Sunfast 37

ckris said:
Also worth noting that a Sunfast 37 finished 2nd in IRC 4 class in the Fastnet a few weeks ago, it was being sailed very well but shows the boat is more capable in sometimes windy conditions than I would have given it credit for.
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Yes... But....
There was a big light wind area towards the finish for the smaller boats which resulted in a big fleet compression, which favoured the lower rated boats in the leading pack. It's no coincidence that the top 4 in that fleet were the lowest rated in the top 20....

Don't let that take away from the superb job the crew did, but it doesn't make the Sunfast a better proposition for most races than the JPKs, Sunfast 3200 etc that made up the bulk of that fleet.
 
flaming said:
Yes... But....
There was a big light wind area towards the finish for the smaller boats which resulted in a big fleet compression, which favoured the lower rated boats in the leading pack. It's no coincidence that the top 4 in that fleet were the lowest rated in the top 20....

Don't let that take away from the superb job the crew did, but it doesn't make the Sunfast a better proposition for most races than the JPKs, Sunfast 3200 etc that made up the bulk of that fleet.
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See below a link to a report on the performance of the SF37 in question. It should also be noted that the Irish National SC's other boat is also a SF37, called Sherkin 2, on which I had the pleasure of sailing when she belonged to Glenans Irish Sailing Club . She gave the impression of being a tough, safe vessel which could put up very respectable passage times. Her accomodation offered a reasonable level of comfort for the usual complement of six to be found on sailing school boats, and her galley was very usable in a seaway.
The Crew of Desert Star are Afloat.ie "Sailors of the Month (Offshore)" for August
 
flaming said:
Yes... But....
There was a big light wind area towards the finish for the smaller boats which resulted in a big fleet compression, which favoured the lower rated boats in the leading pack. It's no coincidence that the top 4 in that fleet were the lowest rated in the top 20....

Don't let that take away from the superb job the crew did, but it doesn't make the Sunfast a better proposition for most races than the JPKs, Sunfast 3200 etc that made up the bulk of that fleet.
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Sure but I think the original post and my interest was really for cruising. I would eventually like a cruising boat that I could (in my dreams as I can't afford racing sails) race very occasionally. I actually looked at a SF37 about 10 years ago which had just returned from the Caribbean apparently without killing her owners. So I know you favour the Elan 37 but you also said less space! And also I am a pauper and the SF37s are almost affordable for me! Actually at risk of thread drift seeing as you are the Elan 37 expert would you buy one for cruising?
 
roblpm said:
Sure but I think the original post and my interest was really for cruising. I would eventually like a cruising boat that I could (in my dreams as I can't afford racing sails) race very occasionally. I actually looked at a SF37 about 10 years ago which had just returned from the Caribbean apparently without killing her owners. So I know you favour the Elan 37 but you also said less space! And also I am a pauper and the SF37s are almost affordable for me! Actually at risk of thread drift seeing as you are the Elan 37 expert would you buy one for cruising?
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Depends... What sort of cruising and where?
For a couple with occasional guests who are both keen sailors, sailing somewhere like the med with plenty of depth... Sure, it's a great boat and very rewarding to sail, especially upwind.
For a family, sailing in the UK? Probably not. Space is a bit limited for a 37 footer these days and you really need the deep keel to get the most out of the sailing experience. I think you could get a lot more accommodation for only a small reduction in the sailing enjoyment. SF37 is an example...
Also - and this is a personal thing - the best point of sailing on that boat was upwind. Such an upwind weapon. But if I was after a family cruiser I'm not sure I'd want something that is the most fun to sail upwind... I'd rather have something that's great off the wind. Which is where I think the newer performance Elans, with their big wide sterns, really have the edge. Plenty of off wind performance and loads of accommodation. Only drawback is the windward performance, but even then it's not terrible, it's just not as good as arguably one of the best upwind cruiser racers ever made.
 
flaming said:
Depends... What sort of cruising and where?
For a couple with occasional guests who are both keen sailors, sailing somewhere like the med with plenty of depth... Sure, it's a great boat and very rewarding to sail, especially upwind.
For a family, sailing in the UK? Probably not. Space is a bit limited for a 37 footer these days and you really need the deep keel to get the most out of the sailing experience. I think you could get a lot more accommodation for only a small reduction in the sailing enjoyment. SF37 is an example...
Also - and this is a personal thing - the best point of sailing on that boat was upwind. Such an upwind weapon. But if I was after a family cruiser I'm not sure I'd want something that is the most fun to sail upwind... I'd rather have something that's great off the wind. Which is where I think the newer performance Elans, with their big wide sterns, really have the edge. Plenty of off wind performance and loads of accommodation. Only drawback is the windward performance, but even then it's not terrible, it's just not as good as arguably one of the best upwind cruiser racers ever made.
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IMHO good upwind performance is a very desirable attribute in the interests of safety. Consider the number of square-rigged ships wrecked around the British Isles over the last few centuries due the their lack of upwind ability.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
IMHO good upwind performance is a very desirable attribute in the interests of safety. Consider the number of square-rigged ships wrecked around the British Isles over the last few centuries due the their lack of upwind ability.
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To be honest a Westerly Centaur is a better upwind boat than a square rigger....

In this context, when we talk about good upwind boats, and bad upwind boats, we're still talking about the bad boats tacking through a smidge under 90 degrees and (in 37ish foot size) doing 6.5 knots upwind. It's just that the good ones are doing 7.3 and tacking through about 80....
 
flaming said:
To be honest a Westerly Centaur is a better upwind boat than a square rigger....

In this context, when we talk about good upwind boats, and bad upwind boats, we're still talking about the bad boats tacking through a smidge under 90 degrees and (in 37ish foot size) doing 6.5 knots upwind. It's just that the good ones are doing 7.3 and tacking through about 80....
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I was actually reducing it"ad absurdum", but a good upwind boat does sometimes make it easier to get into shelter before the bad weather arrives,or getting reaching the pub or chippie before they close!
 
flaming said:
Depends... What sort of cruising and where?
For a couple with occasional guests who are both keen sailors, sailing somewhere like the med with plenty of depth... Sure, it's a great boat and very rewarding to sail, especially upwind.
For a family, sailing in the UK? Probably not. Space is a bit limited for a 37 footer these days and you really need the deep keel to get the most out of the sailing experience. I think you could get a lot more accommodation for only a small reduction in the sailing enjoyment. SF37 is an example...
Also - and this is a personal thing - the best point of sailing on that boat was upwind. Such an upwind weapon. But if I was after a family cruiser I'm not sure I'd want something that is the most fun to sail upwind... I'd rather have something that's great off the wind. Which is where I think the newer performance Elans, with their big wide sterns, really have the edge. Plenty of off wind performance and loads of accommodation. Only drawback is the windward performance, but even then it's not terrible, it's just not as good as arguably one of the best upwind cruiser racers ever made.
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UK getting ready. Then Med and Caribbean. With as many weather forecasts as possible to remain a fair weather sailor! 2 people live aboard for some of the year. And as I said before a last place race or two double handed.

Yes deep keel probably not great for some areas. SF37 actually seems like an ok bet as I am a pauper.
 
roblpm said:
Sure but I think the original post and my interest was really for cruising. I would eventually like a cruising boat that I could (in my dreams as I can't afford racing sails) race very occasionally. I actually looked at a SF37 about 10 years ago which had just returned from the Caribbean apparently without killing her owners. So I know you favour the Elan 37 but you also said less space! And also I am a pauper and the SF37s are almost affordable for me! Actually at risk of thread drift seeing as you are the Elan 37 expert would you buy one for cruising?
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If you can find a good version of the predecessor Elan 36 (or better twin cabin 362) they are superb cruising boats - with good performance, good sea keeping and superbly practical wood interior. A bit less race orient than the Elan 37, but still faster than most cruising boats. And much more cruisey interior. Had one for 10 years and found very difficult to find anything suitable to replace it (and ruled out the Elan 37 as replacement). Salona 37 also worth a look.
 
Hi, I own a SF 37 and have done for the last 4/5 years. Its a 2005 ex Sunsail so according to many should be fit for little more than scuttling. I sail it with my wife and small dog with the occasional race and larger numbers on board. Have cruised to France and the south coast. For the money, absolutely love it. Feel free to msg me f you would like more info on the good and bad.
 
This one looks great. Newish sails. Single aft cabin. I am still 18 months away from purchase so no use to me!

Tranona. Tell me why I should buy a Bavaria 37 instead?! 50k is encouraging. I am no longer depressed.
 
roblpm said:
This one looks great. Newish sails. Single aft cabin. I am still 18 months away from purchase so no use to me!

Tranona. Tell me why I should buy a Bavaria 37 instead?! 50k is encouraging. I am no longer depressed.
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If you can find one a 1999-2002 Bav 37 2 cabin with deep keel and standard rig would be an excellent buy. When I bought my 37 that was my preference but did not suit charter use (not enough berths!) and I ordered the shallow keel because I wanted to bring it back through the French canals. Rugged well built boat and sails well (not so good with in mast like mine), but it is the interior that makes it stand out with two individual seats on one side and a U shaped round the table on the other, modelled on the HR saloon layout. Decent size galley and loo, plenty of stowage and a well laid out cockpit. Owners manual here bavariayacht.org/downloads/manual/Bavaria%2037%20Cruiser%202-cabin%202000.pdf
and one for sale in the US here 2000 Bavaria 37 Cruiser Sail New and Used Boats for Sale -

Unlikely any of this version will be chartered and they sold well in the UK (relatively) - better than the 3 cabin. However overall numbers sold were small compared with the 34 and 36 of the era. In my view, though a better package than either of those, particularly for what you are planning.
 
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