[C320-list] Upwind performance

[Tony Murphy]

Rick,

We have hull #886 (wing keel) currently under 3 ft of snow in Walker, MN on Leech Lake. I can't answer many questions about racing, as I've only had Bella Sol in one regatta and the poor performance had more to do with the inexperience of the captain than anything else.

We've also only had her for 1 year now, but I can tell you I can't think of a better boat for our "weekend cruising"... It's 100% the best "up north cabin" we could have ever picked. 

Of course, with the spring we're having (or should I say extended winter), I'm not hopeful about getting her splashed until early to mid May. Already counting the years until we can move her to warmer waters!!

Feel free to contact me off-list if I can be of any help (reminding you that I've already stated my limited knowledge). 


Tony
Bella Sol #886

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 15, 2013, at 7:42 PM, Rick Thompson <rickcyth at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Brian,
> Thank you very much for your very informative insight regarding your 320 experience!
> 
> Do you race with a 155 Dacron genoa or something smaller?
> 
> Your type of sailing seems to be similar to the sailing we would most enjoy. It is usually just 2 of us nearly 50 year olds cruising or white sail racing. Sometimes our adult son and girlfriend or another joins us. The large interior with separate cabins would be welcome.
> My wife says the open transom is an absolute must.
> We also want to be competitive for PHRF regattas and races so I would lean towards the fin keel. Lake of the Woods definitely has low hazards which are mostly on the chart.
> We also have "tapped bottom" on occasion, usually when we are paying attention to other things besides the chart.  When you hit at LOW it's almost always into solid rock and it's not nice!
> Do you know of anyone breaking open a 320 from a keel hit?
> I enjoying the pace and chaos of the racing.
> My wife likes the racing but does not like Not winning! She  would prefer a shallow draft keel.
> 
> Life and sailing is so full of compromises!
> The debate and search continues.
> Thanks again
> Rick
> 
> R Thompson 
> 
> On 2013-03-15, at 2:45 PM, Amiraults Family <amiraults at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 
>> Rick:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I race PHRF-LO JAM on the Ottawa River. The boat is a wing keel, the sails
>> are in good condition but not racing quality, there is no adjustable
>> backstay and I have a feathering prop. My boat NEVER wins, but there is
>> ALWAYS beers on board at the end of the evening. We are competitive with
>> other wing keel Catalinas (and usually beat them) but simply cannot point as
>> high as the fin keel boats like the usually winning Niagara 31 with its
>> racing sails, narrow beam and 8500lb displacement. If winning is important
>> then avoid the wing keel.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> If draft is important then go with the wing keel.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Either way, if livability is important then go with the open transom and
>> swim platform. I race for fun and really don't need the glassware (single
>> glass) awarded in the fall for the winner in each race series. In my harbor,
>> the Niagara did not race for much of the summer of '11 'cause her 5' draft
>> could not leave the harbor due to the unusually low water levels that year.
>> In that year I only tapped bottom twice. I wanted to race but we needed the
>> livability and so in the search for our current boat open transom was a
>> must-have.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> As to the weight; when you're lucky you get what you pay for. Any boat with
>> this broad a beam will weigh more as there is simply more material used in
>> the construction to yield the volume. When comparing apples, like Catalina
>> and the Jenn-ateaus you will find the former displaces more. But then the
>> hull is solid glass and not a lighter glass/foam sandwich.  It thus goes
>> slower with everything else equal. Still, in my the last race collision
>> (summer '07 and the protest committee ruled the boat hitting mine 100%
>> at-fault) I was racing again the next week with duct tape over the hole
>> while he was out most of the summer for repair.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> There is also something to be said - over an older design - for DC
>> refrigeration, gas stove/oven, head near the companionway,  and a shower.
>> Oh, and those older narrower boats tend to have cockpits snugly-perfect for
>> sailing but not so roomy for living on the hook with the family.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I love my 320 and so does the family.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Brian Amirault
>> 
>> 797 Waltzing Bear, too 
>>