him pass and had the window open - the noise - not sound - was awful, just a horrible clatter of junk.

On the same bit of road I've had a modern Jag' go past foot down and that was orgasmic
- I rate the original XK8 as possibly the most beautiful car ever made - and I'm not even a petrol head !

Wouldn't carry my oars and junk though.

 

[thecommander]

A classic Porsche, none of this modern crap. Hallbergs are beautiful boats.

By the way, I'm in my mid 30s so not really an old fart.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have never owned a Porsche, or any sports car for that matter. Cars are just boring bits of junk which enable you to join the queue of other drivers trying to get somewhere without the even greater tedium of waiting for a bus.
.

You have clearly never experienced the joy of driving to the boat in a brand new Morgan
But then i would class a halberg rassey as an overpriced product so to each his own i suppose

 

[Bosun Higgs]

deleted. not worth posting

 

[jamie N]

Not a Porsche, but a Suzuki TL1000R; 0-60MPH in 3.0 secs, 168MPH top speed, 135BHP and a sound that seduces a noise abatement fetishist. This, when it was offset by my wooden Folkboat, created a glorious harmony to my life.

 

[johnalison]

You have clearly never experienced the joy of driving to the boat in a brand new Morgan
But then i would class a halberg rassey as an overpriced product so to each his own i suppose

The mightn be a reason why I should want to propel myself while seated in a pew stuck onto a go-kart, but I can't for the time being think what it might be. Whether HRs are overpriced or not, I don't know. If they are, then at least current buyers have the assurance that since the company is profitable, their money is going to be safe, and owners of older boats know that when it comes to selling them, they will be able to recover a reasonable portion of their value. Less quantifiable benefits include the pleasure of using something well-made and (mostly) reliable.

 

[pagoda]

You have clearly never experienced the joy of driving to the boat in a brand new Morgan
But then i would class a halberg rassey as an overpriced product so to each his own i suppose

+1 Having a balance in life is a good idea. I can mentally offset my very ordinary modern-ish GRP French yacht against a nearly 60year old 190SL. Jet black, red leather, not quite the performance of a 300SL, but quite a lot of the ambience The 190SL does not have a single semiconductor, and virtually anything can be unbolted and dismantled... unlike more modern wheels!

I almost bought Vindilis several years ago- designed for T Harrison Butler for his own use. I did not have the wood-maintenance skills to keep her in good fettle, so I backed off- a sensible move I think, beautiful though Vindilis is.

 

[Bob Stay]

...if you think you can sail faster in an AWB of the same size and vintage...

I'm puzzled by the suggestion that Halbergs aren't AWBs, as they are mass produced, plastic bermudan sloops, to be found in every marina in Europe; surely the archetypal AWB :encouragement:

 

[pvb]

I'm puzzled by the suggestion that Halbergs aren't AWBs, as they are mass produced, plastic bermudan sloops, to be found in every marina in Europe; surely the archetypal AWB :encouragement:

No, the blue stripe makes them white & blue, so AWABBs.

 

[Shuggy]

I like this post but not quite as per the title. We have a 1970s (60s designed) Nicholson and have decided that our ultimate car equivalent would be an E type. Sadly despite the relatively low values of both our dream tickets compared to the HR/Porker equivalent we still can't deliver on our dreams! Lovely thoughts though, be it Nic/Jag or HR/Porsche.

 

[Resolution]

I have never owned a Porsche, or any sports car for that matter. Cars are just boring bits of junk which enable you to join the queue of other drivers trying to get somewhere without the even greater tedium of waiting for a bus.

On the other hand, my HR gives me, and my wife, enormous pleasure every time we take her out.

Well I must disagree with you about cars. Many are indeed mundane, there to do a job. But some are stylish or stirring to drive , or sometimes both. Of course not all drivers wish to be stirred!
I didn't mean to denigrate HRs. I have sailed on a few and there can be no doubting their quality and effectiveness. Bit calm on the stir factor, IMHO.
Peter