Aphrodite 101

[Seajet]

While I'm not in the market for one, I have always been intrigued by the 101;

does anyone here have experience with the design ?

I know about the One Design competition and 'narrow is best post '79 Fastnet' etc, but it seemed an interesting boat.

 

[rudolph_hart]

I can nearly offer 2p worth, in that we raced under CHS (now IRC) against one in our old but competitive 3/4 Tonner in early 90's, and we only just had an edge on her.

Also, the owner of Dolphin Sails had one for many years.

I can also confirm that they do look a picture under sail.

So I get the impression that they're very much a 'sailor's yacht' as they must have very limited accomodation - low freeboard, no coachroof, narrow beam.

 

[Seajet]

Thanks for that, I always thought she was a real sailors' boat, though I went on one at Earls Court when they first came out, and by my standards the interior was surprisingly good, though that's hardly the point.

I'm still waiting to hear from someone who's sailed one !

And what happened to the production moulds ?

 

[rudolph_hart]

If you phone Dolphin Sails and ask for Matthew Vincent (the A101 owner's son) he'll give you the griff, as I've seen him sailing her with his dad.

He's a nice bloke - I say that as one who bought sails from him, including a few for the aforementioned 3/4 Tonner - and I'm sure he'll be helpful.

 

[Averisera]

Aphrodite 101 owner remarks

Hello:
We have an Aphrodite 101 in Boston, MA. Over our five years of ownership we have done a number of double handed races, some fleet racing and logged a few thousand NM cruising. Our opinion, a stunning boat in every respect.

We first saw one in Bellingham WA as we prepared for a charter in the San Juan Islands. Thought it was a darn nice looking boat. At the time we didn't have a plan to buy a boat. A little while later, we sailed a Beneteau 351 from Boston to Puerto Rico. The fat B convinced us to buy a narrow boat. Not long after the delivery, we found our boat and bought her.

Sailed her a lot in all kinds of weather.

More to follow.
Norman Martin
Boston

 

[Seajet]

Norman,

at last someone with first hand experience of the boat.

Is she a 'wet' boat in a breeze ?

She just has to be a good performer with that shape & those looks, what would you regard the ideal number of crew for racing ?

And how many could comfortably cruise in a 101, I'm guessing 4 adults would be about right ?

Something tells me you don't miss having three double aft cabins as some 'boat show boats' of the same length seem to think essential !

I always thought she looked a real sailor's boat, and should have been more popular in the UK.

 

[armchairsailor]

http://www.aphrodite101.info/about.htm

This should tell you what you need to know. PP in last month's PBO said the Sigma 33 sailed past the things, but I can't imagine by much. I'd have one, but I doubt they'd be particularly "family orientated".

 

[Seajet]

I wonder how the build quality compares - a friend did a lot of racing in Fastnets etc in a Sigma 33, his tales combined with other things I've heard don't make the Sigma out to be the toughest boat in the world...

I haven't sailed either, but I'd like to think I'm enough of a sailor that I'd go for the 101, then I don't have a large family to spoil the equation !

 

[Signed Out]

I very nearly went for one, but realised it would stretch my budget too much, and would end up blighting my idea of what is very much still my ultimate "dream boat".

Still being made in Germany, expensive.

Look tiny for a 33 footer, and very skinny. I believe what I hear about them being an upwind boat, looking at them, and having seen them sailing in the past. If a Sigma 33 can pass one, I would suspect it's got a larger crew, and further round on the wind when it does so- 101s are not what I would suspect to be a boat for grunts on the rail- no leverage!

For a nice bit of proper offshore passage-making, I'd snatch one up in a flash (pending pennies of course).

As for build quality, the one I looked over closely seemed very strong and well put together, just old and hard lived.

 

[Averisera]

Aphrodite 101 owner remarks, continued

Aphrodite is dry enough in a breeze. The bow overhang angle contributes to a dry sail. We get water back to the mast often. The hatch does not slide into a garage yet we seldom ship water there. Actually, I don't ever recall water running in throughb the hatchway.

More to follow.

 

[Ubergeekian]

While I'm not in the market for one, I have always been intrigued by the 101;

does anyone here have experience with the design ?

I know about the One Design competition and 'narrow is best post '79 Fastnet' etc, but it seemed an interesting boat.

I'm pretty sure it was covered in one of Peter Poland's recent PBO articles.

 

[Jim Binch]

The 101 Experience

I've been an owner since 1979 of hull # 138, since new. So far, I've done more than 20,000 nm along the eastern US seaboard and down to Bermuda and back five times in the biennial Newport-Bermuda Race in the Double-Handed Division. Over the years, I've increased the roach on the mainsail to great advantage, as well as the non-overlapping jib. Despite the years, we still manage to be in the top quartile in all races, course and distance, every year, under IRC, ORR and US PHRF handicap rules. Last fall we hit 17+ knots downwind in 40 knots of breeze! Amazing! She's also seen 6 meter seas in the North Atlantic, and I've never had a problem with her. Even solo sailed her from Bermuda to New England in 2008 (700 nm), a delightful trip. Would be glad to answer anyone's specific questions! A fabuous design, and exceptional build quality.

 

[Bolivar]

I have been looking into an 101 as well and just returned from Denmark where I have seen about 30 of them (they look gorgeous!), but people in NL (who seem to like much fatter boats with an excess of bathroom and kitchen facilities) discourage it as they consider it to be rather uncomfortable (and some even suggest unsafe) on the choppy North Sea and slow downwind.
Any thoughts on this? How does it behave down wind in relation to more modern designs?

Bolivar

 

[Seajet]

101 - A Classic

A real sailor's boat, so not a lard-a*se with a treble aft cabin & gold plated baths in the back !

You might get a bit wet, but it will be fun & fast; unsafe ? No way. The 101 was arguably the best ( sailing, not commercial wise ) of the competition winners for a One Design to prove herself after the 1979 Fastnet disaster - see 'Heavy Weather Sailing', and a forumite from the U.S. has sailed many ocean miles.

A fuller design aft does help stability running in big waves, but also leads to prising the rudder out of the water if & when she gripes up and broaches.

When I win the lottery, a 101 will be one of my 'fleet', and there won't be any twin ruddered 'designs' !

 

[Quandary]

There is a yinoyin sitting about 50 yards away just now, it is very much narrower than my recollection, the cockpit looks distinctly uncomfortable with skinny flat coamings and seats much to narrow for my only slightly larger than average size arse; the tiller is only a few inches from the edge of the seat so again you would have to be the build of a racing cyclist to waggle it.
The flush deck looks racy all right but the space under it is not much bigger than a decent coffin. I would also have some reservations about the long lead torpedo on the bottom of a stick that is under them, not likely to give much lift but very likely to harvest kelp.
It is a quirky day sailer, the marine equivalent of a Morgan three wheeler without the comfort: but this is an old git talking, when I first saw one I thought it was just so sporty.
If you have any specific questions I can stroll over and look at it again.

 

[Signed Out]

I have a fat arz & when I went to view one was comfortable both in the cockpit and saloon. Not huge headroom, but no coffin. You been inside it?

And if it's got a lead torpedo, it aint standard; I've heard of one with this adaptation, but others have a swept fin as built.

Were you insulted by seajet's reference to wide bumd boats? Cos you are quite sure about their lackings.

 

[Seajet]

I didn't mean to insult anyone, it's just there are certain boats which make a sailor's heart leap, and while say a 101 might well do it, a Moody 33 or Spring 25 is less likely ?

The comment about the keel is correct, normally a swept fin.

Possibly a bit like a classic Fife, Jaguar D-Type, F-16 or a super-model, " I'd love a go but don't fancy the ownership costs ! "

 

[Bolivar]

I will go for the 101 and it will probably be dry compared to my FX One, so no wet suit needed anymore!

 

[Quandary]

I have a fat arz & when I went to view one was comfortable both in the cockpit and saloon. Not huge headroom, but no coffin. You been inside it?

And if it's got a lead torpedo, it aint standard; I've heard of one with this adaptation, but others have a swept fin as built.

Were you insulted by seajet's reference to wide bumd boats? Cos you are quite sure about their lackings.

No, I was not insulted, I am far too insensitive for that. I posted because I had just been standing beside the type of boat being discussed, contrasting my reaction today, to thirty plus years back when I thought it was cool. The boat I now own is regarded as skinny by todays standards so I have no prejudice in favour of fat arses other than the right to sit on mine. I had another look and I reckon to be comfortable you would have to sit in front of the tiller well forward in the cockpit. (not that there is anything wrong with that) This one originated in Levington and is in the water now but the keel was a long symetrical lead torpedo suspended on a deep narrow foil about 350mm.x 50mm. I failed to ascertain the material of this slender keel spar.

 

[Flapjack]

In my experience fat arses have always better suited to comfort rather than speed, oh sorry you were talking about boats