Older boats you could win a club event with

[mrming]

Older production boats (90s and before) that (well set up and sailed) you could go out and win your club regatta in. On the general principle of "once a fast boat, always a fast boat", but must be capable of doing the job on handicap.

Here's my list as a starting point. Please argue / add.

Albin Express
Aphrodite 101
Bolero 25
Club / Golden / Silver Shamrock
Contessa 33
Ecume de Mer
Eliminator 32
Evolution 22
Evolution 25
Evolution 26
Dehler 34
Dehler DB2
Dynamo 25
Elan 333
Farr 727
First 24
First 30e
Gib'Sea 312
Grand Soleil 34
H Boat
Hanse 291 / 301
Hunter Delta
Hunter Formula 28
Hunter HB31
Hunter Impala
Hunter Sonata
Hustler SJ30
Hustler SJ32
Hydro 28
International Folkboat
Intro 22
Jeanneau Sun Fast 32i
Jeanneau Symphonie 32
J/24
Laser 28
MGC 27
MG HS30
MG 335
MG RS34
Manzanita
Mumm 30 (Farr 30)
Mustang 30
Sigma 33
Seaquest SJ320
Starflash
Super Seal 26
Trapper 300
Westerly GK24 (fractional, outboard)
Westerly GK34
X-302
X-332

 

[Tomahawk]

Toledo 30..... PS, if you find one called Djin Seng... grab her. she sails like a deamon.

 

[PeteCooper]

Very rare over here but a J30 would fit your list very well.

 

[Seven Spades]

Well the most significant bots you have missed are:-

Swan 38
Sigma 35
Sigma 38
Starlight 39

 

[cmedsailor]

Beneteau First 38

A very strong and very stiff boat.

 

[michael_w]

Mk IV Scampi, a real rating bandit.
J 35, especially a Bashford built one.

Not an X-302 if you plan to sail shorthanded. Not good upwind in waves and terrible cockpit ergonomics.

 

[dunedin]

Kind of depends on what handicap system your club uses. Many average out performances and an old Centaur with baggy sails can win due to previous track record.
Often an old long keeler can be a handicap bandit. So slow that handicap lists as slower than boats massively smaller, then on its good day (windy bashing upwind into waves) it suddenly steals the win by finishing nearly the same time as AWBs the same size.

 

[oldharry]

Trident 24. And before you laugh me out of court, just remember that No 1 (a lift keeler built 1959) won all her races in Club sailing on the Medway a couple of years ago. The Racing Committee tried various ways of handicapping her to give others a chance, but couldnt stop her.

 

[E39mad]

Good list....I would add off the top of my head:

Eygthene 24
First 305, 325, 345, 375, 405, 32s5, 35s5, 42s7, 45f5
First Class 7, 8, 10, 12 First Class Europe
J 39, J 44
Jeanneau Sunshine 38, Sun Legende 41, Selection 37, Sun Fast 42
MG Spring 25
Oyster SJ35
Trapper 28 (400)

 

[johnalison]

Fast old boats I remember include the Spinner and T24, but the chief one was a Jaguar 25. The boat was nothing special but the owner scrubbed her every week.

 

[sniffyjenkins]

Sparkman & Stephens 34!

 

[Delta94]

She 31, Delta 94

 

[Sybarite]

Don't forget the Feeling range.

 

[Quandary]

Toledo 30..... PS, if you find one called Djin Seng... grab her. she sails like a deamon.

Toledo is just a Hydro with a scoop stuck on the back, a friend of mine did his own conversion: the OP seems weak on the S's how could he have missed the Scampi, perhaps he had not been beaten by one out of sight behind him as often as I was.

 

[mrming]

Had a busy day at work there and have been waiting to get a chance to reply. Loads of great suggestions. Fully agreed on the other Sigmas and J boats, and the Toledo is a great shout (think I might have seen one called Sparkle recently?). So many Beneteau Firsts - and if we went newer there would a raft more in the .7 range. From a handicap point let's discount performance handicaps and imagine that something like IRC is more widely adopted. Interesting you should mention the Feelings Sybarite - I have a hankering after some of them (and maybe the Kelt) as a next boat. There's a fairly cruisy 32 in our fleet and it's still pretty rapid.

What do the panel think about the Parker 31 and it's variants? I've always been intrigued but have never seen one racing.

Edit - tell me more about the Scampi - is it true there's a version with a taller rig? I know the short rig one as there is a very fine example for sale in our club, but I thought it looked a bit conservative for racing.

 

[Grumpybear]

Isn't the Sunfast 32i a bit too young?

 

[E39mad]

Don't forget the Feeling range.

Other than the 850 Club they were slow in comparison to their French cousins - at least in the hands of those who raced them in Solent in the late 80's early 90's

 

[weustace]

I think I'll put in a shout for the Achilles 24 (owner here...)

A rather racier owner than I won his class in Falmouth Week, not to mention apparently Best Yacht Overall. ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/100617258@N03/ ).

 

[Robert Wilson]

Van der Stadt Invicta (Used to beat the Javelin - boo hoo- round the cans in The Fal)

As for long-keelers, good old Benbecula won the Manacles Pursuit Race in mid-60s; on handicap. She is 36ft O/A but 21ft W/L :encouragement:
Gaff cutter built in 1897

Now sailing fully restored, under her original name of Myfanwy, around Milford Haven and just cleaned-up every race at the Dun Loaghaire Festival. She even beat Peggy Brawn!

 

[Resolution]

Are there any boats that haven't been mentioned?