It's pretty funny...almost everyone chooses a boat for the wrong
reasons. They buy a full keel crabcrusher for rumors of it being
seaworthy. They buy a tight cabin 30 footer certain they'll only race
and daysail. Of course the tiny cabin enforces this, even as they
realize the mistake. They buy a cheap boat with no positive sailing
atrributes and no care in the design. They buy a slow, heavy yacht,
expecting hurricanes and wind driven spray every other day.

The TRUTH is that 99% of us sail within sight of land, and many in
protected waters like my Long Island Sound. Here's how to make a smart
choice:

1) Buy a boat like the 35s5 which will be able to sail in light air as
well as fresh breezes. While Mooron's boat sails okay in light air it's
hardly entertaining.
2) Don't buy a boat for it's interior. There are boats with bigger
interiors than the 35s5, but all that volume won't be used 90% of the
time and performance with suffer.
3) Choose a fractional rig like the 35s5. A fractional rig is more
tunable and often these boats will sail like big dinghies under the
main alone. Perfect for shorthanded sailing.
4) Choose a boat that's FAST. Fast = fun and you can always
depower/reef your sails when you want to relax.
5) Choose a boat like the 35s5 for a large comfortable cockpit and
deckspace. You'll spend most of your time above deck.
6) Install air conditioning if you live in a hot climate. Sorry, but
it's not healthy to be inside a boat when it's 90 degrees. In fact
studies show that temperatures above 85 degrees impact breathing and
mental processes.
7) Be comfortable. A sailboat is a home away from home if you cruise or
weekend. It's not some excuse to prove you can suffer. Make it
comfortable for the crew and yourself. Working sailors have always
brought as much of their homes as possible.

If anyone tells you other than the above, they're probably frustrated
frauds who think a boat somehow makes them better people. An asshole
like Scotty Potty or Loco buy a boat and simply become assholes with
boats.
So choose your boat wisely as I did. The 35s5 is not just one of the
fastest boats here, it's also one of the best designs for performance
cruising and daysailing.

Robert B
Beneteau 35s5
NY