A slap in the face

A

adamtait2002

.
Oct 30, 2019
28
Okay, so I didn't quite realise how much I loved my little Vega

I was talking to this Swedish guy who lives on his Najad here in Barcelona's Port
Olimpic, and he said that he used to sail a Vega in Sweden, that it was a crap
sailboat, with zero pointing ability, and that everyone in Sweden says that they are
not sailboats; they are motor-sailors. I was actually hurt by this slander "why don't
you go the whole hog and just lay into my mother?" I found myself thinking while
standing there looking dumbfounded. Maybe the truth hurts; maybe it was an
unfounded attack on my sweet love. The truth is I don't know: Vegabond isn't
particularly close-winded, but then the baggy, blown-out sails that came with the
boat would have about the same pointing ability as my bed sheets even if bent onto
to an Etchells!

So, I thought it would be interesting to put to the group the question:

"How close winded is your Vega?"

I'll kick off

Vegabond (V1030) can tack through about 90º - not great, but I'll give you another
figure when I've bent on my new suit of sails in a months time

I would be particularly interested to hear from any of our Swedish friends.
Feel free to dig out the soap box, puff out your chest, feel indignant, and rant.

Still smarting, but dreaming of the summer sailing

Adam
 
V

vegasailor2001

.
May 3, 2004
34
Hello!

In Sweden, the Vega has always had a bad reputation as a sail boat. There is a swedish expression "Sluta segla, köp en vega" which means "stop sailing, buy a Vega". The Vega has also formed a new Swedish verb, vegla. Vegla is when you drive a sail boat with the engine.

I belive the reason for this is that the Vega was the first sail boat with a larger engine and an attractive price. In the 60\'s, sailing in Sweden was only for a small group of people that was mostly well trained and you where supposed to always sail everywhere to be a good member of the group. Now, a lot of people that had never sailed before bought the Vega, with not always good results. Since the boat also had a good engine, they used the engine more than was normal at that time, which gave the Vega a bad reputation since people belived the boat couldn\'t sail very good since they used the engine. However, the new owners of Vega was used with cars, and when they wanted to go home a little bit faster than the wind allowed, they started the engine.

The truth is that the Vega is not a very good sail boat, but it sails much better than its reputation. It is important not to wear to much sails and it shall be sailed as "flat" as possible. You can go about 45 degrees agains the wind. For its price and size, the Vega is the best boat you can get if you want to live in it, and are not in a hurry. If you want a boat that is just fun to sail, in a similar size and prize, then you should buy an other Albin, the Express. And if you want to spend 10-20 times the money, then you buy yourself a Najad.

Yours,

Björn
 
W

wxt8981

.
Oct 31, 2019
562
Hi Bjorn (sorry about the 2 dots for the Umlaut.....)

I've owned my Vega quite a long time and I've sailed her in
many regattas- and I have 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed trophies
to show for. Though I've met a lot of sailors who think a
sailboat must be sailed close-hauled in any direction
(because most pictures depict a sailboat that way. And bye
the way- I've met a lot of sailors who should stick with
motorboats- or stay off the water all together..)

What I like to say- A Vega stands up to most any other
boat her size and I wouldn't trade her. She's well build,
sturdy and can take a beating.

Happy sailing.... Wilhelm, V-257
 
M

moondance5003

.
Nov 8, 2003
166
Hi Adam,

Without getting into the theory of penis envy transferance or a
pissing contest, let's keep to the facts.

Fact 1: All cruising vessels sail about 45* off TRUE wind (give or
take a few degrees). High performance racing vessels can do a bit
better (high 30's). SO WHAT!

Fact 2: Najads are very nice, but some owners are not.

Fact 3: In John Vigor's book, "Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You
Anywhere", the Vega ranked 6th for "safety-at-sea" out of the 20
boats discussed. That is very good considering that several of the
boats were 32 footers.I owned a 26' high performance racer and now own a Vega. I much
prefer the Vega. Better ride, stability, comfort, stronger built and
easier to sail. I agree with Bjorn and Wilhelm in that, for the
money, the vega is the best deal anywhere.

Robert
 
V

vega1860

.
Apr 28, 2000
691
Poor fellow; must be delusional. Perhaps he forgot his medication. I suggest you keep an eye on him. He may need professional help.

Aloha,

Chuck Rose
Lealea, V1860
Honolulu"adamtait2002" abuwabu@... wrote:
 
V

vega1860

.
Apr 28, 2000
691
Bjorn and Wilhelm,

I'm a long way from Sweden but, out here in the middle of the Pacific, Vegas have a very good reputation.

Chuck

WL wxt8981@... wrote:
 
J

jimmyvusa

.
May 30, 2000
45
Bjorn:

You are 100% wrong about Vegas. First a group of your countrymen sailed an eraly Vega called 'Little My' to a transatlantic crossing record for monohulls in the earl;y days of such sailing. Secondly the great designer Robert Perry of Seattle who has designed some of the greatest sailboats of the world states that the Vega is an outstanding and classic example of a reverse sheer designed sailboat. Next only a few years agao Jarle Andehoy of Norway (a real nation of sailors and Vikings who know their beans about sailing in general) sailed a Vega thru the Drake Antartic passage after singlehanding it across the Atlantic. Najads are boats for the elite. A Vega is a "blue collar working" boat withour frills but is one of the best the best "pocket cruisers" in the world for the money. A number of publications document this and recommend Vegas. My Vega has an MD 7A rated at 13HP. It is hard to understand how that kind of power translates into a motorsailer. Not only that check the Najad web
site. There is no Najad 27', and if Najad made a pocketcruiser I doubt that it would be less than 100,000 Euro. Lastly, Sweden makes some great boats. A Najad is OK for a large boat but for smaller seaworthy boats I would choose a Folkboat, a Vega or a Hallberg Rassey. In the US extravagant "show-off" homes are called Mc Mansions because they resemble ostentatious McDonalds. Najads in my opinion are McYachts........a lot of show a lot of dough and not a lot of go.........Skol my friend take a deep breath before you pick on a Vega... It's a lot of boat for very little money.........You can have your Najad and pay your Swedish VAT..

ote:
Hello!

In Sweden, the Vega has always had a bad reputation as a sail boat. There is a swedish expression "Sluta segla, k?p en vega" which means "stop sailing, buy a Vega". The Vega has also formed a new Swedish verb, vegla. Vegla is when you drive a sail boat with the engine.

I belive the reason for this is that the Vega was the first sail boat with a larger engine and an attractive price. In the 60's, sailing in Sweden was only for a small group of people that was mostly well trained and you where supposed to always sail everywhere to be a good member of the group. Now, a lot of people that had never sailed before bought the Vega, with not always good results. Since the boat also had a good engine, they used the engine more than was normal at that time, which gave the Vega a bad reputation since people belived the boat couldn't sail very good since they used the engine. However, the new owners of Vega was used with cars, and when they wanted to go home a little bit faster than the wind allowed, they started the engine.

The truth is that the Vega is not a very good sail boat, but it sails much better than its reputation. It is important not to wear to much sails and it shall be sailed as "flat" as possible. You can go about 45 degrees agains the wind. For its price and size, the Vega is the best boat you can get if you want to live in it, and are not in a hurry. If you want a boat that is just fun to sail, in a similar size and prize, then you should buy an other Albin, the Express. And if you want to spend 10-20 times the money, then you buy yourself a Najad.

Yours,

Bj?rn
 
V

vegasailor2001

.
May 3, 2004
34
Hi Jim!

I think you misunderstod me! I sail myself a Vega and I like it very much. I
spend the hole summer sailing on the Swedish west coast with my boat. I just
tried to explain why the Vega has a bad reputation as a sail boat in Sweden.
It started with the first Vegas in the late 1960:s and has never disapeared.
I find it very refreshing and interesting to listen to the conversation on
this site since you have a complete different opinion about the Vega than
the average sailor at home. Maybe it depend on the way you use the boat. In
Sweden, the coast line is filled with thousands of little island that you
sail in between. The deepth is also changing all the time from 0-20 m. Thats
means that you usally can not sail in the same direction any long time and
on and off has to go against the wind. If you have to pass between two
islands 30 m apart with the wind straight against you, you will find it not
that easy with a Vega. If you then have 30 other boats coming in both
directions, it is not easier. So it depends where and how you use your Vega
if you think its a good sail boat or not. If you are sailing against the
wind in small passages between islands, you probably feel the Vega is not a
very good sail boat. If you on the other hand is sailing with the wind over
oceans, its another question.

Yours,

Björn
 
H

hheiduck

.
Aug 1, 2000
95
Ditto, well said. I've owned my Vega for 29 years and never had a complaint
and collected my share of first place silver over the years. Of course I
replaced sails as well as the engine with a Beta, but the boat just keeps on
going...

Hans Heiduck
 
D

dk8521

.
Oct 30, 2019
58
I can't believe that I am such a fool! I own a Vega and an MS82.How
could I fall for not one but two digustingly slow inept seagoing dogs!
From now on it will be dark glasses and a floppy hat whenever I am
aboard.
Dick Vega #2941 In
AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Birch" steve@a... wrote:
 
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