Going slow with the family members does work. These boats will outlast all of us so there is no rush to try out all of the features. I am racing Murrelet (a Mac26x) on Island Series races this Winter in South Puget Sound both in fully ballasted and in unballasted condition. Tomorrow is a race around Hope Island but the real excitement will be Sunday when we likely will be planing in Budd Inlet (fully ballasted) - if the weather reports hold true. It would be great to see other MacGregor Yachts this week end. You can not imagine the number of former MacGregor Yachts owners in high positions running races in Puget Sound now. We get lots of encouragement and help from them as well as pain from anarchists.
If you are at all interested in the pain part see continued analysis of what happened owing to the 2002 drunken boaters case, resolved favorably for our cause (more Mac26x production) at http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread ... ge=1&pp=15. The thread is about TP52s but there is a connection to Mac26x cruisers which is explained at the top of the thread. The usual fans have recently become involved. Visit if you dare and can not sail this week end.
Murrelet in her first race unballasted. is shown above.
Catigale wrote:OUr first summer with the boat (our near maiden voyage) we got up to 9 mph GPS on a reach with all cloth up in 25-30 mph winds - held it for several seconds but there was a lot of heeling and rounding up...we bent a spreader too....
Stephen,
I completely understand your comment. I've had a few similar afternoons with the boat right at (I'm thinking) her maximum upwind performance. The last time we had the GPS at a steady 8+ mph on a close reach for 20 minutes or more - just occasionally kissing the 9. With plenty of added sail controls (like mast-erect, rigid vang and adjustable backstay) we maintained that tack. However, it required CB pulled aft some, and it was H*LL to tack without stalling in irons. This was in full whitecaps, est 18+ knots of wind, gusting.
However, for true bleed-yer-eyeballs, sailplaning performance, probably 17mph under sail, keep your channel tuned for next Monday's Puget Sound weekend race results
Look again at the graphic it is antimated, what a hoot.
FM, good luck racing. Perhaps you should take off the dodger and the radar tower if you really want to be competive against other 26Xs. You may have your main a little tight for such light winds.
does it make sense to punish folks during the times that there submissions are innocuous.... (or at least realtively so in this case)
Dont get me wrong, I'm all for a hearty discourse....
but generally issue by issue.....heheheeh
Even hair shirts need to be washed and hung to dry occasionally....
I know I am going to regret the above comment at some point.... But I have been on both sides.......TIs so much better to give than receive.......lol
I guess I better be real careful when I have a brain fog here.....
Difference between our speeds is you had a clue what you were doing...
we didnt.....
I have gotten Catigale up to good speed on a reach, close hauled (50 degrees to true) and goosewinged running but never planed her intentionally - not in my skill book yet.
Stephen,
Don't worry - you'll never need to worry about eye-bleeding sail-planing in this boat, or if you do, the hurricane at your back will be a much more imminent threat. The boat will plane at ~14 mph (motor definitely required) and anyone who believes it has happened under sail should call me about a terrific deal on a bridge for sale!
Has anybody credible been able to fly a spinnaker in 20+ mph winds with a Mac?
I've wanted to try it for several years along with a 150. Once you start downwind you should be able to dump the ballast. With no mainsail and cb up, it should be no more than being towed (really fast). If things get to hairy, just let go of the sheets and prepare for rapid deceleration. Anytime I've ever ask if anyone wanted to try it, they just shook their head and said I wasn't right. Anyone in central NC want to give it a try? I'm still game. (Not quite dumb enough to try it by myself.)
