Agent X 0 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I own a GP 26 in Hong Kong. Martinoli Design. We can either race or cruise easily just 2 up in 12 knt breeze...just let the main down the traveller, the boat still needs big jib for power. 15 kts with 3 onboard she starts to pick up speed, but need more weight for the big jib if we were racing. We race with 5 ( sometimes 4) and we are not hot shots but give the A 35 a good battle on the water...and one time beat a Kerr 40 on IRC. The boat is very stable upwind and sits on the chine, we need to keep weight back as the bow is very narrow. I owned a Elliot 770 before and she was always on her ear with smaller shorter keel (bulb 350kg @ 1.6m as opposed to total keel bulb of 500kg @ 1.9m ....and carbon mast). So this is terrific to have that extra leverage. We need more practice in stronger air....it's mostly breeze F 3-4 here! We have SMS rating now, and expect to do well against the magics. ( they give us 1:30s) We have 2 of the GP 26 s in HK now The other is Donovan design..arrived last week so we shall be comparing over the summer. Link to post Share on other sites
Agent X 0 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 From GP 26 owner: The boat is Cat 4 ...we have batteries and nav lights....great music....cabin for beers and sail storage....bucket fcilities....( important for girls) In a blow..( getting up to near offshore conditions..mid 20 kts...main trimmer is working hard upwind, everyone hiking VERY hard....and downwind the steering is very sensitive on my boat ( keel and rudder very close ) so need to react super fast to prevert wipe out...but that's OK so long as you know it and can pump the rudder. We need 6 inboard in a blow...but have not yet tried. I know wih he Elliot 770, with 6 this made unbelievable improvement. For me the boat is great cos we can either race ( everyone likes th look of the boat ..always usefull for attracting crew) or we can have fun sailing 2 up at the weekends in F 3-4 ...spinnaker is no problem when not racing round the cans. I used to do some laser racing in HK...so for me I find boring those IRC type race boats we have here in HK. Link to post Share on other sites
Agent X 0 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 From GP 26 owner. ....I know it's sad to respond to own emails so many times To be clear.... GP 26 is box rule design...it is not a class boat. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Photos?and what is the box? Link to post Share on other sites
Battleship 100 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Here is a photo of the Donovan GP26 they are advertising them for 50k landed in the US, great new design rule looks to be the next 1/4 tonner, very fast designs. Video is of an Australian design to the same rule. Link to post Share on other sites
Agent X 0 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Correction to first posting - we have a good battle with X35, not A35 (archambault). The X 35 rates 1.045, and we are 1.053 on IRC...even though we seldom/never get up to afterburner speed. The A35's here rate 1.034, and 1.030 and we have not raced against them yet. Link to post Share on other sites
Battleship 100 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 No need to get to excited agent X most people here probably don't know what an A35 or X35 is. I don't even know if any are in the country. Link to post Share on other sites
Agent X 0 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 http://www.grandprix26.com/rule.html Here is the link to the box rule. The box has limits on height, width, length, weight for hull, foils, rig, sails.... Here are the designs so far http://www.grandprix26.com/boats.html Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Nice lines. Fast. But does it have a double bed? Link to post Share on other sites
Atom Ant 0 Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 It's always about sex with you isn't it M? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 And your point is? Actually the question is are there enough people in NZ prepared to front up with the cash to get a new class past critical mass? Link to post Share on other sites
Hurts 6 Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Actually the question is are there enough people in NZ prepared to front up with the cash to get a new class past critical mass? Yes hopefully - it's called the 8.5M Open class.... Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 It's always about sex with you isn't it M? Does the Ant have a double bed? Link to post Share on other sites
Atom Ant 0 Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 It's always about sex with you isn't it M? Does the Ant have a double bed? 2. It used to have 3 but I removed the one from the bow in favor of sail storage as the Ant does have - ahem - quite a few sails. Besides who wants 3 couples in a 9 metrre yacht? It would be easy enough to convert it back for the masochistic or orgy minded. Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 It's always about sex with you isn't it M? Does the Ant have a double bed? 2. It used to have 3 but I removed the one from the bow in favor of sail storage as the Ant does have - ahem - quite a few sails. Besides who wants 3 couples in a 9 metrre yacht? It would be easy enough to convert it back for the masochistic or orgy minded. Ahem. I rest my case. Link to post Share on other sites
Norwegian Blue 10 Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 So is there anyone locally looking at a GP 26 design? 50k Euro for the Turkish built boats make it appear affordable. Apologies if this has been discussed in another thread. From all my reading it would appear that the mini 650s are not really suited to harbour racing whereas with a Box rule like the GP 26 you could get a locally designed boat that is fun to fling around the harbour and would do nicely for the SSANZ triple and maybe the coastal classic? Link to post Share on other sites
Norwegian Blue 10 Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 OK, so a bit more searching and I found a few more threads. It looks like high cost was still a limiting factor for local and the strong dollar makes the euro versions look artificially cheap...... Link to post Share on other sites
Kiteroa 8 Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Looks very cool. Although it's still a $77k daysailer and that figure may not include sails. It would be hard to get one past the missus when the likes of an SR is still only $25-30k. Would be really cool to have a fleet in NZ..... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest mental outlook Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 This would smack an SR bigtime. The reason we are still sailing around in 20 year old boats here is because people think exactly what you have posted. That is just a false economy. This is a brand new race boat, higher tech construction, carbon rig etc etc. An SR is old, low tech and and wouldn't even be comparable to a GP26. Not everyone wants a double bed or to take it cruising. Personally I think these would make a great fleet down here and are within reach of a lot of people. We just need to move on from wanting something that does everything for nothing. The rest of the world has. Link to post Share on other sites
Hurts 6 Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Some of those SR's have been upgraded through the years and are quite tech'd up... If the 20yr old boats still perform thier task and then why replace them? What is this boat for exactly? You can't do off shore or coastal in it (I'm assuming you could not get cat 3). If you really want to finish first you'd buy a multi If you really like hooning about in a mono you have sport boats and skiffs.... Link to post Share on other sites
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