MBM 'Race'

[goochie]

MBM \'Race\'

Further to comments below concerning typos etc in this months mag, I would just like to say that I enjoyed the issue quite a lot. Some good features etc. My one main comment would be concerning the 'race' between the Nordhavn and the Beneteau. I have to say that one or other of the mags rather spoilt the feature by choosing the wrong boat. I don't know who chose first, but the boats in question are clearly mismatched given the prevailing conditions for the trip.

The Nordhavn is a purpose built heavy weather boat, designed for just those kind of voyages, the Beneteau is not. It's a weekend/fair weather/coastal type cruiser. Whilst obviously it's capable of such a passage, it's not good for the crew - as the lovely Claire found out.

Surely a better match for the Nordhavn would have been a Scandi built bluewater cruiser with a narrower deeper hull and a longer keel with a proper skeg hung rudder - something like a Hallberg Rassy or a Najad. And if the silyboat types chose first, a much better match for the Beneteau would have been something like a Bavaria 39/42, or even a Sealine S42.

What do the panel think?

 

[neale]

Re: MBM \'Race\'

It wouldn't have been much of a race with a Bavaria or Sealine MoBo /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Pendana]

Re: MBM \'Race\'

Yeah, I enjoyed that article but as you say, a bit of a mismatch between boats. The Nordhavn definitely had the edge.
Certainly not the conditions I would like to go to sea in - particularly on the return leg when one of the YM crew opted to go back in the Nordhavn. 10/10 for Claire sticking to the Beneteau.

Eddie

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: MBM \'Race\'

I think the purpose of the test was to compare the time for the crossing between a displacement mobo and a yacht not how comfortable each boat was. The Beneteau has a theoretical top speed similar to the Nordhavn so, in this respect, it was a fair comparison. Basically it confirmed what we already know in that a typical sailing boat is too dependent on the strength and direction of the wind to compete on passage times with even the slowest of mobos. What I did find surprising was the comments regarding the seakindliness of the Beneteau. I think it's accepted wisdom in the yotting world that any yacht, whatever it is, is a better sea boat then any mobo. Sounds like that's not true

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Re: MBM \'Race\'

I was a bit surprised at that decision - knowing that one of crew (Claire) was almost certainly going to be hors de combat that left just two crew (in a boat that had made heavy weather of the crossing on the way out) going across the channel and it's busy shipping routes in foul weather that was forecast to worsen.

The other surprise for me was how uncomfortable they found the Nordhaven. It would have been interesting to see a blue-water yacht (HR, Bowman, etc.) make the trip and compare that to the Beneteau, also maybe a Botnia or a Nelson and see how they fared.

As Deleted User says, the sea-kindliness (or lack) was more interesting than the time taken.

 

[goochie]

Re: MBM \'Race\'

Yep, that's kind of what I wa sgetting at.