So I'm a young guy with a fair bit of experience ranging from high performance catamarans to Farr 40s, and a variety in between. In the coming years, I'm looking to purchase a performance/sportboat to race on The Great Lakes (primarily Lake Michigan.) Currently, I have 2 friends the same age looking to get involved in boat ownership and racing.
30 footers appear to be the best value (both in $$ and in performance,) and considering a buoy/offshore combination, there seems to be quite a divide between options.
Rating and value are important in the buying decision, so naturally my young & dumb attitude has led me toward FT10s and Henderson 30s. Given their specs, they'd be great in light-med winds but can be a pain in high winds and quite a liability offshore (if you don't have the crew experience + weight to match.)
Olson 29s & 30s are always a viable option, but I'm looking for something with an Asymmetrical kite that a team and myself can really grow into performance wise. (I imagine saying O30s aren't performance boats will upset a few of you...)
Hobie 33s are a familiar friend, but they're a bit old and their rating isn't very attractive.
Melges 32s are off the table due to the OD prices...
Mumm 30s are viable too, but in spirit of avoiding the symmetrical spins and beefy crew requirements, I'd like to avoid them.
We're budgeting $25-$45k for an initial purchase, but expect to spend $10-15k within the first year of ownership on new sails, rigging, etc... It's never easy when a sailor wants to go fast on a budget..
Crew is always hard to find, but we expect to have 4-5 consistently. Offshore we'd hope to go no higher than 8 dependent on conditions. This obviously makes the buying decision harder, but that's why I'm here!
Great Lakes conditions are a real issue too, as the conditions vary drastically..
30 footers appear to be the best value (both in $$ and in performance,) and considering a buoy/offshore combination, there seems to be quite a divide between options.
Rating and value are important in the buying decision, so naturally my young & dumb attitude has led me toward FT10s and Henderson 30s. Given their specs, they'd be great in light-med winds but can be a pain in high winds and quite a liability offshore (if you don't have the crew experience + weight to match.)
Olson 29s & 30s are always a viable option, but I'm looking for something with an Asymmetrical kite that a team and myself can really grow into performance wise. (I imagine saying O30s aren't performance boats will upset a few of you...)
Hobie 33s are a familiar friend, but they're a bit old and their rating isn't very attractive.
Melges 32s are off the table due to the OD prices...
Mumm 30s are viable too, but in spirit of avoiding the symmetrical spins and beefy crew requirements, I'd like to avoid them.
We're budgeting $25-$45k for an initial purchase, but expect to spend $10-15k within the first year of ownership on new sails, rigging, etc... It's never easy when a sailor wants to go fast on a budget..
Crew is always hard to find, but we expect to have 4-5 consistently. Offshore we'd hope to go no higher than 8 dependent on conditions. This obviously makes the buying decision harder, but that's why I'm here!
Great Lakes conditions are a real issue too, as the conditions vary drastically..