How fast can a Dufour sailboat go?

[Ripster]

I saw 10.2kn SOG once coming past the Needles on the Easterly stream - does that count?

 

[flaming]

Actually - this was a Dufour 40.

And this is an Elan 40 doing circa 16-17...

 

[Salty John]

Other boats we passed, like a Nicholson 43 that started 15 minutes ahead of us, estimated we were averaging between 14 and 16 knots.

Wow, in a Nich 30! I couldn't have done that in my Troll 45.

 

[Concerto]

That sail in the Nich 30 was a ride I will never forget. It could be considered my downhill slide of all time.

Another race I will never forget was during Burnham Week on the same boat. The wind was northerly, making it a close reach out of the Crouch and a close reach back. We were the only yacht with a star cut spinnaker and used it both ways. Richard Matthews, of Oyster fame, was sailing a UFO 34 with a professional crew, where as we were a family. When we had finished and sailed by him on his mooring, he lined his crew up on deck to applaude us. It cost him a star cut from Hoods - delivered in 3 days! The only problem we had was the following day the mast folded in about 16 knots of wind due to a manufacturing fault!

So the Nich 30 was a quick boat in its day, in almost all weathers.

Oh those were the days.

 

[Daydream believer]

I got 16 knots out of a sunsail 36 a couple of years back. You really wouldn't want to maintain those speeds for more than a few seconds.

Yes I would !!!!! yippee!!! Bring it on
Oh hang on !! - who's paying the bills??
perhaps not!!!

 

[han34]

One good thing with AIS, you can see how fast boats are actually going, Marine Traffic shows average and max. Interesting for Cowes week, as a number of the racers have it. Make an allowance for the tide. Marine Traffic shows current wind speed as well.

 

[st599]

Had 14knots on a Dufour 40 entering Cork harbour in 37 it's breeze.

Full main and GiB were a good idea that day

 

[Twister_Ken]

Max STW for a trip, mostly a broad reach in an F6. Arcona 340…

 

[30boat]

Max STW for a trip, mostly a broad reach in an F6. Arcona 340…

That's nothing I regularly get 14,5 knots on my Fulmar beating to windward in a force 4 and that's before I clean the bottom!!

 

[Bobc]

I got an average 20.4kts over 1Km in a 12ft long dinghy. Does that count?

 

[Daydream believer]

I got an average 20.4kts over 1Km in a 12ft long dinghy. Does that count?

If we are going down that route then try 28 Kts in a sailboard over 1.3 miles
& most of the old sailboarders in our club would thrash the rescue boat which could just about do 25 Kts in a good breeze

 

[charles_reed]

Absolutely right - I once did a passage of 93nm under sail at a mean of 11.3 knots, on a 29'10" LWL, but it was very damp, almost continual surfing and involved getting 3 springs tidal gates just right.

 

[Quandary]

Should this thread not be in the Lounge?

 

[Daydream believer]

Should this thread not be in the Lounge?

Too fast for the old duffers

 

[Seven Spades]

The real test is to look at the stats of the Round the Island race. Each year they publish a spreadsheet of all the boats with both elapsed and corrected times. Just sort the sheets by elapsed times and then scans down the boats, exclude the out and out racers and look for the fastest boats with any kind of cruising credentials. You can download several years worth. This is a really good database because it includes all points of sail and sea states etc. All this talk of 16-8knts is rubbish in a displacement yacht, these speeds can only be achieved by surfing and that is not a good gage of real performance.

 

[Lakesailor]

Should this thread not be in the Lounge?

On what basis? That it's a pissing contest?

 

[Twister_Ken]

That's nothing I regularly get 14,5 knots on my Fulmar beating to windward in a force 4 and that's before I clean the bottom!!

Congratulations

 

[30boat]

Congratulations

Thanks.I deserve them...

 

[Quandary]

On what basis? That it's a pissing contest?

No, I thought that was where the 'fiction' section was located!

 

[Birdseye]

Someone I met last week says he has a 45 foot Dufour sailboat boat and reckons he can achieve 18 knots with a good wind! I found this hard to believe as I thought only racing yachts can go this fast!
is it possible?

He might just achieve that momentarily surfing down a big wave with a strong wind up the chuff. I managed 15.4 on the dial once in my 36 footer with a 25kn true breeze, full main full genny all strapped down going downwind with biggish rollers under us. The bow wave was above the guard rails. It was a complete cock up, a situation that had gradually developed and resulted in a pretty rapid reefing session.

On the other hand he might well achieve that speed on the back of a low loader.