do tired old racing style cruisers make sense?

[dgadee]

Nothing much else gives you the performance of a UFO34 at the price. Fast to windward, not slow offwind but handling gets a bit dubious if driven really hard offwind, but reduce sail and you'll still be going fast enough but under control. Tiller steering is fine on a UFO - personally I'd prefer that to a wheel on a UFO34. Fine ends but big beam so quite a lot of space below anyway.

The even better boat from the same era is the She 36 - but too many people know just how exceptionally good they are so prices are high.

An owner put me off looking at UFO 34's due to being very frisky downwind (that stern!). How did you find it? Nice looking boat I always thought.

 

[Beneteau381]

An owner put me off looking at UFO 34's due to being very frisky downwind (that stern!). How did you find it? Nice looking boat I always thought.

I got myself in trouble a few months back by attempting to find out the worth of a Sigma 41 for a friend who was poorly woorly. It ended up going for €28k and is now rejuvinated as an Airbnb (allegedly) down the pontoon from me. The yearly regatta was pwrformed again last weekend which prompted a lift and a scrub of its botty. A big incentive was the prizes, Classic 1st €1250 2nd €500 3rd €250 She performed admirably and came in 3rd. There was a gamg of aging hairy Spannish gorillas on board!

 

[jwilson]

An owner put me off looking at UFO 34's due to being very frisky downwind (that stern!). How did you find it? Nice looking boat I always thought.

In any normal sailing weather a UFO34 handles fine downwind as long as you are not driving it too hard - ie big spinnaker in a lot of wind. I have however inverted one whilst running downwind under bare poles in very big seas and a lot of wind - maybe F9-10. A UFO34 rights fast. The cure was putting up a storm jib and getting the bows into the breakers. Despite this I still think they make a very good fast cruiser.