Contessa or MG-C 27

[skipperob]

let me message you my email address.

Yes please. How would you do that, I'm a forum novice !

 

[skipperob]

FYI:
MG C27 with lifting keel

Thanks a lot for that link, Saltire, it contains a lot of helpful stuff from an owner (Genski). I've posted a reply but as the forum was posted over ten years ago I don't really expect a response. Good to have all the info thought, thanks again. Rob.

 

[[178529]]

I've sent you two messages. The little envelope thing on the top right of the screen should be marked with new messages. You can then repy

 

[skipperob]

I've sent you two messages. The little envelope thing on the top right of the screen should be marked with new messages. You can then repy

Heh heh, learn something new every day . . . with a little help from my (new) friends !
I found your email and will type one to send to you this evening.
Thanks, and best regards, Rob.

 

[E39mad]

Thanks very much for that, E39mad. You're right of course, all boats had the moulding in the deck forard of the mast to take the slider track for the self-tacker, but I've seen pictures of many of them which had never had the track fitted. Those boats all use the 150% genoa. I was indeed lucky to find one for sale with both the self-tacking staysail and track, and the lifting fin.
The anchor well hatch/cover is cracked, and it's not the original glassfibre moulding but is made of plywood. Do you perhaps know where I could either borrow one to take a plug/mould from ; or even better, do you know where I could buy one ? (forlorn hope !)
Thanks for your kind interest, Rob.

Yes quite a few boats were home completed and may not have had the self-taker fitted but gone for genoa tracks particularly if racing.

I doubt that Northshore Shipyard Itchenor have the original mouldings anymore, having been likely to be have been destroyed during a yard redevelopment in the 2000's. Might be worth contacting the boatyard side of the business just in case though Northshore Shipyard l Southerly Brokerage l Chichester

You are probably better off finding a friendly local(ish) owner to take a mould off as you state.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Yes quite a few boats were home completed and may not have had the self-taker fitted but gone for genoa tracks particularly if racing.

I'm surprised - Northshore sold them as kits?

 

[chewi]

Thanks very much for that, E39mad. You're right of course, all boats had the moulding in the deck forard of the mast to take the slider track for the self-tacker, but I've seen pictures of many of them which had never had the track fitted. Those boats all use the 150% genoa. I was indeed lucky to find one for sale with both the self-tacking staysail and track, and the lifting fin.
The anchor well hatch/cover is cracked, and it's not the original glassfibre moulding but is made of plywood. Do you perhaps know where I could either borrow one to take a plug/mould from ; or even better, do you know where I could buy one ? (forlorn hope !)
Thanks for your kind interest, Rob.

I am friendly with an owner here in Poole, I've mailed him to ask if he will help. No promises.

 

[E39mad]

I'm surprised - Northshore sold them as kits?

Yes, their agent initially (Yacht Sales in Hamble) then in house from around 1994/5. With a large internal moulding they were fairly easy to complete.

Northshore also sold bonded units of the Southerly Fisher and Vancouver although they never pushed these - you had to ask. There were a few sold this way.

 

[Ceirwan]

Hey, another MGC27 owner here.

Love it, very fast and seaworthy, not that spacious but a good layout that makes use of the space, reasonably well built.
Mine has an an aftermarket (but designed by Mr Humphries ) lead keel, & this last winter I moved a more modern rig with outboard shrouds with a much greater sweep and none overlapping headsails, the rig is closer to 19/20 now than the original 7/8/.

I've got a blog of my 4 year ongoing restoration odyssey here if your interested:
Old Sailing Yacht 'Retro Ride' | Retro Rides

I've also got the original design & drawing details for the lifting keel arrangement, if you PM me your email I can send you a copy.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Yes, their agent initially (Yacht Sales in Hamble) then in house from around 1994/5. With a large internal moulding they were fairly easy to complete.

Northshore also sold bonded units of the Southerly Fisher and Vancouver although they never pushed these - you had to ask. There were a few sold this way.

I had no idea! That must have made Bill K's life so easy....

 

[E39mad]

I had no idea! That must have made Bill K's life so easy....

There's a name from the past!! Whilst I didn't work in Bill's dept he was one of the good guys at Northshore.

 

[[178529]]

Just seen there is a Facebook mgc27 association on Facebook. Ceirwan on this thread has posted photos of his fantastic restomod on there. Fascinating the change to swept back rigging.

 

[E39mad]

Hey, another MGC27 owner here.

Love it, very fast and seaworthy, not that spacious but a good layout that makes use of the space, reasonably well built.
Mine has an an aftermarket (but designed by Mr Humphries ) lead keel, & this last winter I moved a more modern rig with outboard shrouds with a much greater sweep and none overlapping headsails, the rig is closer to 19/20 now than the original 7/8/.

I've got a blog of my 4 year ongoing restoration odyssey here if your interested:
Old Sailing Yacht 'Retro Ride' | Retro Rides

I've also got the original design & drawing details for the lifting keel arrangement, if you PM me your email I can send you a copy.

Just read through your fascinating thread on the ongoing rebuild/improvements to your MG C27. Kudos to you for great work - boats are difficult things to build new and much more difficult to deal with once built.

Have you managed to get out sailing with the new mast and have you had a different headsail made or cut to suit the new rig.

The boat must be stiff with the lead keel.

 

[Ceirwan]

Just read through your fascinating thread on the ongoing rebuild/improvements to your MG C27. Kudos to you for great work - boats are difficult things to build new and much more difficult to deal with once built.

Have you managed to get out sailing with the new mast and have you had a different headsail made or cut to suit the new rig.

The boat must be stiff with the lead keel.

Yes, managed to get a reasonable amount of sailing in over the summer period to get the rig tuned, initially nowhere near enough rake, I'm currently sitting at around 250mm aft at the goose-neck which is about 2 degrees and she seems quite happy with that.
I'd try more but I'm out of adjustment on the caps.
The rig is much stiffer in the midsection when sailing, but can still be bent with the backstay to flatten the main, best of all the forestay is bar tight, with the backstay wound on I can get up to nearly 30% of the 6mm 1x19 breaking strain, a far cry from the old sagging thing from before.

Other advantages are no deformation in the hull when I wind the rigging on, I'm sure there is some compression, but its over a large enough area to be imperceptible to the eye.
Now I'm happy with the setup I'm refitting my furling gear, my furling headsail is bigger than my hanked on no3 & in better condition. Eventually I'll buy a new headsail to take advantage of my new forestay length, but works a bit quiet with covid so it will wait for a while.

*OP sorry for the thread drift.

 

[skipperob]

Yes quite a few boats were home completed and may not have had the self-taker fitted but gone for genoa tracks particularly if racing.

I doubt that Northshore Shipyard Itchenor have the original mouldings anymore, having been likely to be have been destroyed during a yard redevelopment in the 2000's. Might be worth contacting the boatyard side of the business just in case though Northshore Shipyard l Southerly Brokerage l Chichester

You are probably better off finding a friendly local(ish) owner to take a mould off as you state.

Thanks for your very kind interest, E39mad. I've spoken a couple of times to someone at Chichester (as you suggest), a helpful chap but he could offer no hope of finding anything at all connected with the 27. I felt I'd taken up enough of his time and promised to pester him no more !
We can't expect too much, the design is now about forty years old. Amazing how well it's stood the tests of time, tribute to Rob Humphrey's design skills ! They have been amazingly helpful with info about the boat.
Sail on ! Rob.

 

[skipperob]

Yes, managed to get a reasonable amount of sailing in over the summer period to get the rig tuned, initially nowhere near enough rake, I'm currently sitting at around 250mm aft at the goose-neck which is about 2 degrees and she seems quite happy with that.
I'd try more but I'm out of adjustment on the caps.
The rig is much stiffer in the midsection when sailing, but can still be bent with the backstay to flatten the main, best of all the forestay is bar tight, with the backstay wound on I can get up to nearly 30% of the 6mm 1x19 breaking strain, a far cry from the old sagging thing from before.

Other advantages are no deformation in the hull when I wind the rigging on, I'm sure there is some compression, but its over a large enough area to be imperceptible to the eye.
Now I'm happy with the setup I'm refitting my furling gear, my furling headsail is bigger than my hanked on no3 & in better condition. Eventually I'll buy a new headsail to take advantage of my new forestay length, but works a bit quiet with covid so it will wait for a while.

*OP sorry for the thread drift.

No need to apologise to me for the 'thread drift' (but thanks), it's all interesting stuff. I'm not at all interested in racing ; as someone said about a round of competitive golf, "its just a way of spoiling a good country walk" ! Or in this case, a day's sailing. So I would not attempt to improve on the original rig which was designed to suit the boat by one of our best-ever yacht designers (as witness the long term success of this one !). But for those who enjoy that sort of thing, let them enjoy it as is their right. Rob.

 

[skipperob]

Yes, managed to get a reasonable amount of sailing in over the summer period to get the rig tuned, initially nowhere near enough rake, I'm currently sitting at around 250mm aft at the goose-neck which is about 2 degrees and she seems quite happy with that.
I'd try more but I'm out of adjustment on the caps.
The rig is much stiffer in the midsection when sailing, but can still be bent with the backstay to flatten the main, best of all the forestay is bar tight, with the backstay wound on I can get up to nearly 30% of the 6mm 1x19 breaking strain, a far cry from the old sagging thing from before.

Other advantages are no deformation in the hull when I wind the rigging on, I'm sure there is some compression, but its over a large enough area to be imperceptible to the eye.
Now I'm happy with the setup I'm refitting my furling gear, my furling headsail is bigger than my hanked on no3 & in better condition. Eventually I'll buy a new headsail to take advantage of my new forestay length, but works a bit quiet with covid so it will wait for a while.

*OP sorry for the thread drift.

Hi. I suppose you know about the 'cobweb' grp stiffening frame bonded inside the hull's outer skin ? This, together with the bonded inner skin and the closed-cell foam which fills the void, plus balsa cored deck and coachroof, (balsa is a hardwood, did you know ? I didn't !) makes it a very stiff and strong hull. Your alterations seem to bear that out, compliments again to clever Mr Humphreys and Co !

 

[skipperob]

Just read through your fascinating thread on the ongoing rebuild/improvements to your MG C27. Kudos to you for great work - boats are difficult things to build new and much more difficult to deal with once built.

Have you managed to get out sailing with the new mast and have you had a different headsail made or cut to suit the new rig.

The boat must be stiff with the lead keel.

Hi Ceirwan. I forget his name for the moment, could try to find it if you want to know ; but it sounds as if you might have bought a well-known and successful racing 27 from the early days. There's a long test report in one of the magazines which says that this then-famous boat had a replacement heavier fin (sorry, s'not a 'keel' ; pedantic old so-and-so, me !) designed for the owner by Rob Humphreys. Could just be a coincidence though ? Thought I'd pass it on for what it may be worth. Happy experimenting ! Rob.

 

[skipperob]

Hi Ceirwan. I forget his name for the moment, could try to find it if you want to know ; but it sounds as if you might have bought a well-known and successful racing 27 from the early days. There's a long test report in one of the magazines which says that this then-famous boat had a replacement heavier fin (sorry, s'not a 'keel' ; pedantic old so-and-so, me !) designed for the owner by Rob Humphreys. Could just be a coincidence though ? Thought I'd pass it on for what it may be worth. Happy experimenting ! Rob.

Hi, I've just found it, in a PBO report : "Jim MacGregor’s original Flair (many more Flairs followed) swept up much of the silverware in the mid 1980s and also won her CHS (Channel Handicap) class in the 1986 Round the island Race."

 

[E39mad]

Hi, I've just found it, in a PBO report : "Jim MacGregor’s original Flair (many more Flairs followed) swept up much of the silverware in the mid 1980s and also won her CHS (Channel Handicap) class in the 1986 Round the island Race."

I raced once with Jim MacGregor on Flair II an MG 335 that he also used to win many trophies in. He is/was a Poole Harbour Pilot iirc. Flair II is currently up for sale in Weymouth. After MG ownerships he went onto Elans. A very good sailor. "Owl" is another MG C27 that used to do rather well.