andrews 65 sailboat

Published on July 20th, 2021 | by Editor

Slow edition for Chicago Mackinac Race

Published on July 20th, 2021 by Editor -->

The Chicago Yacht Club’s 112th Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust was a slow race along its 289.4 nautical mile course from Chicago to Mackinac Island, with primarily upwind wind angles that saw the breeze going from decent at the starts to completely dead at some points near the Manitou Islands, offering windless holes that stranded some of the fleet’s 231 boats longer than others.

“We didn’t get to race last year (because of the pandemic), but this year we got to sail twice as long,” joked one of the 3000 or more sailors that started racing either in Cruising Division on Friday (July 16) or in all other Divisions on Saturday (July 17).

The iconic race, the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world, starts from the Chicago Lighthouse off Navy Pier and ends at Round Island Lighthouse off Mackinac Island. In 2021, it was indeed longer in the sense that the bulk of the fleet finished Monday night (July 19) and early Tuesday morning (July 20), with some arriving in just enough time to take a shower and grab a nap before Tuesday’s afternoon awards party.

“The forecast was for it to be a very tactical race, and it didn’t disappoint,” said Race Chair Martin Sandoval. “Were there times the competitors wanted to see more wind? Yes. But they recognize there is a mental challenge to adapting a plan as you go to meet the conditions.

“Once the wind filled in from the west (after the Manitou Islands), folks in the Mackinac Straights made it in two hours to the bridge. It mixed up the results for sure; there were some different names in the winner’s circle.”

At stake were bragging rights in 20 “sections” (otherwise known as classes) for Cruising, Racing, One-Design, Multihull, and Doublehanded boats and the glory that comes with winning overall in the Cruising and Racing Divisions, the latter category further divided into those sailing for the prestigious Chicago-Mackinac Trophy and those sailing for the similarly coveted Mackinac Cup.

First to finish just before midnight (Chicago time) on Sunday (July 18) was Eagle One with Timothy LaRiviere (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) at the helm. The Andrews 65, which also finished first overall in Cruising and first in Cruising 1, outpaced the largest boat in the fleet, Peter Thornton’s 104’ Bruce King-designed ketch Whitehawk, which finished next, around 9:15 the following morning.

When asked what stood out as his favorite part of the race, an exhausted LaRivere said, “The start, the finish (pause), and everything in between!”

The finish line was sighted from the Mackinac Island shore to the Round Island Light located in the shipping lanes of the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Oakcliff’s Max Z86 OC86, led by newly named National Sailing Hall of Fame Inductee Dawn Riley (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) was the first of the racing division boats to finish (just before 11:30 on Monday). The boat finished ninth in Section 1, where the team aboard Natalie J, a PAC 52, prevailed over what it called the favorites to win: Vesper and Windquest, both Transpac 52s.

The Nelson/Marek 55 Fishtales, in Section 2, was another “unlikely” winner, not only because of its size relative to its competitors, including several Santa Cruz 70s, but also because it was the last boat up the lake for hours after the upwind start in 12-14 knots of north/northwesterly breeze.

“We didn’t have the speed to match the bigger boats in that condition,” said the boat’s skipper Mike Fisher (Lake Leelanau, Mich.), “but we stuck with it…later in the race it became a battle of getting through the light stuff.”

Fishtales, like many other boats, decided to go west of the Manitou Islands, which mark a critical juncture in the race and are typically left to port. “It was a longer route, but we wanted to stay with the competition,” he said, adding that the lighter wind eventually veered to south/southwest and strengthened to as much as 18-20 knots in the Straits of Mackinac.

That stronger breeze is what put the Mackinac Cup in the hands of Scott Sellers (Larkspur, Calif.) and his crew aboard the J/111 nosurprise (also winner in J/111s).

“No Quarter and Pterodactyl, which eventually finished 2-3 behind us, went inside the Manitou Islands, which was the right move at that particular time,” said Sellers, who had his 13-year-old daughter Merritt aboard for her first Mac Race. (There were three parent/child combinations in the eight-person crew) “We went outside and came out of it third behind them. At Gray’s reef, we were two miles behind the leader.”

Nosurprise’s adversaries sailed with Code Zero sails, but Sellers and crew decided on a reaching spinnaker, which paid off. “We passed second place, then sailed up to No Quarter two miles before the Mackinac Bridge. After they switched to a spinnaker, too, we started match racing; in the final six miles, we changed leads three times, but with a puff at the end, we beat them by 100 yards.”

Taking home the Chicago-Mackinac Trophy was the Ericson 35 MK II Providence (also winner of Section 9), co-skippered by the father/son team of Jerry and Greg Miarecki (Chicago).

“An old adage with respect to winning this race is that it’s 1/3rd the boat, 1/3rd skill, and 1/3rd luck,” said Greg Miarecki. “If you were to talk to me halfway through, I would have said it was crazy to think we’d win overall.”

Miarecki described his team giving the Manitou Islands a wide berth to the west. The boat always had speed while doing that, but there were times on Sunday where it was becalmed for short amounts of time. The team didn’t take the lead until the last third of the race.

“More of a disadvantage to us than the fact if was lighter vs. heavier air was the significant amount of upwind work we had to do with an older boat,” said Miarecki.

Providence was built in 1970 but is still a warhorse. She has completed 43 Chicago Mac races and has placed in her section 21 times, winning her section six times. She also won her division in 2012, 2013, and 2014, becoming the first boat in 60 years to win her division in three consecutive years.

Andy Graff and Scott Eisenhardt aboard the J/88 Exile won the Doublehanded, while the Cris White 44 Caliente, skippered by Michael Steck (Naperville, Ill.), was deemed winner in Multihull.

“We both drive, call tactics and handle the bow, pit and trim, so it’s good that we are interchangeable that way,” said Graff about his two-handed experience with Eisenhardt, “but we don’t sleep at all.”

The “Chicago Mac” is widely considered a Bucket List race, but alternatively, many sailors are so used to including it on their calendars that they can’t remember when exactly they first became addicted to it.

The Island Goat Sailing Society takes seriously its responsibility for keeping track of “Old Goats,” those who have sailed 25 or more Chicago Mac races, and indeed there are those who have 35, 45, even 65 of the races under their sailing belts.

This year, 92-year-old Gene McCarthy sailed his 66th Chicago Mac on his Tartan 10 Island Goat Express. He’s now top of the list in the Island Goats Sailing Society . “This could easily be my last race,” said McCarthy, who finished 11th in Section 10, “but I do it because I can sail with my family. Anyone can race the Mac, and a lot of families do it, generation after generation. It’s a wonderful way to experience offshore sailing.”

Race details – Division Results – Section Results – Tracking – Facebook

Source: Media Pro

Tags: Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

Related Posts

Silly to race a boat you already know →

Another year from Chicago to Mackinac →

Slow motion from Chicago to Mackinac →

Bringing a victory back to the family →

© 2024 Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. made by VSSL Agency .

• Privacy Statement
• Advertise With Us

Get Your Sailing News Fix!

Your download by email.

• Your Name...
• Your Email... *
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Home > Find Your Sail > Search by Make and Model > Andrews > Andrews 65 (Wiggers Built)

Andrews 65 (Wiggers Built)

" * " indicates required fields

Step 1 of 3

Let's Get to Know Each Other

Let's connect, why it's important to partner with a designer on your andrews 65 (wiggers built) sail.

The design is the most critical part of your new sail. Ensuring the sail fits and performs its best is a must for our crew. The Precision Sails Design team are experts at their craft. Unlike other sail lofts all of our sailors work one-on-one with a designer to perfect their Andrews 65 (Wiggers Built) sail.

No Two Andrews 65 (Wiggers Built) Sails Are Alike

There are many factors that affect the performance and design of your sails. Location, sailing experience, and weather conditions all come into play when picking the perfect sail. Two mainsails made for two Andrews 65 (Wiggers Built)’s in California and Florida will have different designs, sailcloth, and options based on what is best for the sailor.

Taking measurements is easy. All sailors work alongside our measurement team to measure and confirm their rig specs. This helps ensure your design is flawless and allows us to extend our Perfect Fit Guarantee to all of our sailors.

Discover the best cloth for your sailing needs, our sail details, or more about how Precision Sails is leading the sail-making industry with innovative new practices.

Proudly offering the largest selection of sailcloth in the industry, our team is always available to help you find your perfect sail. Whether you're a weekend sailor, coastal cruiser, or club racer our team is ready to walk you through the process.

Types of Sails

Precision Sail Loft specializes in producing headsails, mainsails, spinnakers, gennakers, and code zeros. So no matter the type of sail you’re looking for, we can help. Our sails are trusted by cruisers and racers alike from around the globe. Review the sail options and craftsmanship available to customize your dream sail.

Build & Process

Every sail we craft is produced to the highest standards with the best hardware, craftsmanship, and skill-set in the industry. Pair that with Precision Sails' approach to communication and your sailboat will be ready to set sail before you know it.

Unparalleled Commitment To Helping Sailors

As experts in design, communication, and production our team is ready to take on the task of making sails for your boat. Give us a call to get started.

“ I just received my asymmetrical spinnaker, with sock and turtle bag, along with a new 135 Genoa. The entire process was simple and both sales and the design team were in regular contact if there were any questions. The customer portal was easy to use and lets you keep track of where in the process your sails are. Great sails, great service -Graham Edwards (Facebook)

“ The whole team at Precision Sails was fantastic from start to finish. We’ve had a laminate main and genoa made so far and have a spinnaker on the way. They listened carefully to our needs and recommended a great sail cloth. We couldn’t have gotten more bang for our buck! -Noah Regelous (Google)

“ We received our spinnaker and launched it yesterday and I just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with it. The service we received from your company was exceptional and the quality of your product is second to none. We will certainly be return customers in the next few months to replace our main and jib sails and will recommend your company to all our sailing buddies. Once again-thank you.” -Daniel Jackson (Google)

“ we had good communication during the planning stages and the knowledgeable people at precision sails really got me fixed up good! The sails look and work fabulous! my boat sails better than it ever had! couldn’t be more pleased with the product AND the service!” -Fred Jelich (Facebook)

“ Our new furling jib for a Corsair 27 Had to be specially designed due to the height of the furler, but this was accomplished quickly and in short order we had our sail which fits beautifully and has a great shape. It’s everything we could have wanted, high tech design, thoughtfully executed and affordable.” -Nancy Y. (Yelp)

Request a Andrews 65 (Wiggers Built) Quote

Looking to buy a new headsail or mainsail for your Andrews 65 (Wiggers Built)? Request a free quote from Precision Sails for a new custom sail. Our team will work with you to design the perfect sail for you.

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Swan 65 test: The triumphant return of a true sailing icon

• Toby Hodges
• June 20, 2019

Can a yacht be all things to all sailors? Give it the illustrious Swan 65 badge and maybe it can

We tested the Swan 65 in 11-18 knots off Barcelona. Photo: Klaus Andrews

If it hadn’t been for the original Swan 65, Nautor’s Swan might never have become the famous name it is today. Sayula II ’s victory in the first ever Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973/1974 cemented the Finnish boatbuilder’s exalted reputation.

There is, therefore, some historical weight in giving a new model the Swan 65 badge. While Nautor’s latest launch is not about to win a global race, it is designed in the spirit of that original S&S-designed 65, as a cruiser that can win races.

When Sayula II was built in 1972 it was easily the largest glassfibre yacht on the market – this despite Swan having produced its first yacht, a 36-footer, only a few years earlier. With 4m more waterline length, extra beam carried right aft and substantially greater freeboard, today’s Swan 65 has substantially greater volume than its predecessor. Yet, in a sign of the times, it is only a modest-sized model in Nautor’s current range, which now extends to twice its length.

A shallow but wide toerail, combined with generous freeboard, helps keep the decks relatively dry. Photo: Nico Martinez

This gulf in volume, hull and deck design reflects a change in demand from sailors, who were originally looking for seaworthy ocean racing yachts that could be cruised but now seek comfortable and spacious cruising yachts that can occasionally race.

The Swan 65 is designed by Frers to meet broad appeal and joins a growing list of new 60ft+ models aimed at being the largest size that can still be sailed by an owner. However, it offers greater versatility than most in that it should be equally suited to Mediterranean or ocean cruising, yet be capable of regatta racing, and has the option of a proper crew cabin in the accommodation.

Take the Dutch owners of this first boat, for example: experienced sailors who have owned a ClubSwan 45 and a Swan 601. Although they will compete in the Middle Sea Race, they primarily wanted a larger yacht for short-handed distance cruising and will use a part-time skipper to maintain the boat.

Article continues below…

Baltic 67 review: Finnish superyacht yard goes back to its roots with no-compromise cruiser

Were money no object and you wanted the ultimate yacht for long-term cruising, what would you choose? How large could…

Dufour 56 Exclusive review: Smooth cruiser offers both style and substance

In some respects, Dufour yachts used to be a bit like the early Citroën cars: different, slightly quirky and created…

Comparisons in shape, style and appeal can be drawn with the new Baltic 67 . The owners of this first Swan 65 opted for the same APM telescopic keel and Hall carbon rig with in-boom furling mainsail. But whereas the Baltic is largely built in carbon and has a price tag that reflects its semi-custom build, Nautor prefers a glassfibre hull for a cruising yacht of this size for better noise insulation.

The contemporary hull and deck design also shares similarities with the Baltic. Their sheer size – notably in beam and freeboard – is striking. The Swan 65’s sheerline rises distinctly forward to a bowsprit, which protrudes a lofty 2m above the waterline. The freeboard height allows for a low-profile coachroof above the semi-raised saloon, but it does present a boarding challenge.

Seven Swan 65s were sold off the plans alone, an indication of the Finnish/Italian company’s popularity since it made the crucial decision to separate its models into bluewater cruisers , 80ft+ maxis and ClubSwan racing yachts. Astonishingly, it has another five new designs in construction from 36-125ft.

Two powered winches for running rigging with compact tail stowage below. Photo: Nico Martinez

Sailing a Swan is always a privilege, but I felt especially lucky to have ideal testing conditions – it was a beautiful spring day, with a fresh Force 5 blowing, as we departed EMV Badolona, Swan’s new service and refit centre near Barcelona.

It was only the second time the sails had been hoisted and we had the opportunity to trial Cuordisole before it was handed over to its owners the following week. So the first hour or so was spent gingerly reaching off the breeze under full sail, not wishing to push anything too quickly.

11 knots of comfort

The hull shape is designed for low heel angles. Photo: Klaus Andrews

In 15-18 knots true wind we were swiftly and consistently averaging 10.5-11.5 knots at 100-110 ° true, with a comfortable 15 ° of heel. These figures are in line with what Frers and Swan predict: that this high, beamy hull shape should be stable and produce low heeling angles typically around 20 ° . The theory is this makes for a comfortable ship aboard which to spend long periods sailing at heel.

I was keen to put the theory into more dynamic practice, and once I knew the skipper was happy, I asked if we could heat things up a bit and spend some time close-hauled.

Wow! Despite the stability designed into the hull shape, when the Swan 65 does power-up and heel, you know about it! With the full sails pinned in and nearly 30 knots of apparent wind across the deck, we pushed it until we heeled to 30 ° . From high up on the windward helm, you become very aware of the cockpit beam, and much reliance is placed on the large foot braces.

The power in the mainsail is impressive. The test boat had a small square-top to its main – a full square-top option is offered for racing. Despite pressing the boat, there was no hint of it losing grip, however you soon learn to respect and trim the heel angle. Heel too much and you pay a price in both comfort and speed.

Depowering the main levelled the boat out and we watched the speed rise to over 9 knots at around 40 ° true. The owner’s choice of a captive mainsheet, controlled via joystick on each pedestal, made it quick and effortless to dial down the power.

The hull is beamier than usual with a higher freeboard, for stability and headroom. “When I started [designing] headroom needed to be 1.85m – now it’s up to 2.15m inside,” designer Germán Frers explained, while describing the Swan 65’s form stability.

“When it heels the centre of buoyancy moves higher and further outboard than deeper, narrower designs and this increases the righting arm. As you load the boat the stability increases with beam. The wider arm increases the GZ, which is why we don’t load the boat with ballast.”

The coachroof is low enough to allow unhindered forward visibility from both helms. Photo: Nico Martinez

Smooth speed

Frers was rationalising the particularly low ballast ratio of 24.1 on the Swan 65 and explaining how the stability of modern hull shapes can increase with load where the ballast ratio diminishes.

“Ballast ratio was used a lot with old shapes, where everything saved on the interior went into lead. Now they [the hulls] are very stable up to 120 ° . We didn’t want to increase the ballast because it becomes more jerky and is hard work.”

The motion certainly felt smooth through the waves, but keep it sailing at a civilised heel angle and it was the consistency of speed that proved telling. We had some long spells of two-sail reaching where the regularity of sitting at double-figure speeds impressed me.

When the breeze picked up to 18-22 knots true, average speed increased to 11.5 knots. If we could bear away and hold the apparent breeze enough to hop onto a cross wave, the log would surge up to over 13 knots.

Flush fitting deck hatches give clean lines and allow plenty of light below decks. Photo: Klaus Andrews

This is when the magic happened – not in an instant lightning bolt sort of way, but in a growing familiarity sense. The more time you spend on the wheel the more you enjoy it and the more you discover how this Swan likes to be sailed. It’s both a forgiving yacht and one that responds to and rewards trim.

The mast has been brought aft and pierces the coachroof, to allow for larger non-overlapping foresails and for powerful reaching sails to be set off the bowsprit. It’s a sail plan that looks and feels balanced.

Equally, twin rudders result in a light feel on the helm, but the blades are large and deep enough to communicate pressure increases and provide manoeuvrability in harbour. The result of the Frers team’s analysis concluded that a single rudder on this hull shape would need to be too deep. “Twin rudders are more efficient with less angle and diminished drag,” Germán Frers explained.

A dry, clean deck

Large foot braces even things up for Toby when the yacht is heeled

The high bow helps keep the decks dry, while the extension of the coachroof into long coamings aft gives the helmsman and trimmers a nice dry perch.

The standard cockpit layout has a central mainsheet plinth, between the two wheels; however, the Harken captive winch system this owner had opted for works effectively.

The electric winch is installed under the galley sole, with the sheet running up the mast, along the boom and down to a single point in the cockpit.

This helps keep a clear cockpit and works well for short-handed sailing as it provides joystick control of the system from each pedestal. The helmsman can also sit forward of the pedestal and steer and trim both sails if desired.

Two powered winches are neatly set into the coamings on each side for foresail trim and running rigging. Lines are all led aft, including the tack line, which has a side-mounted jammer that punctuates an otherwise clean side deck.

A compact locker below the side deck has the tough task of stowing all the tail ends, and there’s a dedicated liferaft locker below the forward part of the cockpit sole.

Cockpit benches are long and wide, but not especially deep. The owner of the test boat opted for a removable table to keep cockpit access clear, whereas a fixed table and/or the bridgedeck option might perhaps better suit family cruising.

An open transom combined with a beamy aft cockpit design is the current trend but one that prioritises coastal/Med sailing over ocean cruising. The Swan 65 has triple-height aft guardrails, but my concern is that, with no fixed mouldings across this aft section of cockpit, these rails would do little to stop rope tails or unsecured items being washed over the transom.

The side deck guardrails conform to requirements at 61cm, however higher rails here would give a greater sense of security for crew using the side decks at sea.

The transom garage holds a 2.8m inflated tender. Photo: Nico Martinez

The garage is accessed from the transom door, with a large deck hatch above, and is wide enough to stow a 2.8m inflated dinghy. The sail locker is even more cavernous, with standing headroom and a watertight bulkhead aft. It creates superb stowage for offwind sails and fenders, or provides the option of a crew cabin.

The slight problem we experienced with hoisting the main and an issue of air in the fuel – both understandable considering this was only the yacht’s second outing – merely demonstrated the occasional need for extra hands on a yacht this size.

Quality of finish

The design and engineering needed to create the multiple below decks options Nautor’s Swan offers is of the highest degree, matched only by the superb quality of finish. A focus with the Swan 65 was on designing this range of options to achieve one deck, one coachroof and one central section of boat. “If every boat is a new boat, you never get the quality,” reasoned Vanni Galgani, product line leader for Swan Yachts.

The semi-raised saloon allows for genset and large tanks to be installed below the sole

Galgani explained that Nautor’s Swan now tries to avoid any customisation on yachts less than 80ft, as it is time-consuming, costly, and bad for resale value. It prefers to provide pre-engineered solutions, which help centralise weight and optimise the systems layout. This also allows for a variety of accommodation solutions, which notably includes a forward or aft owner’s cabin.

The semi-raised saloon and transverse galley work particularly well. Their combined length of over 5m creates a great impression of space. I was below decks as we punched out through a sharp swell at the marina entrance, and appreciated the solid handholds on the roof and fiddles around the furniture and worktops. For a voluminous interior it still felt practical at heel.

The galley is a sociable, airy place to prepare, cook and serve food. It has long, fiddled worksurfaces with space for a variety of appliances. The dinette area to starboard can instead be used for more refrigeration space and a proper navstation.

As it is it works well as a multi-use seating area for eating, passage planning, relaxing or even sleeping. The table drops to fill the space in between the berths and has lee cloth fittings, so could make a useful snug for kids.

Large hull portlights and hatches provide ample natural light to a light, modern interior

The L-shaped sofa on the starboard side of the saloon is also long enough to be used as a pilot berth. The downside of the test boat layout was the lack of a proper navstation – the owners had instead opted for a compact chart table to starboard with a fold-out stool.

Practical features

The volume continues in the forward owner’s cabin where it is beamy enough to sleep head forward on an island berth, away from the noise of the engine, cockpit or dock when berthed stern-to. And there is still 6ft 3in headroom around the berth. The test boat had a walk-in wardrobe by the cabin entrance, which takes care of most stowage requirements.

All three cabins have smart en suites with good-sized separate showers and practical stowage. Headroom in the identical aft twin cabins is maintained aft to the berths, while outboard alcoves allow extra height, light and room by the hull portlights.

The port cabin has a door into the after part of the engine room, providing access to the watermaker and filters – which is handy, as only the lower half of the companionway steps lift, and the engine is mounted low down.

General stowage is mostly above sole height rather than in the bilges. The soleboards are all insulated with foam surrounds, have spacers, and lift with the aid of a sucker. Peek below and you’ll not only notice the meticulous layout of the wiring, plumbing and generous tanks, but find standard practical Swan features, like a foot pump to purge water from the fridge/freezers and wooden cones attached to each through-hull fitting.

Below the galley sole is a 0.5m long section of the APM keel – the only part of this telescopic stainless steel work of art that is visible. It’s an engineering feat, which costs big bucks but is increasingly offered by the big yards.

The difference 45 years makes in hull shapes. The 1973 Swan 65 Venator (left) berthed alongside the 2019 version

Our verdict

Will people talk about this model in 50 years time? It’s not about to win a round the world race and create a global phenomenon. But they might well talk about this era of Nautor’s Swan and how this Frers design sits at the heart of Nautor’s renaissance.

The Swan 65 grows on you – the longer you sail it the more you enjoy it. Cruising sailors don’t seek an adrenaline rush, they want an enduring relationship built on easy rewards and dependability. This is a powerful boat, which is easy to sail fast but will be most gratifying when trimmed to keep it on its preferred low heel angle. Take the wheel and it’s hard not to daydream about how pleasant those consistent speeds and heeling angles would feel on a tradewind ocean crossing .

It’s a versatile design that offers much potential: it has a deck suited to short-handed Mediterranean-style sailing; stowage, systems and tankage to promote ocean cruising (with or without crew); and optional keel and sailplans to configure it for racing.

The original Swan 65 might still be the choice for seaworthy ocean racing, but for cruising in sublime space and comfort its new counterpart wins every time.

Specification

LOA: 20.11m (65ft 12in) LWL: 18.38m (60ft 4in) Beam (Max): 5.62m (18ft 5in) Draught: 3.50m (11ft 6in) Telescopic keel: 2.80m-4.20m (9ft 2in-13ft 9in) Displacement (lightship): 27,250kg (60,075lb) Ballast: 6,570kg (14,484lb) Sail Area (100% foretriangle): 234.2m 2 (2,531ft 2 ) Berths: 6-7 Engine: Volvo Penta D3 150hp Water capacity: 1,000lt (220gal) Fuel capacity: 1,200lt (264gal) Sail Area/Displacement ratio: 26.3 Displacement/LWL ratio: 122 Price: €2.95m (ex VAT) Design: Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering

• AROUND THE SAILING WORLD
• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Email Newsletters
• Best Marine Electronics & Technology
• America’s Cup
• St. Petersburg
• Caribbean Championship
• Boating Safety

Andrews 28: Best Club Racer

• By Tony Bessinger
• Updated: December 19, 2008

The Andrew 28 is a boat you can (and will want to) do all sorts of things with.

At first glance, the Andrews 28 looks like a MORC racer from days gone by, with a high, initially unappealing cabin top. But with that high cabin top, high freeboard, and plumb bow, the boat has an incredible amount of interior volume. In an era where everything else is low-slung, racy and angular, this one somehow manages to carry all that interior volume and still sail gracefully through the water, upwind and downwind. While it’s certainly capable of doing a lot more than banging around the cans, this little Alan Andrews rocket is exactly what you want for weeknight club racing.

The boat is a result of the boat builder, Ivan Ivandic’s love for the Laser 28. With a desire for a higher-tech and drier boat, Ivandic took it upon himself to build his own. Originally from the Czech Republic, Ivandic once owned a powerboat-building company in his native country, but when it came time to build his dream boat, he moved to Vancouver, Canada, with his brother, Vladimer, contacted designer Alan Andrews, built a factory, and started working on the 28 under the name of Sylvana Yachts.

“The Andrews 28 is a well-executed project that benefited from its three-year development cycle,” said Stewart. “It’s from a hands-on builder that had a clear vision of the yacht he wanted, a modern Laser 28.”

The deck layout reflects both the designer and the builder’s years of racing experience. The tiller is well aft, but the boat’s wide beam allows the helmsman an unobstructed view of the headsail, which is flown from a continuous-line roller-furling unit. The cockpit was comfortable. The finish is outstanding, and the boat sails incredibly well, with a light feel to the helm. Unlike many boats, its slippery hull makes nary a noise as it passes through the water. This is a result of Andrew’s keen attention to the design of a boat’s underbody and foils.

Stewart was impressed with the build quality, which was apparent in every corner of the boat. “All the bolts and attachments were trimmed very nicely, not like someone took vise grips and wagged [the bolt] back and forth until it broke off,” he said. “They’re all ground down flush. The quality of all the hardware was great and the lifting keel works well. It was amazing how much stuff they had on that boat. You go down below and it had the big cabin. Back aft the freeboard is high which increases volume and helps the seat backs and cockpit coamings not stick out. That all worked well, and they’re very serious about this boat. They have 45 molds and jigs to build the boat, that’s a huge commitment.”

Holby, a dedicated single- and doublehanded sailor sees the Andrews 28 as more than just a buoy racer. “I can see doing short distance racing, like the Edlu, Stratford Shoals, shorter point-to-point, even the Solo Twin,” he said. “It sails very well, and would be a fun, comfortable boat to distance race with. It’s versatile, there are a lot of things you can do with that boat and the price is right. The A-sail fit perfectly; just a great, big chute.”

Both the hull and deck are built on female molds, and vacuum-infused. It’s a vinylester resin and E-glass sandwich with PVC closed-cell foam. Local reinforcing with additional glass and high-density foam is used where deck hardware is installed, and a high-quality white gel coat in combination with vinylester resin provides resistance to blistering.

The Andrews 28 has a deck-stepped, carbon-fiber, swept-spreader rig that’s set up for either masthead or fractional spinnakers. The 7-foot keel, which can be raised for easy launching, is a stainless steel strut with an E-glass shell and epoxy filler, with a lead bulb attached to a bottom plate.

The kelp cutter is optional. The keel fin is securely held in the keel trunk-which is an integral part of the hull reinforcement-with urethane plastic guide blocks and a positive locking mechanism.

Pros: A slippery hull shape with a perfect interior for weekend excursions and overnight races.

Cons: The builder should’ve listened to the designer and added a window that would lessen the visual impact of the high deckhouse.

Designer’s mission accomplished? Without a doubt. Alan Andrews was asked to design a boat that balanced, without compromise, a lightweight, performance raceboat with a comfortable interior.

Andrews 28 Specs LOA: 28′ Beam: 9’10” Draft: 7′ DSPL: 3,750 SA (u/d): 494/1,220 sq. ft. Designer: Alan Andrews Price: $97,000 www.sylvanayachts.com.com

Access SW’s 2009 New Boat Showcase , including reviews and photos for Boat of the Year winners and dozens of new boats.

• More: Sailboats
• More Sailboats

Nautor Swan Has A New Pocket Rocket

Pogo Launches its Latest Coastal Rocket

A Deeper Dive Into the Storm 18

2024 Boat of the Year Best Recreational Racer: Z24

Brauer Sails into Hearts, Minds and History

Anticipation and Temptation

America’s Offshore Couple

Jobson All-Star Juniors 2024: The Fast Generation

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

The Andrews 26 is a 26.0ft masthead sloop designed by Alan Andrews and built in fiberglass since 1986.

The Andrews 26 is a moderate weight sailboat which is a high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat.

Andrews 26 for sale elsewhere on the web:

Main features

Login or register to personnalize this screen.

You will be able to pin external links of your choice.

See how Sailboatlab works in video

We help you build your own hydraulic steering system - Lecomble & Schmitt

Accommodations

Builder data, modal title.

The content of your modal.

Personalize your sailboat data sheet

Key elements of this design are great light air performance, simplicity of set up and operation, rugged construction to increase damage tolerance and design for low maintenance. http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5373

Andrews 21 Review Written by Kimball Livingston as first published in Sail Magazine.

Adapted from a successful youth match-racing design, every feature of the Andrews 21 is keyed toward teaching and training. I sailed the boat in a mild breeze in Newport Harbor, California, its native waters, and it delivered what I expected. The boat was lively, but tractable, and comfortable in every way, whether it be from an emotional perspective—she looks contemporary and aggressive—to physically finding my place in the cockpit. This is a dandy little sailboat anyone can enjoy. It is also very much in the moment for 2014 as a fast-but-stable, small keelboat.

In terms of design, the boat’s deep-slung lead bulb and powerful hull form add up to tremendous stability. For a student’s first-time experience of dynamic balance, this can be a great confidence builder. There is also more than enough performance potential for the Andrews 21 to hold the attention of youngsters coming out of speed-thrill dinghies.

The helm was fingertip light, and the boat tracked nicely on all points of sail, with weather-helm-to-taste varying easily through a full range of adjustments—another important teaching tool. I can’t imagine a better platform for demonstrating how to steer with the sails.

In the cockpit, every working element was positioned optimally. “Talented” people like me can always turn a day of sailing into a spaghetti feed, but the Andrews 21 does as much as any design can possibly do to look after the organizationally challenged, encourage learning and making a good sailing teacher look great.

The angels are in the details. The boom is high—you’d have to be more than slightly careless to get whacked—and the cockpit, at 10 feet long, is large enough to accommodate four students with an instructor working from either the companionway or the transom. The rudderstock is also thoughtfully positioned to leave standing room aft for a teacher.

There are two Harken winches on the cabintop—not because the boat really has to have them, but so students can learn how to load and use a winch—and for those in search of a little extra reassurance, the Andrews 21 is built with positive flotation. I don’t know if the production folks at W.D. Schock get to use the word “unsinkable,” but an instructor could, and probably would in good conscience. Fleet administrators and club officers will be glad to hear that the hand-laid composite hull is solid, not cored, for impact resistance and ease of repair. The use of vinylester resin will help fight against water absorption and blisters.

The deck-stepped mast is built from a proprietary Schock extrusion and rigged for simplicity, but with all the controls for trim, sail shape, backstay adjustment and reefing—that is to say, all the fundamentals of operating a sailboat. For a different level of teaching—to keep race-oriented sailors engaged, for example—there are options for a fixed sprit and asymmetric spinnaker.  In terms of power, designer Alan Andrews says, “We can adjust the rig profile to suit specific local conditions. It’s easier to adapt a light-air performer to heavy air than vice-versa.” Do your home waters typically have 9-knot winds? No problem. An 18-knot peak sea-breeze? Also not a problem.

Nervous (or merely cautious) school managers will probably pad the corners with the optional bow and quarter fenders, which our test boat lacked. Putting the boat through its paces, though, I wondered: What could possibly go wrong? Still, as we closed in on the dock, I decided discretion was the better part of valor and handed the tiller to Andrews. “Alan,” I said. “You can take her in.”

© 2022 Spinnaker-Sailing San Francisco. All Rights Reserved.

THE MANY SINS OF MOSCOW�S NEW ST. ANDREWS COLLEGE

by Nick Gier

For a full accreditation report on NSA see this link .  For articles on the Wilson Saga click this link .

        In April 2000, I gave a talk to the students and faculty of New St. Andrews College (NSA), a small Calvinist college established in Moscow in 1994.  At that time I congratulated Douglas Wilson, founder of the college, on the success of both NSA and his K-12 Logos School.  Wilson appeared to enjoy a story I told about him as a student in the philosophy department, and it got a good laugh from the audience. I also announced that I was prepared to help NSA students with their senior theses.  In the previous year I had spent about 60 hours helping a bright NSA student with a thesis on Buddhism.

    In December 2002, I invited NSA faculty and students to the regional meeting of the American Academy of Religion.  It was held in Moscow in May 2003, and 40 percent of the papers were presented by faculty from conservative Christian colleges.  NSA president Roy Atwood defended their absence by saying that they �had better things to do.�

    Wilson wrote an article �Why Evangelical Colleges Are Not� in Chronicles (September, 1998), the journal of the far right Rockford Institute. The hostility displayed against reputable evangelical colleges in this article not only shows blatant disrespect for these fine schools, but it manifests shameful disregard for the entire academic enterprise.

    In a letter to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News on May 23, 2003, Atwood wrote that his college was an accredited institution. At a legal hearing before the Latah County Commissioners in April 2003, the NSA attorney also testified that NSA was accredited. The problem, however, is that NSA did not receive its accreditation until November 29, 2005.

    In October, 2003, the community learned of the existence of Wilson�s booklet on slavery in the Antebellum South in which he stated that �there has never been a multi-racial society which has existed with such mutual intimacy and harmony in the history of the world" (p. 24). It was later discovered that 20 percent of this text was lifted from another book. When two UI history professors wrote a paper criticizing Wilson, his reaction was to write Governor Kempthorne and request that the professors be disciplined.

    Only recently did I learn that NSA faculty celebrated April Fools of 1999 by stealing letterhead from the UI provost�s office to distribute an announcement of visiting feminist scholars who would give their presentations topless. There is nothing wrong with a good joke, but one usually tries to avoid criminal activity in pulling stunts such as this.    Recently Wilson defended this action in his blog: �By the time you receive this, our local police will probably have forgotten all about it, so a little bragging is now safe. . . . [My son-in-law], . . . encouraged by some winks and nudges from me, . . . made up a flyer which announced a topless and proud lecture series by topless feminist scholars.� 

An important academic virtue is �collegiality,� which consists of respect for, and cooperation with, all members of the academic community.  I believe that we can conclude from NSA�s actions that it has not been a very good academic citizen. The supreme irony is that 9 of the15 NSA faculty have, or are expecting, 13 UI degrees.

The following are some more disturbing NSA facts:

Only 27 percent of the college�s faculty have PhDs. NSA has the resources to hire PhDs, but evidently chooses not to do so. Their less than prestigious accrediting agency requires that only one third of the faculty have the doctorate.

Two of the college�s senior fellows, presumably equivalent to full professors, do not have PhDs. Generally, a PhD is required at the lowest rank of assistant professor.

Although full resumes are not available on NSA�s website, it appears that a majority of the faculty�s published books are from Canon Press, Wilson�s own creation and the publisher of the infamous slavery booklet.

Of special concern is the fact that Wilson�s brother, his son, and his son-in-law are on the college�s faculty.

 Steve Wilkins and George Grant are regular speakers at Wilson�s annual conferences in Moscow. Grant has a mail order doctorate and Wilkins is a conservative Calvinist minister from Louisiana. Wilkins is a founding director of the League of the South, which has been declared a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Confederate flag used to hang in Wilson�s office and Logos School displayed it at its social functions.

When a Moscow journalist interviewed Wilson, Grant, and Wilkins in February, 2004, they each proudly affirmed their belief that only propertied males should vote.  Always the jokester, Wilson said that democracy was just like two coyotes and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

There are well qualified students at NSA and some competent faculty, just as there are good, decent people who attend Wilson�s 800-member Christ Church.  One can usually spot these people because they frequently speak of Wilson�s goal of achieving �truth, goodness, and beauty.� These fine folks need to be reminded that their leaders have not always told the truth, that condoning slavery is not good, and that calling for the execution of homosexuals is just plain ugly.

• Great Britain
• South Africa

Netherlands

• Architecture
• Peter Simple
• Order of Malta

About A ndrew C usack

• The Daily Telegraph
• The New York Post
• L'Osservatore Romano
• The Irish Times
• Conservative Home
• The Jewish Chronicle
• Magyar Nemzet
• The Catholic Herald
• London Playbook
• Financial Times
• Sancrucensis
• Ex Laodicea
• David Warren
• Spitalfields Life
• A London Inheritance
• Peter Hitchens
• Strange Company
• A Clerk of Oxford
• Fr Michael Rennier
• Orwell's Picnic

Reviews & Periodicals

• The Spectator
• The Critic / blog
• First Things / blog
• American Conservative
• Arts & Letters Daily
• NYRB / blog
• Paris Review / blog
• Hungarian Conservative
• Tablet Magazine (US)
• Current Concerns
• The American Scholar
• The New Criterion / blog
• Literary Review
• The New Yorker
• City Journal
• Dorchester Review
• European Conservative
• Hungarian Literature
• Literary Hub
• Rorate Caeli
• The Tablet (UK)

Arts & Design

• The Art Newspaper
• Coverjunkie
• I Love Typography
• Dino Marcantonio
• John Massengale
• Witold Rybczynski
• ICAA / blog
• The Irish Aesthete
• Bodleian Map Room
• Strange Maps
• The Frame Blog
• Netherlandish Art
• Paris Match
• Point de Vue
• Le Salon Beige
• Le Monde Diplo
• Commentaire

Mitteleuropa

• Hungarian Review
• Hungary Today
• Pester Lloyd
• Visegrad Post
• Transylvania Now
• Hungarian Hist. Review

Knickerbockers

• Forgotten New York
• The New York Sun
• Daytonian in Manhattan
• Hudson River Valley Institute / Review
• Saint Nicholas
• Bridge & Tunnel Club
• Barry Popik
• Buenos Aires Herald †
• The Daily Star †
• L'Orient-Le Jour
• L’Orient Littéraire
• Africa Confidential
• New African
• Africa Report

Cape of Good Hope

• Vrye Weekblad
• The Mail & Guardian
• Daily Maverick
• NRC Handelsblad
• De Volkskrant
• Nederlands Dagblad

Scandinavia

• The Times of India
• Exiled Online
• English Russia
• Der Spiegel
• Junge Freiheit
• The Oxford Student
• Varsity (Cantab)
• Trinity News (Dub)
• Dartmouth Review

Victory+65 in Moscow

A NOTHER VICTORY DAY in Moscow — sixty-five years now since the Allied Powers defeated the crisply attired Axis of Nazi Germany and her slightly foppish cohort Fascist Italy. Russia commemorates V-E Day a day “late” because the German instrument of surrender entered into force at 23:01 CET on May 8, 1945 — by which time it was already May 9 in Moscow. For this reason most countries within the ex-Soviet sphere celebrate the end of the Second World War a day later than in western Europe. It is also customary on this day for patriotic citizens to wear the orange-and-black ‘Ribbon of St. George’, which recalls the Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George established in 1769 and revived in 1994. The Order of St. George is the highest military honour awarded by Russia after the paramount Order of St. Andrew.

The military parade in Red Square was accompanied by the usual aeronautical fly-past. Above, from right to left, helicopters carry the Russian flag, the Armed Forces flag, the Naval Ensign (a blue saltire on a white field, the inverse of the Scottish flag), the Air Force flag, and the flags of other components of the Russian Armed Forces.

Very gradually and without much publicity, the Russian government has begun to replace the red stars that top the towers of the Kremlin and neighbouring buildings with the double-headed eagles of old.

What made this the most remarkable Victory Day parade so far was the unprecedented move of allowing foreign soldiers to take part. Governments of the countries to which the Soviet Union was allied in 1945 were invited by the Russian government to send delegations of troops to take part in the march-past. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (with 57 seats the second-largest party in Russia’s parliament after the 315 seats of the conservative ‘United Russia’ party) expressed its outrage at the inclusion of foreign troops in the Victory Day parade and responded with protests.

This even included a contingent of soldiers, sailors, and airmen from Poland, a country which was the victim of an unprovoked invasion by the Soviet Union in 1939, though Stalin later forged a disingenuous alliance with the Polish government before setting up his own putative Polish power. The Soviets, of course, were responsible for the notorious massacre of over 20,000 Polish officers at the forest of Katyn.

A detachment from 2nd Battalion the Welsh Guards marched in the parade…

…along with soldiers of the French Republic…

A number of militaries from the former members of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union also participated, including Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

With a number of high-ranking officials and heads of state in the reviewing stand, security was tight. Snipers were also placed at prominent points to take down any spectators who felt inclined to make Yakoff Smirnoff jokes ( “In Soviet Russia, car drives you!” ).

Following the parade, Russians engaged in the traditional Victory Day piss-up.

The evening beheld a spectacular pyrotechnic display, a brilliant festival of lights over the Kremlim, smack dab in the heart of deepest Muscovy. The Russians know how to put on a good show.

Dear Mr. Cusack, The Welsh Guards are a single battalion regiment, 2nd Battalion having gone into ‘suspended animation’ after the Second World War (3rd Battalion was disbanded). The detachment from 1st Battalion Welsh Guards which marched in the Moscow Victory Day Parade was 2 Company.

I wish our army hadn’t decided to wear berets with the blue dress uniform. At least not on parade. Whoever came up with the new army uniform regulations didn’t really put much thought into them.

“Thought” and “American uniforms” are two concepts that are rarely seen together.

It is nice to see the Polish Army is wearing the rogatywka hats again.

NAME (required)

EMAIL (required)

WEBSITE (not required)

Instagram: @andcusack

Most recent posts.

• Patrick in Parliament March 18, 2024
• Articles of Note: 13 March 2024 March 13, 2024
• Cambridge March 9, 2024
• Taken on Trust March 4, 2024
• Immanuel on the Green March 2, 2024

Most Recent Comments

• Andrew Cusack on Cambridge
• Gousset van Heel on Articles of Note: 13 March 2024
• LG Clark on Cambridge
• LG Clark on Taken on Trust
• Stephen Klimczuk-Massion on Articles of Note: 13 March 2024
• A Stiubhard of Torphichen and Our Creator on The Sovereign Scotch Order of Whisky
• Fitz on Cambridge
• Paul Thomas on A Cape Dutch Garden at Chelsea
• Louis on Taken on Trust

Book Wishlist

If you’d like to buy me a book, you can find my Amazon wishlist here .

(Paperback editions preferred, second-hand all the better.)

Monthly Archives