Horses for courses

[Danny Jo]

I suppose this is a variant of the "big boat/small boat" thread, so don't bother with it if you're not interested in the damage done to the AWB's sailing ability by the market-driven expansion in accommodation for any given boat length.

Freestyle (38ft) has just returned from a very pleasant week sailing in company on the East coast of Ireland. Eight other boats took part, all in the LOA range 34-40ft, including two very smart Bav 38s. The accommodation in all the other boats made Freestyle's look positively poky (pics below) - and one even boasted slots for 3 dozen bottles of wine. I enjoyed some generous hospitality on the other boats, but was somewhat limited in my ability to return it.

However, I only needed to put to sea to be reminded why I had bought Freestyle. Close hauled, we were able to enjoy the spectacle of the rest of the fleet sailing in a neat line 5 degrees or so to leeward of us. On a run out of Dun Laoghaire, with genny poled out we caught up with and overtook a Bav 38 that had left 20 minutes earlier, and in less than 2 hours her sail was barely visible on the horizon (the Bav had no pole and no preventers). To be fair, the Bav was carrying a lot of weed, but it seems that the same mind set that makes it important to have a lot of accommodation also makes it more important to have a clean saloon than a clean bottom.

(For the record, ahem, we clocked 11.1 knots over the ground, averaged over about 5 minutes between Carmel Head and Middle Mouse, although I have to admit that I was running the engine to get us through the overfalls quicker).

Freestyle's secret weapon

 

[jamesjermain]

Be fair, Freestyle, Fondue was designed as a very fast cruiser for long offshore passages so I'm not the least surprised you showed a clean pair of heels to a couple of Bavaria 38s and other assorted 30-something cruisers.

I didn't think the accommodation on Freestyle/Fondue was too bad when I sailed her shortly after launch and I can certainly understand your delight at her sailing performance. I'm trying to remember the name of the first owners - Howard Letts?

 

[Heigaro]

Was the first pic a boat jumble, by any chance???

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bajansailor]

I think that the accomodation on Freestyle really looks the business, and I remember admiring her as Fondue in the initial press reports (probably authored by JJ!).
Is the engine under the centreline island? Excellent place to have an engine, far better than under the companionway, with associated problems of very restricted access.
Could you please post a photo of your chart table, looking to starboard from the galley? I am looking for ideas re modifying ours, and it is also aligned the same way.
Another photo of the galley arrangement, eg taken from the chart table would be nice as well - am looking for ideas there too.

 

[Danny Jo]

Apologies for the delay in reply - I was attending the funeral of the first (and only) female commodore of the Royal Welsh. (There I learned that in addition to being a formidable sailor she had served just under 40 years in the RNVR.)

JJ - agreed, I'm not being fair - Freestyle/Fondue is not in the same class. Her first owner was Howard Letty. In a roundabout way it was thanks to your report in YM that I came to own her. The report was read by a couple looking for such a boat, who then commissioned the building of her sister, Sparkle (II or III?). At a visit to the Southampton boat show about 8 years ago, I telephoned Warwick Collins, the designer to invite myself over to Lymington for a drink. His response was "One of my boats is in Lymington - fancy a sail?" They let me helm Sparkle back from Cowes to Lymington in Westerly winds. With two reefs in the main, we were keeping up with two yachts racing each other, but they were making much more leeway than we were. Her other party tricks were demonstrated (no pitching in a chop, and turning on a sixpence), so I was confident enough of her sisters performance to do without a "sea trial" when I bought Freestyle. Needless to say, an original of the YM article has pride of place on board.

You might call me a smug git. I call myself a proud carer (I expect Freestyle to be sailing long after my own last journey into the sunset).

 

[Danny Jo]

[ QUOTE ]
I think that the accommodation on Freestyle really looks the business

[/ QUOTE ] I took a day off work and a very early train to go and view her. Any remaining doubts I had were settled the moment I took the washboards out and looked at the accommodation - she fitted my idea of the right layout for a cruiser perfectly.

The engine is under the centre island. This gives something for the cook to wedge his or her bum against. Ditto the navigator. The disadvantage is that when I am working at the navigation table, I have to stand up to let anybody pass.

Picture of nav table as requested. The VHF has been fixed too low down and needs repositioning.

The broker said that the first thing he would do would be to replace the stove with one with self-extinguishing burners. I followed his advice.

This one shows the hull from the inside. Moulded mahogany frames, 12 mm cedar strip, 3 layers mahogany 3 mm strip, and an outer sheath of glass epoxy - no wonder the builder lost money on the contract.

 

[Bajansailor]

Excellent photos, thank you!
She does have a very nice layout - I especially like your galley arrangement.
And I think I prefer chart tables aligned so that the user is facing outboard like yours (rather than fore or aft), although I can see pros and cons of both designs.

 

[contessa26]

Great pics... good layout - and on the chart table: Sound of Jura (Southern Part), Islay etc, and whale/dolphin ID chart! Great!

 

[Danny Jo]

We saw dolphins almost every day, endless seals, the odd otter, and a great variety of sea birds. Couldn't match last year's tally of a basking shark, though.