New Sunsail Fleet - Solent

[semisimple]

They looked good in their bright colours and as much as other like to criticise Sunsail they must be responsible for introducing many to sailing.

Well exactly - despite what I've just said about them - they're one of the few companies that give boats to fresh day skippers to play in - and pontoon bash - at reasonably prices without much of an excess. On the Sun Odyssey 32's it used to be a £300 excess, and £450 weekend charter.

There are lots of sailors out there who've only managed to build up some experience because of Sunsail so...credit where it's due.

 

[capt_courageous]

Yeah
Like pigs learning how to wear lipstick.

 

[Alfie168]

Yeah
Like pigs learning how to wear lipstick.

No need to throw your fenders out of your cockpit you know..

Tim

 

[GruffT]

3 questions for you F40 charterers...
1) Is it an a-sail boat?
2) Does it have autopilot?
3) Would you race them 2 handed (for practice rather than for winning)

 

[andyo]

a) ?? what's an a-sail boat
b) yes, but we didn't use it
c) yes, but not if you want to use the spinnie.

 

[semisimple]

^

1) Not sure what an a-sail is.
2) It does have an autopilot - didn't get round to trying it. Don't like autopilots anyway.
3) Without a kite just about doable but I don't think I would. With the kite up and 8 people we were feeling the stretch.

 

[flaming]

It's an S sail boat.

 

[GruffT]

Super. Thanks all. A-sail = asymmetric kite in my lingo but as flaming has kindly offered - it's a-less!

Out of interest, any particular reason you wouldn't 2-up with the symmetric kite?
(other than usual short handed issues)

 

[flaming]

Haven't sailed the new ones yet, but have heard lots of reports from those that have and there should be no specific reason why you shouldn't fly the kite 2 up on these boats if you're used to doing that.

 

[minkysailing]

The Sunsail F40's are derived from the standard First 40, but with toned down rig and apprently beefed up else where. That said the general feedback so far is they will not last as long as the 38's and they appear to have focussed their usage to the corporate racing lot. Not sure how a young family or Day Skipper course are going to respond to a knackered F40 race boat, maintained by unskilled shore crew..!!! If you ask me not exactly going to benefit the Beneteau name after 3/4 years of use...

 

[flaming]

Not sure how a young family or Day Skipper course are going to respond to a knackered F40 race boat

Which is a large part of why they have kept a number of the 37s I believe.

 

[Talulah]

Which is a large part of why they have kept a number of the 37s I believe.

Could be they don't want to flood the market. Not many buyers of old JO 37's.

 

[semisimple]

Out of interest, any particular reason you wouldn't 2-up with the symmetric kite?
(other than usual short handed issues)

Nothing in particular other than that it's a very large spinnaker (seemed much larger than the 37's, I was packing it - tiring work).

Piano had their hand full all the time which leaves one person to trim the sheet and the guy and helm. But if you're used to doing it suppose it's not an issue.

Not sure how a young family or Day Skipper course are going to respond to a knackered F40 race boat, maintained by unskilled shore crew..!!! If you ask me not exactly going to benefit the Beneteau name after 3/4 years of use...

That's the thing that worries me, they're brilliant - for now, but give it a while and I don't think they're as robust as the 37's. I definitely don't like the lack of redundancy and the over reliance on battery power. I've had batteries and engine die on me in a 37.

 

[GruffT]

Piano had their hand full all the time

Thanks for the comments chaps. By Piano do you mean pit?

 

[semisimple]

^You're welcome...

I'm not much of a racer, but yes I think so...! Manning the clutches, spinnaker halyards, pole up/down etc.

 

[Bajansailor]

Re the old Sunfast 37s; two pals of mine have recently each bought one, and they seem to be very happy with them.
I am in receipt of a copy of a fairly comprehensive (20 pages) survey report on one of them, and the general consensus at the end of the report was that the boat had been looked after pretty well, despite having a hard life, with only a few relatively minor defects that needed attention.

 

[Alfie168]

Re the old Sunfast 37s; two pals of mine have recently each bought one, and they seem to be very happy with them.
I am in receipt of a copy of a fairly comprehensive (20 pages) survey report on one of them, and the general consensus at the end of the report was that the boat had been looked after pretty well, despite having a hard life, with only a few relatively minor defects that needed attention.

Having sailed in eight different ones in the fleet over the years, I'd say that was a pretty fair summary of what I thought of them too.

Tim

 

[Talulah]

Image of the new Sunsail First 40

Notice the location of the mainsheet. In front of the wheel. Common for a racer but is it suitable for a charterer? There was a incident on board one of them this weekend where the main sheet pushed the casualty over who ended up head butting a winch requiring stitches.