Valid arguments against Beneteau?

Re: Time to come clean?

Here's one vote for Bennys. My 411 is perfect for weekend/summer holiday/daysailing type cruising I do. Reef early in blows to sail level and keep SWMBO happy or, when out with the lads as crew, hang onto the canvas a bit longer and go like a train. Definitley the best boat I have ever owned, and probably amongst the best I have ever sailed.

Go for one Moose. If you find she is the wrong boat, Bennys rank amongst the boats with the lowest depreciation for AWBs because there is always a ready market. And judging by what my friends with HRs, Malos, Moodys, Najads etc tell me, they never seem to sell for anywhere near the price that they paid.

<hr width=100% size=1>I never make the same mistake twice. I always make new ones.
 
Re: Time to come clean?

My boat is a Centurion - a 1970 Holman designed (fin & skeg) very similar to a Contessa 32. It really thrives in stronger winds with sailing remaining fun in conditions that would be hard work in the First 375.

I don't have a lot against the First, in lighter conditions she sailed fairly well and even in the heavier winds you never felt that the boat wouldn't take it - but above about F5/6 it ceased to be fun and became hard work.

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Re: Time to come clean?

One of my favourite boats, I'm a big fan of H & P and earlier Kim Holman designs, I nearly bought a Hustler 30 once but the owner put the price up when the exchange rate dropped - he had ordered a new Centurian! I said no and he called back a month later to say OK to the original price but I had already bought an Elizabethan 30 (David Thomas, also good designer!) by then. I liked the UFO 34 as well but a good cruising layout one is hard to find.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>
 
Re: Time to come clean?

Ah - a man of taste I see /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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I too sail a 477 and have found that to windward with the right amount of sail it sails wonderully. Last winter we had to beat from Fecamp to the solent in F7/8 and in the open sea it was fine. What I have noticed is really heavy slamming in the solent chop and without doubt motoring straight into is is not at all to be recommended. I am sure you will agree though that once you turn downwind that is when the real fun begins!

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Just like sailing a dinghy - experiance so far is only in the short chop of the channel so slaming is the order of the day. Its a fun boat at a great price, - but I am not sure I would want to go round the world in it.


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Thanks everybody, there are some really good points in here.
I saw a Ben 44 come into Gunwharf today from Holland, they are delighted with the boat and think it is really safe e.t.c but when I asked them about the in mast furling they had they went bonkers!! They had it jam in the channel today and consider it dangerous. That is that, my mind is made up. I am concentrating on Beneteaus now but without in mast.
How much to change from in mast to Lazy jacks?/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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Welcome to the Dark Side Moose. You will be issued with your uniform, super water blaster and Code of Conduct shortly.

I am sure that you will find the Ben very satisfactory, unless you intend to conquer the world via the 3 capes. Not much point in doing that as it has all been done many times before, and despite the claims of comfort for non AWB's, they are still all awfully cramped, wet (outside only hopefully), smelly, noisy and bouncy in heavy conditions.

John

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I agree but then again I don't think I would like to go around that in many boats. For what it's worth I look for stability, speed, crash bulkheads etc for deep ocean stuff. Furthest I have sailed it is Spain. Its so responsive fun and fast everyone loves to sail it. Full marks to Farr and Beneteau.

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I think your search for valid arguments (i.e. logically irrefutable) is a fool's errand. From observation owners tend to fall in love with their yachts. Unless you're constantly trading up this is inevitable.

You see a boat you like. Then you have to sell the idea of a yacht to your other half. In twenty years' sailing I've only ever met three couples (Violetta, neraida and a long distance cruising couple in Horta) where both partners are equally passionate about sailing. For days, weeks or months you've sung the praises of the type of yacht you like. Then you buy the yacht.

The affair is consumated when you stray out in winds stronger than usual and the yacht (AWB or classic) keeps you safe. Do you turn to your white faced partner, slowly recovering from shock, and say:-
"of course the Benny 337 doesn't handle bad weather well. A Rival 34 would have done much better. But YOU wanted a modern design with trendy cream sofas and a larger galley."
OR
"If we'd made faster time across the Channel we'd have missed that blow completely. If we'd bought an Oceanis 331 rather than this manky old Contessa 32 we'd have been home 2 hours ago and just made last orders at The Bugle".

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As far as I am aware - I am a long time Beneteau owner - the in-mast is an option and the standard fit is lazy jacks and a stack pack bag. When I asked about switching to an in-mast I was quoted around £5K for the new mast and sail plus whatever the labour was to fit.

Peter

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Mine (36CC) was in mast as standard and was, I seem to remember, about £3K to change to slab reefing.

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