DSK wrote:

Just that the hulls are the same shape, no "deeper V",




Jim Cate wrote:

Wrong. The "V" configuration of the 26M, in the forward portion of
the hull, is 15 degrees, compared with 8 degrees on the 26X. (I have
personally examined both boats and seen the difference. - Check it
out yourself with a level and protractor if you don't believe me. )


That must explain why the trailer bunks for the two different models
are exactly the same.


Check them out yourself Doug. - They are different. (Incidentally, we
went through this same discussion on the asa ng ad nausium for several
months last year. Someone finally checked out the hulls of the two
boats and admitted that they were, in fact, substantially different.)




... This is to accommodate the rotatable mast, which also includes
bearing upper and lower bearing structures. - Another substantive
difference.


"Upper bearing"?? What does the mast bear on at the upper end?

As understood, it bears on the movable elements of the upper bearing
structure, which are rotatably constrained within the fixed elements,
which in turn are fastened to and constrained by the lateral stays and
the jib stay.


BTW what benefit does a rotating mast give the boat?


They were developed on competetive cats and trimarans, because they
improve the forward force vectors by eliminating turbulence behind the
the luff of the sail caused by the mast, which projects into the airflow
beyond the luff and tends to break up the airflow in the region behind
the mast. In any event, owners of competetive multi-hull craft have
been using them for several years. - Whether, or by how much, the system
improves the Mac's response I really don't know.


It does.


(why does the "longer mast" not stick up any higher?),
Hmm, when you park the two models side by side, the masts appear to be
exactly the same height. If they're side by side on trailers, the
masts stick out the same length front & back.

Maybe there's a difference in the configuration of the deck or cabin
that makes the bottom of the mast sit lower relative to the trailer.
In any event, what do you want me to do about it? - Should I ask my
neighbors to drop the masts on their 26Xs so I can measure them with a
tape measure and compare them with the M?

Yep. And sailed them myself a few times. A couple of friends have
owned them and were determined to prove what great boats they were,
until the realization slowly crept over them that they were not.

And which Mac models were they?


Actually I've sailed a lot of MacGregors over the years, starting with
the venerable Venture 21 and up thru the Mac25 swing keel, the Mac26
water ballast (both dagger & centerboard) which was the same hull
stretched about 4", the Mac 19 PowRSailR, the 26X and the M.

The ones I was referring to that my friends eventually gave up on were
the X & M PowRSailR boats, the X's kept breaking their steering any
time the wind blew more than twelve knots. The M's don't seem to have
this problem but they're not much fun to sail IMHO compared to even a
medium performance monohull.

One friend has kept his Mac 26X although he's modified it (beefed up
steering among other things)... he mostly uses it for fishing and
towing a Hobie Cat out to where he can have fun sailing that.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King


Lots of owners seem to like their 26Xs and the new 26Ms. - They don't
want to part with them. - In any event, hope you get some good sailing
weather this weekend.

Jim