Do You Race The 28.5

[Cliff Ruckstuhl]

As I look for a bigger boat that I can race and cruise. Is the 28.5 a good Racer/Cruiser. I know with the swept back spreaders this will be a problem going down wind. But does she race well against other boats of the same size? I would love your input. Im now sailing a 25.5 and am familer with the tenderness of Hunter boats.

 

[Dick Vance]

Nice Next Move, Cliff

Cliff,I've raced against a shoal keel 28.5 for years but wouldn't consider the results representative of the 28.5. I usually sail away from her with no trouble in my 25.5. One season, the 28.5 had a different crew and performance improved dramatically and I found out what her stern looked like more than once. Obviously the 28.5 can move out better than the 25.5 when the wind gets up and the water rough but even then, I usually finish ahead. In all fairness, their crew is not into racing as much as mine!One guy (no pun intended) that has successfully raced his 28.5 for years is Guy Marinade. See the sailing and racing portion of his site at:http://www.guym.com/ Dick

 

[Stephen Ostrander]

good boat

I found my 28.5 to be very competitive against other cruising boats in her size, but you won't have a chance against racing boats, unless the crew are beginners. I could pass Catalina 30s, no problem. For downwind, get a spinnaker.