The OSTAR is nearly over, what about the next one?

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dralex

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I have a dream, foolish or not, I'd like to start thinking about the next OSTAR. Let's have a hypothetical discussion and sort out the boat.

Let's keep it open and just give an upper budget of £100000.

What boat would be safe, fun and fast?
 
A nice She 36... available for perhaps £55k for a good one, and then you've got £45k for a decent set of new sails, all the transat bits such as SSB, Satphone, Watermaker etc... and bobs yer uncle... a fast passage maker, yet safe enough to ride out pretty much anything thrown at her....
 
That's MY dream - I had it first!

2009 would be perfect - freshly retired and all that...

I have just the boat in mind. Not the racer I thought of first, but comfortable, proven passage maker that Mrs Yanita likes too. As soon as we're back and find a buyer for Yanita, that's the next goal. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Catalina 38. see www.catalina38.org Less money than the She, but more stowage, very tough, very good ride quality and a fast passage maker. Handles like a dream. Despite their weight they still compete very well on ocean races including the Trans Pac, so an Ostar would be no problem. There are a number of them racing singlehanded.
Also has very good technical back up as the builders are still in business. With the money lefty over in your budget you could fit one out exactly how you wanted.
 
It's still there - but very much on the back burner.
She sailed very nicely (understatement), but it would take a lot of time, effort and money to make her "liveable". We've just been through all that with Yanita, I'm not quite ready yet for another go. Had any estimate made of how much it would cost.... still seller refused to knock lumps of the asking price.

We're looking at a British built (older) ocean cruiser in Portsmouth and an American (newer) 38ft-er in Holland at the mo. I get to choose, Brigitte likes both.
 
What about a Jeanneau Sun Fizz 40 ? They evolved from a racing design ( Ph Briand I think) and from 1985 they were reinforced with Kevlar. You could get one from comfortably under £50k. Lovely boats to sail.

John.
 
Well if I've got £100k, I know some old Nic 55s are being sold off for about £99k, but I guess I'll need more than a grand to make her hfit for signle handing.

Bloody good boats though, beat the arse out of modern boats for everything except convenience and comfort.
 
that Open 50 is very dated and would rate badly. You would need another 50k to buy a decent set of sails too. If you want to go down the race boat route you should charter a Class 40 boat as the fleet will be large by then....
 
Indeed you're right. They are fantastic vessels but would need a lot of work to turn them into a racing yacht.

A colleague of mine has purchased to 43ft proto-type and is currently having it updated. I daren't ask the money he is spending on it but I fear it is considerably more than £100k, certainly if he want to be competitive it will have to be.
 
If I did it, it would be more for the sake of it than to be at the top of the fleet. An open 40 would be superb, but a bit beyond me unless I get really well off between now and 2009. I'm thinking more along the lines of being a cruiser racer. ANy boat would still be financed and would also have to suit normal sailing life- A Wally 60 would be nice!!
 
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