Greetings from Galveston Bay area Texas. I'm in my 5th year of racing a Venture 21 in the local Wednesday Night Races. This boat is kind of rare on the local racing scene. Looking to hear from anyone anywhere racing the Venture 21. Want to compare notes, rigs, gear, strategy, stories about racing PHRF. Hoping to hear from some of you.
Racing a MacGregor or Venture 21
- Thread starter MacGyver
- Start date
I raced my 26S as a PERF in the fall series last year. Took this year off so far to do mods and upgrades. My 26S did pretty well. People in my club were I think surprised at how well it did. With the mods I have done, I need to check on a new cert but I expect I will do much better.
Hey, thanks for the reply. What is your rating? How many do you have on board when you're racing? Who are you racing against? What modifications, if any have you done? We only have 4 Wednesday Night Races left this year. Then, we put it away until next April. Look forward to hearing more about your boat and racing in Ga.
If you check the history of the Venture/MacGregor 21, it started out as a racing boat with sleeping accommodations. Over the years it has come to be a sailboat with accommodation that could be raced. In fact in some of the early sales literature on the boat (pre 1970) she was advertised as the "Hottest racing machine afloat" I don't know when the change occurred.
As I remember t she always placed quite well in the annual race from San Diego to Ensenada.
Many times I have had mine on a plane. It is quite an experience to feel her come out of the water, and see the wake behind the boat.
As I remember t she always placed quite well in the annual race from San Diego to Ensenada.
Many times I have had mine on a plane. It is quite an experience to feel her come out of the water, and see the wake behind the boat.
I have a PHRF rating of 210 for spinnaker class and 240 for non-spin. I have not raced with my spinnaker yet. I am considering abandoning use of my symmetrical spinnaker in favor of a assymetrical cruising spinnaker because I like to single hand a lot. Presently, I use a whisker pole downwind with a 150% Genoa. I usually race with two additional crew.
I use a boom vang. I have modified the rig to include a CDI FF2 roller Furler with a 150% laminated Genoa. I have replaced my backstay with a shorter stay and a 4 foot length 4:1 adjustable stay. I replaced the the main sheet blocks with low friction blocks.
I replaced my rudder with an HDTP rudder that helps enormously with weather helm.
I will be installing a main sheet traveler and jib sheet tracks this fall. I will also be installing tweeter blocks and sheets for adjusting the Genoa sheet angles.
I am racing in the PHRF class against many other boats that include Capri 30, J80, J24, Helms 25, S2 7.3, and a few Hunters, Compacs, and Catalins of various lengths.
I have a long list of mods I have done to the boat but the most significant is a complete rewire with two new marine AGM batteries, a solar panel, all LED lights, all new wiring meeting marine color codes and ABYC cable specifications, disconnect switch, 2 switch/fuse panels, 2 bilge pumps, a dual beam sonar, gps, and weather station.
I also installed a lattice floor in the Lazarette. Replaced the centerboard cable and replaced my outboard with a 9.8 HP 4-stroke electric start long shaft engine and tied it into the electrical system.
I use a boom vang. I have modified the rig to include a CDI FF2 roller Furler with a 150% laminated Genoa. I have replaced my backstay with a shorter stay and a 4 foot length 4:1 adjustable stay. I replaced the the main sheet blocks with low friction blocks.
I replaced my rudder with an HDTP rudder that helps enormously with weather helm.
I will be installing a main sheet traveler and jib sheet tracks this fall. I will also be installing tweeter blocks and sheets for adjusting the Genoa sheet angles.
I am racing in the PHRF class against many other boats that include Capri 30, J80, J24, Helms 25, S2 7.3, and a few Hunters, Compacs, and Catalins of various lengths.
I have a long list of mods I have done to the boat but the most significant is a complete rewire with two new marine AGM batteries, a solar panel, all LED lights, all new wiring meeting marine color codes and ABYC cable specifications, disconnect switch, 2 switch/fuse panels, 2 bilge pumps, a dual beam sonar, gps, and weather station.
I also installed a lattice floor in the Lazarette. Replaced the centerboard cable and replaced my outboard with a 9.8 HP 4-stroke electric start long shaft engine and tied it into the electrical system.
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I believe I read some where that if there are two boats anywhere on the lake there is eventually a race. One of the things that just happens if you are in the neighborhood of another boat is the sails are adjust to either keep ahead of him or pass him.
However many people will not admit to what they are doing.
However many people will not admit to what they are doing.
Thanks for the replies regarding racing. My boat is a 21 that has the additional 3 inches of freeboard . My first 21 didn't have that and it was a faster boat. I've done a lot of modifications to the boat and have been happy with it for the most part. No bow rail, no stern rail and no stanchions. We took off the standard mast and replaced it with a 2 foot taller one. 7/8 Fractional rig. It is sized perfectly to use Lightning class mainsails. Swept back spreaders, adjustable backstay with 10:1 tensioning rig. Our go to jib is a deck sweeping 130 with a big window in it. We have track on the toe rail (the cars on this track can be moved via line while under load), on the cockpit coaming and on the cabin top inside the shrouds for when we use a 110%. We put in a harken traveler with a windward sheeting car. The companionway hatch has been bolted in place about 6 inches forward of the closed position and we have 3 winches, one 3 line rope clutch, 2 cam cleats and 6 other quick release cleats for holding down the topping lift, outhaul, vang, main halyard, jib halyard, cunningham and reefing line. No winches in the cockpit area and no sheet cleats anywhere. We never cleat our sheets. We store our whisker pole on the boom with rings and clips on both sides. We use a 2 hp Yamaha to get out to the starting area and stowe it down below during the race. Next to it, at the base of the mast compression post is the anchor and line. The standard Venture rudder has been replaced with a Catalina 22 fixed blade rudder. Bottom has been stripped and faired then coated with Interprotect high build primer and sanded with 240 grit. No bottom paint or any other paint on the bottom. The keel is faired and painted with awlgrip. Standard swing keel rig. 3 people on the boat when racing. We do use a knotmeter with a thru hull transducer. We like to sail in 10-12 knots of wind. Non spinnaker. If anyone has any tips or tricks they have learned to make their boat go faster or point higher, please share. Anyone aware of any other Venture 21's racing anywhere, please invite them onto this site. Thanks and look forward to hearing more.
You will most likely have to race PHRF. Rarely are there enough 21's around to have a class. Where do you do your sailing?
Thanks for the reply. If you run across any other racers using an old Venture 21, pass along my email address , paul4102@boatersresaleshopoftexas.com.