Please don't let me be misunderstood....
Sven,
Please accept my apologies if I said something offensive to you-that was not my intention. I value you as someone who was kind enough to do business with me, and my hope is that you will always be glad you did.
My comments about my "miles" are totally tongue in cheek-One thing I can say is that I rarely take myself or whatever experience I may have too seriously. I have been humbled by boats and the sea too many times to be full of myself.
None of the scenarios I have referred to in this thread include sailing with a full crew of big guys.
I never meant to suggest that the advantages of ANY configuration render any others moot. I DID mean to say, and this is the important point-is that there are no absolutes when it comes what is desireable in an offshore boat. And even more so, the keel configuration is not something you can isolate from the overall design-it must function as a whole. That is why some of the WORST sea boats ever built have full keels and some of the best have deep fins-and vice versa...you simply cannot look at one feature in a vacuum. This is the main point I meant to convey-and not much more.
So, while I certainly don't want to risk being pulverized and obliterated, I guess I look at it differently than you(but not from a racing point of view)-I do not see fin keel vs long keel as 2 ends of a spectrum-nor do I accept the proposition that the mere fact of a longer shallower keel implies any additional safety or stability. It does not.
If I were to state my personal preference, it would be for a modern hull shape of moderate displacement, with a reasonably deep fin keel, but with a hull shape/keel configuration that produced good directional stability. On boats of about 45 feet and under, I would even opt for an outboard rudder!!!! It is very easy to carry and install a spare if needed...makes for a more self-sufficient boat....
Having said all this, my personal preference for a more performance oriented boat for offshore sailing does not come from a racing perspective, but a safety perspective. I know people differ on this point in terms of degree, but there is little doubt that the potential for damage increases exponentially with the number of hours a boat is exposed to bad weather, and those that have the speed to move away from severe weather will sufer less damage and risk. In some cases, there may a penalty in terms of a more robust motion, but I also think this is exaggerated by many. Unless we are talking boats like the Volvo 70's-with very violent motion, most moderate displacement performance oriented boats give a very acceptable ride at sea.
The men and women who race 60 foot and larger boats around the world alone or doublehanded probably do not consider this activity a diversion, and I would also offer that almost every technological advance enjoyed by offshore cruisers today is the result of things discovered on racing boats.
This does mean the experiences of racers are any more valid than those of cruisers, or vice versa. Any time spent at sea in a small sailboat-racing or cruising, is valuable time.
Most important to me, however, is to respect all types of sailing (and I do), and whatever positions I may take are based strictly on the experiences I have had with full realization that there are no (or very few) absolute rules when it comes to yacht design, or sailing technique. I don't claim to right about everything-I just offer my perspective-it is up to each of us to absorb as much info as we can, and make our own decisions.
However, if you still feel the need, fire away!!!
S
