.... Most of the places I sail, a boat would
have to be well powered up in 5 ~ 8 knots of wind. That means changing
down and/or reefing as the wind climbs thru the teens.


Capt.Mooron wrote:
Ahem... you'd be in a constant state of reef around here if that's what you
are accustomed to.

Which would be fine.
Another thing is that small racing class boats do not have
reef points. You learn to power up, you learn to de-power.

... Sounds rather tender and finicky.

Only if you think that a number assigned to the wind you
sail in is something to brag about. More=better, right?

I happen to like sailing in strong winds, but also don't
like to be stuck in a boat that won't move when there is
less wind.


.... 20-25 kts wind here is
pretty normal. You don't make much headway when sailing into a seaway in any
wind below 10kts.

You do in a boat that is designed for it.

.... The swells alone can be 30 feet high.

Doesn't mean much if the crests are far apart & not breaking.

.... I don't do much
playing with thermals and lifts... wind here just appears from a direction
and you use it to get where you want. It's usually steady but can be gusty.

The wind shifts direction more than you think. Even a 30
knot wind will clock & veer 5 or even 10 degrees pretty
regularly. If you're sailing a long straight leg, there's no
reason to "use" these shifts but if you're trying to get
around a point or avoid a reef, it helps to follow them
rather than fight (or ignore) them.



My boat makes good in sea conditions and provides a dry, solid feel with
sufficient balance to accommodate the wind and wave states.


Which is all good

I have found that I can achieve higher sustained speeds in ocean conditions
than in coastal/harbour areas.

Sure, that's what it was designed for. It could be raced
around the bouys, in fact it could even be fun against
similar boats. But your Nordica is designed for sea
conditions and although I haven't sailed one, I have seen
them around and think they would be hard to improve on for that.


One can't ask for more....


Sure you could. A boat with a self-cleaning head and a
cooler with a little mechanical hand that pops out with a
drink right by the helm.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King