October 28, 2009
C&C 33
When I first met Bruce Massey, the owner of the C&C 33 I was to test sail, he had just won PHRF Division I at the C&C Owners Regatta in Oakville, Ontario, in mid-July, finishing ahead of C&C 34s and 35s on elapsed time. He was one happy guy! I imagine most of us would have second thoughts about buying a design before it was fully established in our area, even from a proven design team such as C&C. This early performance convinced him that he had made an excellent choice and that the design was destined to be an outstanding one. The first boat was launched in August 1984 and by July this year hull 97 was being built.
October 28, 2009
C&C 30 Mark I
With over 800 built, the C&C 30 Mk1 is, arguably, one of Canada’s most successful racer/cruisers. Production began in 1973 and ceased in 1985 — a 12-year period that represents the longest production run of any single design version in the history of C&C Yachts. Although more 27s were built, in excess of 1,000, over a similar 12-year production period, with four distinct design phases, the 27 underwent comparatively continual change in relation to the 30, having only the one design version.
October 28, 2009
C&C 29
The New C&C 29, White Hawk, is George Doing’s first sailboat. Following 16 years of boating in small powerboats, a Northern 29, and most recently in the competitive Toronto Etchells 22 fleet, he decided it was time to launch his own campaign in the Lake Ontario MORC fleet. George wanted a club racer he could sail with his two boys, aged 9 and 11, and still cruise with the family. Both he and his wife, Katheryne, wanted more luxury than they had experienced during early years camping together. Having rejected several used boats (on the basis that if you’re going to buy a used boat, it should be a bargain and there are no bargains around), they settled on the successor to the C&C 27: the new 29, which went into production last November.
October 26, 2009
Byte
I like sailing little boats. Their spirited performance lets them respond instantly to a puff or to bounce across the waves delivering quick precise feedback for the sailor. There is no sluggishness, no inertia from a heavy lead keel and no crew to buy lunch for. Small boat racing is returning to my local club in Midland, Ont., and a good part of the reason is the simplicity. Preparing the boat for a race is only a matter of minutes. The leader in this field for a long time has been the Laser, a 14-foot singlehanded daggerboard boat designed by Canadian Bruce Kirby. Manufacturing the craft has had its ups and downs but the more than 100,000 boats built are surely a milestone of success.
October 26, 2009
Beneteau 523
It must be a yacht designer’s nightmare to be commissioned to create a replacement for perhaps the most successful 50 footer ever manufactured, the Bruce Farr designed Beneteau 50, of which over 400 hulls were produced between 1996-2004. The French team at Groupe Finot took the challenge to heart having had several other designs selling well on the French builders line including the 323, 423 and 473. On a recent trip to France, we were lucky enough to not only sail the new 523 but we also had a terrific tour of two of the Beneteau production facilities there.
October 26, 2009
Bayfield 36
The Bayfield 36 favours old-time and modern conveniences which give this popular cruiser the well-earned title of a contemporary classic. Although Bayfield Boat Yard of Clinton, Ontario, builds sail boats that are traditional-looking, there is nothing outdated about the marketing finesse of this firm…
October 26, 2009
Bayfield 32
In the early 1970s, most boat builders were developing fin-keeled racer/cruiser lines of production sailboats. Bayfield Boat Yard, in southeastern Lake Huron, bucked this trend by producing a line of long-keeled cruising boats…
October 26, 2009
Bayfield 29
The Bayfield 29 is a cruising yacht with traditional styling and design features. Hull shape and sail plan are oriented toward safe and stable handling in all conditions, rather than high performance…
October 26, 2009
Aloha 8.5
The Aloha 8.5, a sound, comfortable cruiser, has a traditional air. It packs a lot of interior space into its 28 feet without compromising its long, pleasing lines and gentle curves. The $51,800 price tag (March 1985) is even more competitive than it seems because an extensive list of extra features is included as standard equipment — a steel storage cradle, antifouling, three sails with mainsail cover and a compass, to name a few. Created in 1972 by the Brewer and Wallstrom design office, the Aloha 8.5 has been in production for 13 years and more than 200 have been sold. It was designed to provide cruising comfort and stability along with solid sailing performance. Maximizing racing performance under arbitrary rating formulae was not part of the designer’s mandate.
October 26, 2009
Alberg 37
June 8…”A nice morning, but a brassy glare gets us worried. By 1130 we have rain and the wind picks up. With a third reef in the main and the genoa rolled back to a number three, we are making seven to eight knots. The boat is awash with breaking seas and spray keeps flying over the boat. My gourmet meal suffers as cutting and cooking have become a lethal exercise.”
October 18, 2009
Bavaria 50 Cruiser
Greg Nicoll, our affable Vice President was once quoted “it’s hard being us” and on the trip to British Columbia earlier this year, he was right. Thanks to our great friends at Yacht Sales West we got to test the new Bavaria Cruiser. Designed to replace the 49, this new boat will not disappoint in function, feel and it’s great (what I call) rugged looks. This boat was built to sail and sail hard. Comfortable, great visibility and the dual wheel steering all add up to a wonderful boat made for those who want to cruise in style. From the moment I took the wheel, the boat was light on the helm and easy to steer. It reacted well to powering up; it tacked effortlessly, though we were a bit slow bringing the large genoa in,; clearly we needed a bit of practice. The boat moved well in the light to medium conditions on our test day reaching 5 knots easily in winds that may have topped 7 knots true.
October 18, 2009
Alberg 30
With more than 710 built over two decades, the Alberg 30 is a Canadian success story with American and Swedish connections. In 1962, six folkboat racers from Toronto’s National Yacht Club decided that they wanted a bigger boat. They asked Kurt Hansen of Whitby Boat Works to find a suitable design and build it for them. The late Carl Alberg (1900-1986) – Swedish by birth, but a U.S. immigrant – was approached in January 1963. Neither the well-known designer nor the Canadian builder wasted much time producing the finished product. The first Alberg was launched July 7, that same year.
October 18, 2009
Abbott 33
That’s the lilting refrain from old Abbott and Costello shows. It’s also how some Abbott sailors hail their competitors on the start line. Abbott sailors are a fun-loving fraternity. They enjoy friendly rivalry and their familiar cheer is their way of not taking themselves too seriously. Abbott Boats of Sarnia, Ontario produced four sizes of Abbotts: the Abbott 28 in ’64, the Abbott 22 in the early ’70s, the Abbott 33 by 1980, and the Abbott 27. There are also plans for an Abbott 36, although none have been built to date. In the ’60s, Bill Abbott built wooden Folkboats and the Olympic class Dragon before he built his namesake. Now, he also builds the Soling.
October 18, 2009
Abbott 27
When I review a new boat from an established builder or designer, I try to compare it with other boats they have produced. With Abbott, the boat I know best is the Abbott 33, a fast, sleek racing boat that you can still cruise on. I learned something interesting about the philosophy of the new Abbott 27 when I compared it with the 33. Although it is six feet shorter, their weights’ are the same. Bill Abbott Sr., the designer (and builder), and his son Bill Jr., have kept their small shop purring along building international class Solings and Wayfarers. The Abbott 22, 33 and 36 are interspersed in smaller numbers but nevertheless make a significant contribution to their success.