# Looking for a sporty daysailer



## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

What would you suggest as a daysailer that can get up on plane, but not so tender as a racing dinghy? I'll admit to not having an interest in smaller boats until (don't laugh) playing around in SailSimulator 5 with it's Valk and Polyvalk. Primary use will be bopping around the bay and near coastal waters (Gulf of Mexico) by day, and maybe an overnighter or weekender or two.


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## nolatom (Jun 29, 2005)

Albacore?

Home | International Albacore Association


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## Sublime (Sep 11, 2010)

Or a Melges 24?


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

Yes, I started with looking at the Melges 24. They seemed a bit rare in the US used market, and so started broadening the search.

I read what little I could find on the Ultimate 20, which looks like a good initial match. The Colgate 26, surprisingly to me, is mentioned as having a planing hull (in Steve Colgate's book; I'm not sure how much of that to believe). There seems to be not much else on the market.

Am I just not looking for the right thing? Are the J/ boats, for example, all planing hulls? Or is it more that 20- to 25 ft boats can't actually get up on plane without overpowering it?


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

In my racing life there are some Melges 24s and Antrim 27s and yes they will plane and then take a good bit of abuse on the return trip


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## KiteRider (Jul 13, 2010)

If you can find one; a Mirage 5.5.

The now defunct Florida Mirage, not the Canadian one.

Great little boat with a swing keel and 190 SF of upwind sail.


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

Come to think of it, the thing in the game that makes the Valk so much fun was the two middle linebackers I assigned to it as crew. In real life, I don't know anyone that large willing to climb out on a trapeze.  

And so it was with this in my mind and heart that I heard "20 ft racing yacht" when my wife mentioned, a bit too casually I thought at the time, that she wanted to look into a daysailer. It turns out she meant only that our neighbor was selling her little dinghy.

I do thank all of you for your thoughts and suggestions. I will be back to follow this up, as I didn't even know I had an itch here that needed scratching.


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

Open 5.70?

Open 5.70 | Open Sailing News


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

Now you've done it. When I close my eyes, it's her sister, the Pogo2, that I see. (And now the itch has a name.)


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## Rangernewell (Oct 23, 2010)

Mirage 24....


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## Liquorice (Nov 28, 2007)

I've just spent a week in Mexico sailing a J80 all day and drinking all night.
Some of the best daysailing I've ever done!
sam


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

MikeWhy said:


> Now you've done it. When I close my eyes, it's her sister, the Pogo2, that I see. (And now the itch has a name.)


Mike, the Pogo 2 is an offshore racer, a boat that you can live inside and even cruise in a very spartan way. It is a boat that can take you anywhere.

Last year Alessandro circumnavigated in one, non stop.

That was not the boat that you were talking about, but it also can be used like a day sailer and it is a fast boat.

The first american's Pogo 2 are hitting the water. They are made under licence by Open sailing USA.

Pogo 2 USA 804 Launch | Open Sailing News

Here you have a used one fully prepared for racing. Price seems to high but they probably will sell for less:

Zero #726 For Sale

And here the site dedicated to the mini 6.5

Pogo 2 to the US of A

Keep dreaming and someday you will make it true

Regards

Paulo


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## Quickstep192 (Jan 6, 2001)

+1 on the J-80


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

Quickstep192 said:


> +1 on the J-80


Hey step, this is not a competition . I love the J80 but it its a completely different boat. To sail the J 80 fast you need at least two, specially downwind, ideally more. The J 80 is an offshore boat but not a boat adapted to make transatlantic passages.

The Pogo 2 is made to sail solo and to be fully exploited solo, it is much more easy to sail, as fast downwind solo as the J with a full crew and with a lesser pointing ability, but while on the J you need a crew on the rail, the Pogo 2 is designed to go solo upwind.

YouTube - J80 Training

YouTube - Extreme Sailing 19.6 knots on J80 - Yeehaaa!!!

YouTube - Pogo 2 NED633 Fast Downwind

YouTube - Pogo 2 NED633 Fast Downwind

Two great boats, different sailing pleasures, solo or fun with the guys; coastal and limited offshore or full bluewater sailing

You need to know what are the kind of sailing you want to do to chose the one that fulfill your dreams.

Regards

Paulo


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

Hi, Paulo. It certainly does seem to be quite the odd conversation. Question: Please suggest a good afternoon picnic wagon. Answer: Pogo2. 

Bear with me for a short while so I may explain myself. We own a 1/3 share in a Hunter 36. The daysailer (cum dinghy now) would fill the gaps when we're land bound but itching to sail. I came to realize some time ago that Joann won't ever cross an ocean with me, and frankly, the Hunter turns out not to be the boat I want to do it in.

From there, it's only a few short, straight, mental hops to concluding that a mini-TransAt is the ideal vehicle to cart her picnic basket around the bay. But that's the least part of what I expect it to do.


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Elan 210. $30k before shipping. Great speed, affordable, at least it will be when they figure out a rig to ship it to the states, beautiful interior and just the right size. Plus, it's a brand new boat, and I've yet to see a lady who would rather pick something old over something new. Lifting keel, good sail plan, assym chutes, etc. 

Buying a Mini for day sailing is like taking the Murcielago to the grocery store. It would be a waste. The mini is a platform that was specifically designed to be single handed for very long passages, not an afternoon trip. For the money (50k) you could get something that suits your needs a bit better.


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

how much dough do you want to spend? have you looked at the corsair line? my buddy has the f-24 and it is a blast to sail, on good friday we were making 14 knots w/o the screecher up.

View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

oh, and the main was reefed....


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

MikeWhy said:


> ...
> 
> From there, it's only a few short, straight, mental hops to concluding that a mini-TransAt is the ideal vehicle to cart her picnic basket around the bay. But that's the least part of what I expect it to do.


If you don't want to race in it the good option would be a small cruiser derived from 6.50. There are a lot of Europeans that think like you and there are here a lot of boats adapted to do what you want. Perhaps now that the Pogo 2 is made in US they would propose a small cruiser derived from it.

Just to give you an idea

Marée Haute - Django 7.70

Voiles et Voiliers : Essais et comparatifs - Vidéo voile - Django 770 : teaser de l'essai complet

YouTube - DJANGO 7.70 VOILIER ANNEE 2011

YouTube - MAREE HAUTE NEW DJANGO 7,70

http://www.mareehaute.fr/pdf/2010/Yaka650_300410.pdf

Marée Haute - Yaka 6.50

Day boat : voiliers Pichavant sont des bateaux facile et transportable

Regards

Paulo


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

There is a U20 here in Seattle for sale, I know the owner. NOT sure how SH doable it is. The E210 is getting some press for a small trailerable boat.

Marty


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

(Re. : mareehaute.fr... Gawd! That's pornography of the worst kind.  )

Thank you, everyone. I had little idea how very active the small boat segment was and is. There is much to think about and consider.


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## WDS123 (Apr 2, 2011)

In your region the Wavelength 24 might be a good first boat, not too much to handle but still a fine performance boat.


not a true day sailor, but will surf nicely.


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