Madame, I am 30 and my usual crew is younger. I do not consider myself
"older". I think 50 ft is aproaching the top limit. (I sail a CR38).
Of course, I do not think people buy 60 foot boats with the intent of
"downgrading" when they get "older". But at any rate. (I hope I do
not sound offended. I've read your postings with great respect.)

I do not think you have to consider what boat is too big for a crew of
two to handle. I think any "crew of two" should be able to at least
hobble somewhere single-handed. Things do not happen in isolation: if
something happens which disables one of your crew, chances are it also
may have disabled some part of your boat. Chances are the winds are
stiff and the seas are high. Chances are sea spray may have disabled
those push-button winches (did we replace those cables before we left
dock last time or did some head issue take precedence?)

Racing is another story altogether. I (used to) go four-wheel-driving
in remote places. A lot of 4wd people like to point at the stuff
racing cars, winners of derbys etc, put on their cars. I learned then:
racing equipment is designed to last as long as the race, and no
longer. Racers cannot afford the extra weight associated with
heavily-built, long-lasting equipment. When racing, your objective is
not to get from point A to point B. (Many cruisers have done so, after
all.) Your objective is to get ther first. What happens afterwards
does not matter. When cruising on the other hand, it is not sufficient
to get to poitn B. You plan to then be on your way to point C, point
D, etc. (How many racers live on their boats?)

(I do not mean to distract from the racers. I just hope to show that
the objectives are differnet, the equipment are more different. (note
here that another objective of racing is to make money, if only enough
to fund your next race. Cruisers do not expect to make money on their
cruisng.) And Ms. Ellen McD. has won very much respect from me, fwiw.)

But to my original point: when all is well and all your crew is at
100%, then we all may be able to handle a 60-footer with a crew of two.
But most crusing folks I've talked to, from 30 to I-don't-dare-guess,
have a story of an illness: Crew 1 had a bad shoulder; Crew 2 was
feverish. Crew 1 got seasick; crew 2(autopilot/vane) gave up; I've
myself been both feverish and seasick.

M. Bryan, I would be very interested to know of your acquaintances who
live aboard, and cruise, aboard a 50, 60, or 70 footer. I hope to be
able to do so; I hope to learn something from them.

Always learning.

-Y