Best singlehanded, bluewater sailboat (not "caravan on keels")

[Malish]

Rather than talking, this chap is sailing: Old Man Sailing – Sailing blog a Rival 32 as it happens, and covering the miles across the Atlantic, he has also penned a few books on the topic ( an ex journalist) ;-)

 

[michael_w]

Seriously quick, well proven, not for old farts who get excited when the boat hits the heady speed of 6kts.

 

[Wansworth]

From what I have gathered this blue water sailing involves a lot of time at anchour sitting in the shade with good ventilation

 

[ridgy]

Where did all the old Figaro 2's go? Hardly ever see one for sale.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

E39mad and Stemar are right. A Vancouver is the proper boat for the job. I might be biased but having sailed mine some 22,600 ocean miles mostly singlehanded I might be qualified to comment. Besides a Vancouver is a drier boat than a Contessa 32 and has a better sail plan and more storage.

Our mooring neighbour has one. He has sailed her round the world. On his own. Not the fastest thing on the water, but will look after you in all the necessary ways.

 

[doris]

Where did all the old Figaro 2's go? Hardly ever see one for sale.

A good question.
A Figaro 1 is a perfect boat for solo. v cheap and bullet proof.
I don't know about 2s.

 

[doug748]

Most fit, keen, experienced, 20 something, club racers would struggle to keep a Figaro 2 going in a straight line in a force 5, in inshore waters.

To suggest it for Joe Soap to go offshore is a triumph of book learning over common sense.

.

 

[JamesDavis]

Having just been in the boat buying market my limited experience has taught me to try to buy a boat that needs nothing doing to it. One that someone else has spent all their money on.
As far as the boat goes it’s obviously a Rival 32.
Here’s some background of last year’s sailing in my Rival 32:

 

[ridgy]

Most fit, keen, experienced, 20 something, club racers would struggle to keep a Figaro 2 going in a straight line in a force 5, in inshore waters.

To suggest it for Joe Soap to go offshore is a triumph of book learning over common sense.

.

Really? Have you sailed one? Other than mast height they are a moderate design in all other respects and that's what reefs are for. Also designed to be run by autopilot most or all of the time. What is it about them that makes them so difficult to sail? Hard to sail to polar I can imagine but for the man who likes to arrive with a certain panache it would be a fine choice.

 

[flaming]

Really? Have you sailed one? Other than mast height they are a moderate design in all other respects and that's what reefs are for. Also designed to be run by autopilot most or all of the time. What is it about them that makes them so difficult to sail? Hard to sail to polar I can imagine but for the man who likes to arrive with a certain panache it would be a fine choice.

I’ve sailed one.

It’s almost the worst possible choice for the OP’s requirements.

I’d have one over everything else suggested to this point though. But I’m not the OP.
And I wouldn’t swap my boat for one either.

 

[ridgy]

I’ve sailed one.

It’s almost the worst possible choice for the OP’s requirements.

I’d have one over everything else suggested to this point though. But I’m not the OP.
And I wouldn’t swap my boat for one eit

For any OP that needs to ask a question like this, clearly a Figaro 2 isn't going to be the answer. I was merely rebutting the absurd suggestion that they were impossible to sail by anyone under the age of 25.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

For any OP that needs to ask a question like this, clearly a Figaro 2 isn't going to be the answer. I was merely rebutting the absurd suggestion that they were impossible to sail by anyone under the age of 25.

It’s one of a select group of monos thats harder to sail than my tri. Not that itks hard to make it go along, and very quickly too, but it can be very exhausting in a bit of a blow. We don’t cross oceans, and don't set out in much over 30kn, and run for shelter when we find that it is. TBH that does not hold you back as a coastal sailor, but I’m not gonna pretend I own a bluewater boat. I’ve just crossed the Atlantic, obviously not in mine. It blew old boots all the way, 6-7 metres swell.

 

[ducked]

Having just been in the boat buying market my limited experience has taught me to try to buy a boat that needs nothing doing to it. One that someone else has spent all their money on.
As far as the boat goes it’s obviously a Rival 32.
Here’s some background of last year’s sailing in my Rival 32:

Pretty.
Um...Quite like a bigger Trident 24
Did they have photocopiers in the 70's?

 

[doug748]

For any OP that needs to ask a question like this, clearly a Figaro 2 isn't going to be the answer. I was merely rebutting the absurd suggestion that they were impossible to sail by anyone under the age of 25.

I suspect you have not sailed one either but I do know the gulf between that sort of boat and a fast cruiser racer.

As you know I did not suggest the boat was impossible to sail, just difficult and demanding of qualities not usually found in the average Joe.

.

 

[Stemar]

I suspect you have not sailed one either but I do know the gulf between that sort of boat and a fast cruiser racer.

As you know I did not suggest the boat was impossible to sail, just difficult and demanding of qualities not usually found in the average Joe.

.

Well, maybe but, when I bought her, my little Snapdragon demanded qualities not found in this average Joe. I learned.

 

[mattonthesea]

Having just been in the boat buying market my limited experience has taught me to try to buy a boat that needs nothing doing to it. One that someone else has spent all their money on.
As far as the boat goes it’s obviously a Rival 32.
Here’s some background of last year’s sailing in my Rival 32:

How similar are the Vancouver and the Rival, apart from the front end?

 

[dansaskip]

Our mooring neighbour has one. He has sailed her round the world.

Guess you are moored next to Tom. Here is a picture of two Vancouvers out there doing it, Tom's and mine at rest in Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Guess you are moored next to Tom. Here is a picture of two Vancouvers out there doing it, Tom's and mine at rest in Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas.
View attachment 188560

That's the man. We race against him in the XOD class too, he is a multi talented gentleman. Looks nothing like his literary namesake though.

 

[fishermantwo]

I can't believe I read through this whole thread, and the SS34 never got a mention! These days, I sail an old SS34 racer with an Aries wind vane solo, and it's easy to see why it was the choice of several famous adventurers around the world. They are such a pleasant boat to sail.

 

[Malish]

Rather than talking, this chap is sailing: Old Man Sailing – Sailing blog a Rival 32 as it happens, and covering the miles across the Atlantic, he has also penned a few books on the topic ( an ex journalist) ;-)

silly me, I forgot the sailing brothers https://www.youtube.com/@TheSailingBrothers A Rival 34, sailed it around Britain, then to the Caribbean, currently in Australia. Granted they are now looking for a bigger boat.