*Performance* encompasses a lot more than just going fast. I'll take
the
Swan any day.

Wow...you really went out on a limb there! Next you'll tell us that
you'd take Pam Anderson over Judy Dench.

But Chantiers Beneteau's claim that they are great offshore
passagemakers is more advertising hype than reality.

Honestly, we won't take Thomas into dangerous conditions offshore in
any boat.

Now that
you own one, there are few boats that can compare with your 35s5.
Sounds
like owner prejudice, plain and simple, to me.

That IS a VERY valid point. In this case it came down to education
about some of the Beneteau line. I don't have a high opinion of the
latest Beneteau boats, especially the Oceanus series. Did you know that
brokers are currently fighting with BeneteauUSA to make fit and finish
improvements because quality has fallen badly? Go look at a new
one...even a First series. Mark at Doyle loved the way his 36.7 sailed,
but said the interior is crap compared to my boat. Of course we
observed this ourselves. He himself laughed that he was a Beneteau
basher...and then he sailed a first series boat. The combo of
performance and cruisability for these waters is essentially unmatched
anywhere near the price.
Go ahead...try to match it. Doug couldn't.
That's not to say the 35s5 is ideal for everyone. It's a handful at
times and requires more work to sail than say a Catalina 40 or Island
Packet 35. But that's what we wanted!
All I can add is that we took Windward First out in some pretty heavy
wind and chop and it was simply a blast! Reefed under main alone, she
still sailed like a quick dinghy and aside from the howling wind, it
was very relaxed and composed. This is a great boat for the LIS area.

RB
35s5
NY