"Jim Cate" wrote in message
...

If you consider that the Mac is much lighter, with much smaller sails,
it's likely that it may ride over some waves that your boat may try to
"bore through." Not in great comfort, admittedly.



You're missing the point, Jim. My boat is extremely light for its size -
lighter than the mac in some ways (50% more length, more than twice the beam,
but a weight of only 8800 lbs). Diving through waves is more a function of the
wave shape - in strong current against strong wind situations the wave length
gets compressed, the heights grow, and the wave face appears "vertical."
Inevitably, you surf down one and slam into the base of the next faster than you
can rise up over them. There is also risk to going over the top, since at best,
you will pound hard on the other side, but at worst, you can get twisted
sideways and roll over.