These comments are in the google group so you can go check them! I
posted both good and bad since I don't need to embelish what is so
obviously a great boat! READ ON!


"To summarise my experiences with the boat - she is a 'difficult' boat
to sail well i don't think i ever thought i was sailing (racing) her at
10/10ths but then i might have been (these were the days without
integrated instruments (having them should help) - or ones that mere
mortals could afford) and i was expecting too much from the boat. If
i can say this without you taking this personally in 25+ years of
owning sailing and racing Bennies the 35s5 was the one i liked least.
Racing we regularly got trounced by a 33 foot Sigma and my First 35
would take the 35s5 apart comprehensively upwind across the wind and
downwind too and it was a pussy cat to sail. The reason i ended up
helming the 35s5 (in the winter series) was because it was always
behind me (in the spring and summer series) when i was racing the F35.
Also the interior is either a love or hate thing."

"In my neighborhood my 35s5 ( wing keel ) has done well scratch
against boats rating down to 100. It always takes silver. It's been
the top boat at the club since it came there. The boat will give you
what you are willing to put into it. I'm not a big fan of the wing
keel and the short rudder that make up the shoal draft pkg but you can
make it work. My observation has been that there have been a few
bad hulls but rather that there has been an abundant supply of bad
crews running otherwise good hulls."

"Perhaps the question that needs to be asked is does anybody have the
polar diagram for the 35s5 WK and same for the 35s5 DK

Lacking data everything else is subjective. What seems great to one may
be disappointing to another.

Bill"

"The First 38 in my area was even ( head to head ) with the 35s5. It
was well sailed. Apart from the weight and size the First 38 handles
well and feels good. Comparatively the 35s5 feels like a dingy
compared to the 38. The 38 is a good boat, but can't deal with a 35s5
in light air. The First 38 is a VERY good racer and rated lower than
the 35s5 W."

"The VPP for the wing keel would be interesting. I use the VPP for the
deep keel. The foils give up earlier upwind, but the numbers that I
am getting are consistantly close ( follow but slower ) to the VPP for
the deep keel. The numbers fall off a bit more downwind. The short
rudder holds the boat back in chop both up and down wind. . I sail
inland so that issue doesn't come around too often. "

"The 35s5 we crewed on won a lot of races. Pointed with everything, but
needed a serious crew to win, that's for sure. We bought one to cruise
because we liked it so much. Be prepared for a workout."

" The rating for a First 38 typically is in the mid teens in most areas
and the 35s5 is in the mid 120's so the rating spread is not that
much. Crew skill is a larger factor as a well sailed 35s5 or First 38
are both pretty fast boats."

" From the polar diagrams it is difficult to see any difference in the
performance of the boats. Indeed the performance is nearly identical.
The lead keel version has slightly more stability and slightly less
wetted surface. The deep lead version is a bit faster upwind and tight
reaching (2.5% faster). The performance downwind is nearly identical.
The lead keel version has less keel wetted surface but overall
displacement is greater so the total wetted surface is the same. If you
need any more information I will do my best to help you."

"Having owned a First 38 and sailed thousands of miles on it with my
wife and two pre teen children and cat and raced it and a 35s5 - for
sure the F35s5 could never live with a F38 boat for boat The F38 would
win all the time do remember a F38 is a 40 foot boat. My 38 was the
shallow draft version too :-)"

"The First 38 is a good boat. I never finished a race worse than
first in one. But in light to medium conditons I'll take the 35s5.
The two boats are totally different and shouldn't really be compared to
one another as they are that different. In scoring a whole lot is
going on..... bring out the 55 gallon drum, a 2x4 to stir the mix while
bringing it to a boil... and don't forget to wear the pointed hat.
:=)"

"If you race, the 35s5 will need each crew member to be skilled. I'm
sorry, it's not a forgiving boat. Do everything right, and she'll win a
lot. If you're not racing, just have fun passing most other cruisers in
most conditions."



MORE TO COME



Robert B
35s5
NY