TECHNICAL GOLDEN OLDIES

Ken Endean looks back on the boats he has owned over 50 years and explains why the hull lines of older yachts continue to offer first-class handling

- KEN ENDEAN 

Most of Britain’s yacht owners, both now and in the future, will be sailing boats built in the 1960s to 1980s, that are highly durable, structurally sound and capable of being restored and maintained to a high standard at a fraction of the cost of buying a new boat. And because there is a wide choice, potential buyers can take their time to choose a design that handles well – a quality greatly influenced by the hull shape. Amongst older craft, hundreds of Sabre 27s, Alacrity 18s and Hurley 22s are still afloat and capable of taking their owners to Cornwall, France, the Azores or beyond – safely and economically.

Looking back over the last 50 years, I’ve done most of my sailing in those three small yachts. Comparing their lines plans, you can see that the subtleties in their handling characteristics were directly linked to their underwater shapes.

Back in the 1970s, any review of a new yacht was likely to include a lines plan, and the reviewer would comment on its probable behaviour in the open sea. Nowadays, few lines plans are published and many hull shapes are dictated by the need to incorporate two double cabins aft. Reviews may record boat speed at varying wind strengths and wind angles but this is generally on flat-ish water and does not tell us how the craft will behave when a Force 5 is fighting a strong tidal stream in the Bristol Channel – especially if the skipper needs to carry out an emergency gybe. All three of our boats had twin keels, because we enjoy cruising between drying harbours and anchorages. The diagram right shows simplified lines plans, each with one longitudinal buttock line and two transverse sections, one through the forefoot (in the right-hand half of the sections) and one through the quarters (in the left-hand half).