Legend 27 - Advice of Legends in general required!

scottb34300

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Hi All,

I am looking at buying a Legend (hunter in US) 27, well infact have put down a boat show deposit. Now I'm being told by some that they like Legends and some who say they don't. Can I have some opinions? I'm planning on doing river/eastury sailing with the VERY occasional trip accross to the contient. I'm based on the medway, and sail mostly up the East Coast and round to Ramsgate.

Mostly peoples concnerns are for the lack of a backstay, however, could I not put one on if it proves to be a problem? - just like any other boat.

What are your views for the suitability of this boat and Legend yachts in general?

Personal experiences with Legends would be appreciated. Any advice would be a help.

Many thanks,
 

tyce

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i dont own one, but have been on one, ideal for what you want it for, not blue water cruisers obviously, forget about backstay failure probs the rig is now well tested it just affects performance down wind a bit as spreaders are well raked.
any body who has a bad opinion ignore them and enjoy the boat i know you will.
 

FullCircle

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Ignore all the doomsayers, sail it as you would have done your Prospect, just in more comfort and further. I had an Evolution 25 which the wizened old baskets all predicted would founder in F3. No, actually it meant I just arrived a lot quicker than them, and a lot dryer.
Enjoy, enjoy.
I didn't bother putting myself through this torment, especially AFTER I'd laid the deposit for my new one (here in 2 weeks). The new one will undoubedly founder in an F3 too, so I look forward to taking it everywhere.
Good Luck, will look out for the dangerously unstable non-backstayed boat in trouble in the Medway.
 

shamrock

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Those that are concerned about the lack of a backstay are missing the point that the Bergstrom rig (which is used on the Legends) has been around for years and years, and is well proven. In addition, I think almost all the Open 60's currently going around the world us this or a variant - so a backstayless rig is not a problem in terms of security.

You'll have trouble rigging a backstay because the whole point is to allow a large, powerful roach on the mainsail, and you won't get that past a fixed backstay. But you won't need one.

Legends have other problems (tubby, high windage makes close quarters manouvering a learned skill, etc, etc.) but these stem from the compromises between 'at sea' and 'in marina' The rig is not one of them.

Enjoy your purchase, most legend owners I've met have been delighted with them.
 

Vara

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I've only sailed a new Hunter (ie without backstay) once in a wind about F4.
I didnt have any problems with it's rig or performance it sailed well was quite quick and behaved well.
It's only limitation is that the downstairs lay out is not conducive to long passages,it would be quite difficult to cook or sleep while on long passages,however tied up to a pontoon it was a very comfy boat.
So IMO it fits your requirements very well.
 

Birdseye

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Not keen and nothing to do with the rig. Talk to a few brokers about what they are like to sell second hand.

Mind you, if you want a bilge keeler, what other choice do you have?
 

AndrewB

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It isn't just the lack of backstay, there have been a number of concerns over the years in the US with the build quality of Hunter/Legends, particularly regarding the hull-deck bond, keel joint and rudder strength. An internet search will throw up a number of photographs illustrating problems of this sort. Nevertheless, there are many hundreds of these yachts around, and with a yacht built right down to price, problems with a few can perhaps be expected if they are pushed very hard or misused. I'd think it would be fine for the type of use you describe. My own experience with a chartered Hunter 310 was that it sailed beautifully in light to moderate winds on sheltered waters, but was a bit of a handful in strong winds on open seas. As Colmce says, a very comfy boat for living, in a marina or anchorage.

Forget adding a backstay. You could not do this without a major reorganisation to the entire rig. The objection to the Bergstrom-Ridder rig is not that it doesn't support the mast adequately, but that (a) it lacks some of the mast bend control a racer might like and (b) prevents the main being sheeted out quite as far as might be desirable on a run.
 

dulcibella

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On the only one I've sailed (a 33, I think) the rig is a real pain. The heavily swept spreaders and aft shrouds prevent the (huge) main from being eased enough in a strong wind aft of the beam, and the tiny fractional headsail just makes things worse. In a 7-8 with 3 reefs in the main it was impossible to prevent the boat from luffing right up, so we were heading for France instead of Brighton until we dumped the main and regained control. Not a serious cruising boat. Putting in a backstay wouldn't help unless you altered all the other standing rigging to give yourself a conventional fractional rig. Better to buy a sensibly designed boat in the first place, in my view.
 

billmacfarlane

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For whay you want to do the boat sounds all right, though as with any boat it has its limitations and compromises. The Legend compromises sailing performance and good manners for accommodation. There can't be many other 27' boats that have such accommodation. The rig is set up without a backstay but the mast is well supportrd though as Andrew has said that comes with its own limitations. Enjoy !!!!
 

BlueMan

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Scott, have a look at Hunter (Legend) owners web site. There are hundreds of US (and UK) owners who can fill you in on their general merits.

As an ex-owner I would advise you to look carefully at how they are put together. My new purchase experience (nearly 7 years ago now) was somewhat fraught with many stupid defects that were built in at the factory (Florida as it was before the UK factory opened), and it had to be peeled and epoxied under warranty at 4 yrs old due to osmosis, but that was done under warranty. You might find that older boats are in somewhat better condition (the silly problems having been sorted) than new ones IF they still build them like mine!! Obviously that doesn't help you if you are interested in the new 27.

I have to say that personally I didn't think much of the layout when I looked at the 27 at the Southampton show last year. It felt very cramped down below and I was judging against my 240 (24ft). I didn't look at the build quality as I wasn't interested in buying one (once bitten....).

I wouldn't say don't buy one, I would just say look carefully and understand what you are buying.

Good Luck.
 

Mike21

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Have a friend who has a Legend 38, which he's taken down the med himself.
As far as I know he had no problems with higher wind speeds, and he spends a lot of time living on board with his wife and family.

There was a post on scuttlebutt re legends at the tail end of last year with a very informative post re the rig

see here
 
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