my impression of the
Beneteau is essentially my impression of eurostyling in general. Its
like listening to Abba and calling it music. Yeah, its fun now, but
really no substance.
My impression of Catalina is that they've figured out how to do
something well without costing a fortune. They are not ultra-expensive

but truly functional at reasonable cost, the essence of good
engineering.



The above scary comments come from a sock-puppet or maybe a new voice
here...who knows? But it does bring forth an interesting question. Why
do you sail? I certainly don't want a "practical" boat. I've already
owned a Catalina 27 and Pearson 30....both very practical. They weren't
the best sailboats, not too fast or fun, but solid and capable boats.
Why buy a "flashy" fast boat? Why listen to Abba?
Well, maybe because you like to "sail" and your tastes in music are
without bounds and pretensions. It could be because you've sailed a
Catalina 27, 28, 30, 34, 36 and 400 and found them "practical" to the
point of being soulless. Much as I loath to say it, Donal was right. A
boat like his first series IS more fun...not because of the styling,
but because it has speed and subtle feedback missing from more
"practical" designs. Once you sail a good performing boat, piloting a
Catalina is almost a chore. If you're older, or just out for the
sights, a sailing pig may be fine...and I have no problem with that.
But if the thrill of sailing itself is what you crave, the word
"practical" doesn't work. Speed is all about fads and what's current.
The new C&Cs are distinctive as are the 1st series as are any
performance boat. The 35s5 is OLD compared to them, but still holds her
own.
So...if you love sailing (something people like Scotty, Jeff, and John
C. would know nothing about), you buy a boat that sails well and
fast...a boat with a sensitive helm that will challenge and grow with
you.
And if you want to just bounce around out there, hoping for occasional
conditions that will get your tub moving like a sailboat...a Catalina
28, Siedlemann 30, Hunter, Beneteau Oceanus, O'Day, PDQ 36, or Coronado
will do just fine.
Some of us want a bit more....and enjoy listening to an old Abba song
from time to time. Fun aint a crime, but practicality sure shouldn't
mix with passion when it can be avoided.


RB
35s5...a fun boat with Abba on the Ipod
NY