DSK wrote:
Jeff wrote:
.... you want a boat the
gives the illusion of performing well while being poorly handled.

Actually that sounds like it could be fun.


Yeh, I was thinking of all the playing around I did just to show off
in my youth - single handing from the trapeze on a Tempest, for
instance. Or feathering upwind rather than really pushing, because
all I was after was the the big gust to take us downwind. The real
racers probably winced at my antics, but I had fun. My point is,
though, one should understand the difference.


OTOH it's also nice to have a boat that really scoots when well handled,
and lets you know what it likes.

Its funny, most of the time we don't think about it - we just got used
to doing 7-9 knots instead of 5-7, and we don't worry much about
getting in before dark. But every now and then I notice we've been
doing 10+ knots for a while and I remember this is a bit different
from the old Nonsuch.