1983 Hull or New Hull???

IntensitySails

IntensitySails

Member
I bought a 1983 boat a year ago and have not felt held back by it until this past weekend. I noticed there are no other older hulls in front of me in the standings. Only behind me.....
So it gets me thinking about spending alot of money for a new/er hull.

My question is, has anyone seen immediated improvement by moving up to a new/er hull from an old hull or am I just going to have a lighter wallet and still be where I would be in my older boat?
 
If it were me, I'd make sure the existing hull is still dry, bottom w/o major scratches and stiff (in the deck area where you sit/hike and in the bow area of the hull and under the cockpit). If it is, then moving to a new boat may help psychologically, but may not actually be any faster.

The hull stiffness really didn't play a role in races 3,4,5 last weekend (in the lighter breeze, smooth water)

I'd also be checking the other pieces to make sure they were good - starting with the sail - Most of the guys in the top 15 had good race sails, less then a season's worth of sailing. I'd make sure my spars weren't bent and that my blades were fair and smooth.

With all that said and done, the most important thing left is improving my skill level. If I'm getting second row starts, missing shifts, sailing poorly, it's not going to matter if I have a brand new boat or a soft beater...
 
I'm in the same boat as you...

I have a '76 that i've been sailing locally and regionally. Locally, it is perfectly competitive. However, when i took it to Marblehead JRW, I ended up finishing pretty poorly (for a number of reasons, namely that it was only my 2nd time in the boat) but i also was the only one with an older hull, period. In fact, i was the only one with an old hull, old control lines, and not brand-new sail. I did notice a small lack in boatspeed. However, i sailed a club race series where my brother thought it would be funny to un-screw the drain plug, and with a couple of gallons of water in the hull, the radial rigs i was racing against were going past my full rig like it wasn't even moving. My hull is still not dry, even after a month of baking in the sun in my yard, complete with a computer fan in the hull. I think it is much more important to have the boat dry, weighing in at what it's supposed to (135lbs) and making sure the hull is as smooth as it can be.

Other than that, I try to use reverse psycology- "if I can beat someone with this crappy old boat, I can beat even more people in a brand-new one!" (this is also a good argument for junior sailors and their parents- "dad, I should've won that big shiny trophy, and i was better than the guy who won first place, but my boat was too slow!)
 
My sail and spars are one year old. The foils are also one year old. My boat is dry but I m not sure how stiff it is in comparison. I make no claims to perect starts or exceptional boat handling. I have done better though so I am working through possible solutions. One of which is a new hull....
 
i think you need to compare the boat to a new one before considering spending money on a new hull, i.e. weight, stiffness
 
Before you spend money on a new boat, I would practice so that you're having good starts, and your boat-handling is good. Like I said, in local regattas it won't make a difference. You'll only start to notice the drawbacks if you're sailing regionally or nationally. Tell yourself you have to earn the good boat, not that the boat will earn you.
 
We have about 20 boats out on a typical Wednesday night. Many people have learned in old boats, languished in the back of the fleet, bought new boats and moverd up instantly. Typically the dead last guys move to the back end. The mid fleet guys move to the competitive front section. The guys who were usually near the top win more often.
The enthusiasm of a new boat owner should probably not be dismissed as a factor.
The new sail that comes with a new boat is absolutely a factor.
If there are choppy waves the new hull is a factor.I usually have a fairly new hull under my fat butt. On occasion I have refurbished a clunker and taken it out for the races. When I sail boats so flexible I can feel the waves rolling under my feet, I get clobbered in the same conditions where I usally can find my way to the back end of the front.
In heavy breeze I usually break something on an old boat, so I rarely take one out in big winds.
 
Years ago I had a 1976 boat that was in good shape. I sailed it for about a year and then bought a 1994 boat out of the box new. I went instantly from mid fleet finishes to winning most races. My tactics changed none. New boats are faster, stiffer. Sailing ability does matter however! If you stink you'll smell just as bad in a new boat as old, but if you are good/decent you'll see and feel the difference/improvement of the new boat. If you are a rockstar you'll still beat up the local club guys in their new gear with your old beater.
 
styluscentral said:
So is the consensus that a new hull will improve one's finishes?
Click to expand...

I'd say the concensus is new hulls are faster. However, if you are a poor sailor they most likely will not improve your finish position.
 
About how much will a new boat improve your finishes Locally as opposed to regionally and nationally? I know i'm a better sailor than my regional finishes show, but i don't know how much of a difference it makes. I have a good sail/spars, and my '76 hull is in very good shape-the gelcoat is smooth. Anyone with numbers or experience?
 
Seems basically to do with stiffness then does it? I know my old boat was a 1984-build, and cracked the bonding between deck and hull about three years in... we dug it out and re-did it at home, and it didn't trouble me again (boat sold in 2002, still winning the odd junior series around the place I hear.... never went that good when I had it!)

Seriously, I've known people, one in particular, whose boat selection (from their collection of three or four) in particular meetings was based on known parameters... Exhibit A had one old stager which was grossly (say 20lb) overweight, but just the ticket for charging into a 6' swell and 25knot nor'easter... good sailor, known boat, hard to beat.
 
I think that all that matters in a hull is that it is stiff, dry and light.
The boat that i sailed in my last regatta was heavy and leaked. I had perfect starts and i picked the sides perfectly, but i was still ending up in the back of the pack. I would round the weather mark in 5th or 6th andd then wath boats roll right over me becaue my boat was probably 20 pounds heavier, and it had scratches all over the bottom. Plus i think that buying a new boat might give you a mental edge because you think you might be going faster.

my 2 cents
 
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