MacGregor 26 in a Fresh Gale

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doug748

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The nearby thread put this into my mind it's been posted before but some time ago.
I really, really don't want to provoke comments about the MacGregor itself but what do people think about the strength of the wind here?

The commentator says fresh gale, touching severe gale:


My view is 20 - 25 kts tops and it's a sad attempt to mislead.
 
doug748 said:
The nearby thread put this into my mind it's been posted before but some time ago.
I really, really don't want to provoke comments about the MacGregor itself but what do people think about the strength of the wind here?

The commentator says fresh gale, touching severe gale:


My view is 20 - 25 kts tops and it's a sad attempt to mislead.
Click to expand...

IMO the tops of the waves aren't being swept off so wind no more than gale force, if that.
 
The crests of the waves are mostly solid. In F8-9 they'd be being ripped off into feathers. The wave height is also a function of fetch, and we just don't know from info given, so wave height isn't a good predictor of windspeed. The wee Macgregor doesn't appear to have a reefed main, and still has a jib up, though it might be furled a little? (hard to see). I very much doubt the quoted windspeed, and the quoted wave height as 18 ft? Looks more like about 2m max (what's that in American units? 18ft?)
 
As a photographer I am very aware the camera lens usually gives a very flattening look to seas no matter what tricks one tries, so those ARE big waves.

However I'm guessing swell from a big wind somewhere else, previous gale or local effect etc; all the above comments seem spot on to me.
 
I would echo the previous comments on wind strength; nothing more than you would expect with a F6/7 and the waveform is not particularly frightening. Anyway, as an aside, are parts of the California coast quite protected from North Westerly Winds (do they mention Santa Barbara)?

It would be interesting to see how the MacGregor fares with tidal rips or overfalls with a F4 in the wrong direction! I have always thought that it's not the wind strength but the waveform that you need to worry about; wind strength to wave force is like comparing verbal abuse to gbh.
 
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Absolutely, let's see it punching into a Solent chop F6, no need for wild claims of ' severe gale ' as given in the ad'.

There are two Macgregors at my club, they skate about on their moorings unlike any other boat - yes I know about the water ballast but even allowing for that...
 
I was sailing in southern California and northern Mexico in April 2009. Looking back at my logbook, there was a strong gusty NW wind on 14th-15th, probably F8 at times with squally rain and poor visibility. We stayed put. However the 16th - when they say the video was made - was much lighter: I have F5 throughout, and seas not noteworthy. Certainly nothing like the nasty cross-swells of the Pacific coast north of Cape Mendocino.
 
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Seajet said:
As a photographer I am very aware the camera lens usually gives a very flattening look to seas no matter what tricks one tries, so those ARE big waves.

However I'm guessing swell from a big wind somewhere else, previous gale or local effect etc; all the above comments seem spot on to me.
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Yes. The absence of even small breaking crests, much less wave-tops torn off, suggests those are 'old' waves...not old enough to be swell, but certainly not created by local conditions at the time of filming. F5, max. Lovely day for a sail (another smudger writes).
 
Big long range ocean swell and F4 max IMHO. No white horses at all. If wind speed was 50knots the surface of the sea would be ripped off.
 
When I was looking for a small under 30footer Many people seemed quite happy to say they had been out in aForce 7 full sail,many people mistake a good force four for a gale!
 
jimi said:
Big long range ocean swell and F4 max IMHO. No white horses at all. If wind speed was 50knots the surface of the sea would be ripped off.
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F4? 11-16kts? You're kidding me.

We cross the channel last week in consistent 35kts with gusts in the high 40s and for a while the sea state wasn't actually that wild when the tide was with the wind. This video is difficult to say but it could easily be 30-35. Certainly not 50 but certainly not 15 either.
 
Big swell coming in from somewhere, but not much wind really.
I have a water ballasted 26 ft yacht which is not a McGregor but probably comparable in stability though a far better sailor.
A McGregor joined our trailer yacht racing one time. After being lapped by every boat in the fleet, he didn't show up again.
Shame really as he probably paid twice as much for his boat as the rest of us.
My boat is tender and at 20 knots i am pulling down a reef, and at 25 I am down to 2 reefs no jib. (She sails quite well at that thanks.)
I know that at 50 knots both my boat and a mcgregor would be laid absolutely flat even with no sails up.
Had recent experience of that where gusts came literally screaming down hillsides and hit us like a train!
As said at 50 knots, the tops are being blown off....
 
northcave said:
F4? 11-16kts? You're kidding me.

We cross the channel last week in consistent 35kts with gusts in the high 40s and for a while the sea state wasn't actually that wild when the tide was with the wind. This video is difficult to say but it could easily be 30-35. Certainly not 50 but certainly not 15 either.
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No, from the lack of white caps, that is F5 tops.
 
Wansworth said:
When I was looking for a small under 30footer Many people seemed quite happy to say they had been out in aForce 7 full sail,many people mistake a good force four for a gale!
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That's why I like my wind instruments. I know the speed and direction and with the new ones the true# speed / direction.

# I know they aren't a 100% for a variety of reasons ......
 
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