Favourite boats I haven't tried

I think there were only 8 F46's built in the late 1970's and one built in 1996 (which mysteriously caught fire). There were about 140 F37's built.

I'd heard the moulds were in Sri Lanka but not seen any finished boats to date.
 
There aren't many good photos of the big Nicholson under sail - do you have any?

Well, you did ask...

The only ones of Kukri in my ownership are taken from on board or from too far away; this one was taken when she was owned by the JSASTC, shows the #2 jib and working staysail with the second reef down:

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Here is a nice one of Lord Portal; she lives on the Hamble, modelling the #1 jib:
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Here is Eager ex Lutine, when she was Lutine; showing the #1 genoa (rugger scrum size gorillas advised):

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And as she is now, carbon mast 15ft taller and kept immaculate; she lives in Lymington, and no she isn’t for sale that’s a broker’s photo:
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And we had better have the Aussie one, Pacha, one time Sydney Hobart winner; she’s alloy and has shallower bilges:
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And we must have Quailo III ex British Soldier ex Broadsword ex Quailo III; she also lives on the Hamble:

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and Quailo III again, showing the big spinnaker (spare gorillas and expert foredeck strongly advised):
 

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Amazing photos of the Nicholsons! ?

Regarding the F46, I never realised the 'new' 1996 boat had caught fire. Was it a write-off? I remember the YM or PBO article about it.

Pretty sure that was the edition which had the VHF tutorial attached to the cover - an audio cassette. Time flies by. ?
 
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Helmsman’s eye view of Kukri under way. That coffee mug was leading a charmed life.

And for completeness here is Chaser entering Plymouth with my son Charles at the helm of a big boat for the first time:06E2F0B8-6ED3-4722-8AD3-F535D68D25D8.jpeg

and a harbour porpoise:
 

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I am lucky to have owned and sailed both my dream ships. I’ve got the second one now.

So by the terms of the OP I cannot comment...

Oh, what the heck - we spent a few days in the Hamble next to a Swan 65 - maintenance somewhere in the Playboy Playmate of the Month league but - phoaarr!

Can confirm that phoaarr is the right description for the way a Swan 65 sails. That said the Nic 55 is not far behind that!

Yoda
 
How often do the dorado vents get grabbed getting in and out of cockpit?

Never. The photos foreshorten what Maurice Griffiths used to call the “loco cab” - the overhang of the coach roof to shelter the forward end of the cockpit. They are well out of reach.

They also send down a Howling Draft!?
 
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Back down to earth...
I'd love to get a wee spin in a Hunter 19. When I first got in to sailing I was convinced that I was going to end up with one as my first boat (I ended up with a Wayfarer instead!). So it's a case of unfinished business. They look like a lot of fun for very little money.
 
The Ajax (23ft keelboat) came first, then the Squib (19ft keelboat) then someone (Peter Poland of Hunter Boats I believe) asked Oliver Lee for ‘a Squib with a lid’ to go JOG racing in, and that begat the Hunter 19, and then people asked for a better cabin and that begat the Hunter Europa.

The hull is the same I think but the 19 and the Europa have a mast head rig. All three of them are an absolute joy to sail.

I can confirm that they are a lot of fun for very little money.
 
The Ajax (23ft keelboat) came first, then the Squib (19ft keelboat) then someone (Peter Poland of Hunter Boats I believe) asked Oliver Lee for ‘a Squib with a lid’ to go JOG racing in, and that begat the Hunter 19, and then people asked for a better cabin and that begat the Hunter Europa.

The hull is the same I think but the 19 and the Europa have a mast head rig. All three of them are an absolute joy to sail.

I can confirm that they are a lot of fun for very little money.

And .... sorry to keep banging on about it ... the 490 was designed as a little sister to the 19/Europa. Very similar design and a lifting keel mechanism identical to the Anderson 22 which Oliver Lee designed the following year. Like his other boats, the 490 is a delight to sail, although the cabin is a tad cramped.

I've heard that the 19 -> Europa change wasn't only driven by comfort. The 19 has a low freeboard and companionway which was thought to make it vulnerable if blown over, so the Europa has both more freeboard and a higher bridgedeck to make it more seaworthy. When David Blagson sailed "Willing Griffin" in the 1972 OSTAR, Oliver Lee made all sorts of modifications (keeping the basic shape and rig) to make her more seaworthy. Which reminds me ... I have a spare copy of his book about it, "Very Willing Griffon".
 
I can't remember if you've sat in the cabin of an Achilles 24, Mr Duck.

If you have, I'd be interested to know how much bigger the Hunter's cabin isn't.

That's a serious enquiry. ?
 
I can't remember if you've sat in the cabin of an Achilles 24, Mr Duck.

If you have, I'd be interested to know how much bigger the Hunter's cabin isn't.

That's a serious enquiry. ?
I've never been on an Achilles 24, but if this is an accurate depiction

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then you would get Hunter 490 headroom by removing entirely the wooden layer ...
 
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