All,

Wanted to let you know about a new site that is up and running, covering the Corsair Nationals in Pensacola this year. Bert Rice and Chris Baclayon have launched the site with the intent of daily updates, pics and videos for those interested in following the racing.

www.gulfsailing.com

Kudos to them both.

I see there are quite a few more F28R's than F24's. I am considering buying one or the other. I would like to hear from some owners of each, as to what are the pro's and con's of each. I intend to take the family of 4 (Wife, two kids 11+14) on day sail or weekend cruises around the Tampa to Key West area. I would also like the option of racing as a one-design class a couple times each year, time and crew permitting.

I have sailed the F24 and loved it and that might be a better choice for the days when I go out alone, which would be more than 50% of the time. My main concern is, if I were to take an F24 from say, Sarasota to Tampa Bay or the Keys, and the wind was out of the west at say 15-20, would the boat be too wet to be enjoyable and too small for the chop.

Also, is the F28R too much to single hand? I know it would be a better boat for the ocean but if I want to go out alone, as I do quite a bit, is it going to be too much of a pain in the butt to rig and sail?

I had hoped there would be a much bigger Florida F24 fleet but it doesn't look as though it is developing, and now with the Sprint, I doubt it will. I have no desire for a Sprint as it lacks the sleeping accomodations I want.

Any unbiased (non-dealers) input from some of you who have sailed both would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

Tim, are the Sprint sleeping accommodations LESS than the original F24? Is everything else about the Sprint the same as the F24? It was not really clear to me when the Sprint became the Performance Boat of the Year.

There really isn't much room at all in the cabin of the 750. I did the RTI on one last year and you could probably sleep 2 people in it I guess but you wouldn'y be "hanging out" down there at all.

Tim, is the 28r going to have enough cabin space for all of you? I think 2 adults would be ok but 2 adults plus 2 teenagers would be cramped. There are always the tramps on either side if it doesn't rain and you coat yourself with Off. I went through the same issue thinking about which corsair to get. It is mainly because the wife wants a more "family friendly" boat than a beachcat and life is clearly too short to sail/race monohulls! Although there aren't many racing for the most part (but there are more 31s racing at nats than 24s) we have decided the 31 would be best for the mixture of cruising/racing. Probably 80% crusing overall. Looking at getting one within a year or so. Now how to fit the blade on the side tramp... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You guys need to get together and buy an F31! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> You'd have crew (each other) and room to bring the family.

Just a thought!

Clayton

Clayton, I fully agree, but we live about 600 miles apart and that would just about kill my -day- sailing! And a new 31R is a bit out the top of my budget. Maybe a good used one, cheap!

I had a partnership racing a J24 years ago and it worked out very well. As you know, racing sails are expensive so it was nice to split everything 3 ways. We took turns driving and crewing and when not racing we had a schedule for using the boat for cruising. I got the most use out of it because I usually worked on the weekends if I wasn't racing, so I could use it during the week. The other two guys worked mostly M-F, 9-5. We did race together on Tuesday and Thursday nights too.

It was great fun but we all got along well and none of us were married at the time...which is probably why we got along! No hidden agendas, no wives to tell us we were gone too much. Just sailing , racing, drinking beer and having fun. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Tim, Patrick,

if y'all are considering an Fboat, I cannot recommend highly enough that y'all have a conversation with Don Wigston of Windcraft. Nice, way nice guy, on the level, and we're getting service even without having bought our boat from him.

Do, please, give Don a call or an email. I believe he carries used as well as new. Y'all won't regret dealing with him...

Donald Wigston
Windcraft Inc.
404 307 9121
http://www.corsairtri.com

sea ya
tami

Is there some other Corsair web board that gets more action than this one? The silence here is deafening.

I think their group is on Yahoo.

There's a user group on Yahoo. I personally would like to see people start to post more here, as I like the format of the forum better...

Anyway, think about where the priorities on your boating are, cruising with the familiy or OD racing, because I believe the F-27 is a better boat for cruising/family sailing due to the interior configuration. Performance is still good, albeit not the same as the F-28r, but above the F-24. You'd give up the OD racing, but have better cruising and less cash outlay. Food for thought..

Also, major ditto on Don Wigston. I got my F-27 through him, I'm in MD, boat was in Sarasota, he made everything happen very nicely.

Yes, I have considered a F27 with asymetric spin set up. I even took a test drive on one with Steve Marsh back before the F28 came out. When I talk of "family cruising" I really mean family day sailing, two days in a row. I doubt if my wife would spend more than one night on board before she wants to "camp out" at the nearest Hilton, so I'm thinking as long as it has a porta-poti and a place to take a nap, maybe a stove for coffee in the morning and maybe soup. She is not going to do the whole Blue Water cruising thing, ever. But I would like to be able to race a couple times a year, in a one design type fleet, which means either the F24 or 28R. The 28R's seem to cost about Double what a F24 costs. And they require more experienced crew to race well vs. the 24. I am wondering if it's worth double the money to get the 28R if we are going to be sleeping at the Sarasota Hilton anyway...

Timbo, if it is just you and your wife, and you are just talking about one overnight at a time on the boat, and you are only going to race a couple times a year, I would go for the 24.

It's not just a matter of the 28R costing double, every component on the boat probably costs at least double to replace. EVERYTHING is bigger and more expensive, from the lines and blocks to the anchor.

From a woman's perspective, I have never seen a Corsair trimaran of any size that I would consider habitable for more than overnight. So you might as well go for smaller and less expensive.

Thanks Mary, that's what I thought. And getting 4 racing crew together is not easy. It will be the wife and 2 kids, sometimes, but solo sometimes as well.

Of course Ellen McArthur sailed around the world alone, FAST, on a 75 foot tri... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Well, you aren't planning on sailing around the world, are you? I hope not. We would miss you.

Get a boom tent for the ****, and the kids will love camping out there.

Jim and Debbie Frederick raced an F24 for years and did overnights on it frequently.

The nice thing about Corsairs is that they hold their value very well, so if you decided you want to get a bigger one later, you should be able to sell the 24 without losing money.

Yes, Thanks, I have thought about that too. Now, if I want to bring the kids down to Penenkamp Park, where is a good motel to stay (without the boat) ? And if I do trailer down a Prindle, can I leave it at that park where you guys did the Tradewinds regatta, or a motel near there?

You cannot leave your boat at Founders Park.

As far as a motel, if your wife is coming, she should be the one to decide on the motel. I would not presume to make suggestions, because my needs are pretty primitive.

If you want a place where you can stay and keep your boat and sail from an actual beach, check out the Key Lime Sailing Club, www.keylimesailingclub.com But I'm sure the accommodations aren't Hilton category.

I'd hardly characterize the F-27's accomodations as blue water cruising capable, but having the head separated off into the bow area (mine has the vanity, which is surprisingly useful) and the aft cabin to me makes overnighting more tolerable on the boats. And for the price you can get a good 27 for the price of a higher end 24. But you will be dealing with an older boat...

Seems like a number of F-27's have done ocean crossings without reports of mutiny, so I guess the accommodations in those are doable for extended periods.