Triple Keelers

[gwynn]

I am considering buying a Virgo Voyager. I intended buying a fin keeled version because of its better sailing ability to windward, however there are a number of Voyager triple keelers on the market. I have no experience of sailing a triple keeled boat, let alone a Virgo Voyager with a triple keel. Can anyone tell me about the sailing characteristics of such a boat? Thanks

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[moondancer]

My father-in-law owned a triple keel Virgo Voyager and I remember it as roomy, seaworthy but the slowest boat that I have ever sailed. It went to windward but made a lot of leeway.

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[jeanne]

We used to race in a club which used the Portsmouth yardstick system for cruisers, which gave allowances for various keel types. The triple keel got the highest allowance, but it was still only in the region of 5% compared to a fin of the same class.
So you may follow a finkeeler home, but you should only be 5 minutes behind after an hour and a half race [and of course,still win on handicap].
If you are in an area of drying harbours, it is a real advantage to be able to dryout on firm sand, and a triple keel should let you do that. On the other hand, if you run aground it is more difficult to get off by heeling the boat.
I think that if you fancy it, buy it. People don't usally keep their early boats for long, anyway. One either gets hooked, and start looking for a boat which suits the type of sailing you want to do, or get cold and wet too often, and sell the boat.

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