MacGregor Sailling Performance

[Kirk]

Although I have 15 plus years of sail-boarding, I am a novice at sailing a boat. We are hoping to acquire a boat this year for primarily bay and coastal sailing. We like the idea of a trailerable boat and MacGregors's power boating option, but are still in the early stages of our research. Obviously, any boat that professes to do both will not excel at either. However, given this limitation my questions are: is a MacGregor easy to sail single-handed; how does it perform under sail - both in light and heavier winds and in the hands of a novice and an experienced sailer? Finally, I don't like the idea of going out for an evening sail and having every boat on the water passing me like I'm on the Titanic. What kind of speed range can I expect under sail?Thanks everyone in advance for your opinions and advice, Kirk

 

[Art Tirrell]

comparative speed

Your initial gut feeling is right on. You'll find yourself tied to the dock with all the other powerboats whenever the wind gets into the 10k range. If you do go out in those conditions you can expect boats in the 25-26 foot range to sail circles around you. The sad fact is, as sailboats, Venture 26's are underpowered and the wide after-sections (needed to provide the bouancy to support the huge engine and help the hull plane under power) create a large area of attached turbulence known as form drag. Read "SLOW" there. The words 'planing hull' are reminiscent of the planing you did on your sailboard, but I assure you this hull ain't the same kind of animal.All that interior space the designers made so Mom would be fooled into thinking she would like sailing, at least long enough to get the purchase decision finalized, comes at the cost of high freeboard (windage) and poor performance when heeled more than 10 degrees. In the eyes of a complete beginner, the V26 can look like the perfect combination. On the other side, however, to experienced sailors, buying a V26 is tantamount to labelling yourself, and after being a sailboarder you don't really want to do that, do you?

 

[Paul]

F-27 Trimaran

I love my 26X, but if you are looking for something like sailboard performance, it is not the boat for you. Try the F-27 trimarane.

 

[dan]

Single Handed?

Hi Kirk......As you want to sail a Mac single handed..get the "sail controls back to cockpit" and "roller furling" options. Or do them yourself(cheaper).You will also need "single line mainsail reefing". Look in www.harkin.com for some ideas.The Mac 26S series are water ballast SAILBOATS.The newer(1995-on) 26X is a MOTORBOAT that CANsail. An odd combination of design at the dock next to the sailboats. Lots of freeboard, poorsailing performance in high winds/gusts(I haveone!)As you live on the ocean.....why trailer a boatwithout fixed keel? Look in to a BOAT with 2000-3000lb keel if you really want to sail theATLANTIC. Again......SAIL before you BUY!happy sailing........dan