sailing club/boat options

[enad]

joining a local sailing club in nyc; 3 different clubs with different fleets:
colgate 26
J24
melges 24/J80

most likely will join the club with the colgates as it's most convenient however curious to sail the melges 24. other than a few distance races on larger boats i've been mostly a cruiser. however since i'm joining one of these clubs thought maybe would be a good chance to experience more a a racing boat like the melges 24 (and J80) is vs i'm assuming the colgate?

 

[markwbird]

All good boats. Cannot really go wrong.

 

[Jackdaw]

I've sailed on all of them, here's some thoughts.

Colgate: By far the most comfortable and conventional of the boats. Very easy to sail and you can pick your level of intensity. A nice boat. Sail solo, two-up, or full crew. Poled spin downwind, or wing-on-wing with the genoa.

J/80: Almost as easy to sail as the Colgate, and almost as comfortable. Stable for a little J-boat due to huge keel. Nice. Asym downwind is fun and easy with 3, two if you're good.

J/24: NOBODY sails these pain-buckets for fun. Its not comfortable, and not all that fun to sail.

Melges 24 is a pure boat, fast and twitchy. Not comfortable. Needs a good crew to sail fast, or sail in any breeze.

 

[enad]

thanks - yes, only sailed the colgate once a long time ago. will be the obvious choice for all around. kind of wanted to gain some different/new experience on the melges but maybe another time!
thanks

 

[Jackdaw]

thanks - yes, only sailed the colgate once a long time ago. will be the obvious choice for all around. kind of wanted to gain some different/new experience on the melges but maybe another time!
thanks

I would think hard about the J/80-Melges24 club. The J80 is an easy boat to sail.