schumacher 28 sailboat

Alerion express 28

The alerion express 28 is a 28.25ft fractional sloop designed by carl schumacher and built in fiberglass by holby marine since 1990., 115 units have been built..

The Alerion express 28 is a light 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. The fuel capacity is originally very small. There is a very short water supply range.

Alerion express 28 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Carl Schumacher, 1951-2002

• By John Burnham And Peter D’anjou
• Updated: February 8, 2002

The sailing world lost a talented naval architect and gentle, competitive sailor when Carl Schumacher died of a heart attack on February 5, 2002, at home in Alameda, Calif. He was 52 and is survived by his wife Marilyn, daughter Sutter, and son Evan.

Schumacher grew up in Newport Beach, Calif., sailing Sabots before moving to Northern California during his teen years. He apprenticed as a designer with Gary Mull–and later collaborated with him and others as part of the Golden Gate Challenge design team that produced Tom Blackaller’s radical forward-rudder 12-Meter in 1987. Schumacher hung out his own shingle in Alameda, Calif., 25 years ago and produced 50 performance-oriented designs, which individually and as a group had a far-reaching influence on sailboat design and sailboat racing.

His production designs included the Express 27, 34, and 37, the Olson 911S, Capo 26, Synergy 1000, and Alerion Express 20, 28, and 38. Winning custom Schumacher designs included Quarter Ton champion Summertime Dream, 38-footer Wall Street Duck, the fast 50-foot racer/cruiser Heart of Gold, and IMS racers such as the 54-foot Swiftsure II and the 39-foot Recidivist.

Schumacher loved to race, whether to Hawaii in a lightweight flyer or around San Francisco Bay in his Mercury. When combined with his knowledge about boat design and construction–both in the custom and production arenas–Schumacher’s strong sailing skills made him a well-rounded judge and boat tester for Sailing World. Last fall, while pushing a small catamaran as hard as he could, he inadvertently pitch-poled it and came up grinning.

Schumacher served for eight years (non-consecutive) as a judge for Sailing World’s Boat of the Year awards, and typically was the quiet voice that brought focus to any discussion that needed it. In years he didn’t judge, he often had designs entered in the competition, and several times his boats emerged as winners.

Those of us who got to sail and work with Carl Schumacher are feeling a great and untimely loss. His passion for the sport and insight into what makes a sailboat good or not will be missed, as will his contributions to Sailing World. But even more so, we’ll miss his keen intellect, his gentle, competitive nature, and the way he always listened, giving you his undivided attention.

At the family’s suggestion, donations in Schumacher’s memory may be made to support the Encinal Yacht Club junior sailing program, 1251 Pacific Marina, Alameda, CA 94501.

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Alerion Express 28, Originally reviewed July 1992

Coastal cruiser

As I look back through all the volumes of SAILING Designs one of the thoughts that strikes me is where are all these designers today? Some, like my old drinking buddy Gary Mull, are dead. I didn't know Carl Schumacher well but I knew him and I was saddened when I heard he had died at such a young age. Carl had a good eye and he knew how to draw a fine sailing boat. His Express 37 remains one of my all-time favorite boats. I have no idea where some of the other designers went. I know where German Frers went. It seems that many of those confident yacht designers that were going to set the world on fire and show us how it's really done have just gone quietly away. Maybe they found real jobs.

In the mid-1990s the typical small family cruiser-racer or racer-cruiser had become a complex boat. Vendors were convincing sailors that they had to have everything in order to be happy and enjoy sailing. Ralph Schacter had another idea. He knew that most sailors went out for a day, sometimes just an afternoon or evening, and did not need things like shower stalls, refrigeration, windlasses with all-chain rode and hot-and-cold running water. But they did need a head and a place to sleep on weekend overnighters. Picking the name of Nate Herreshoff's own daysailer, Alerion, the Alerion Express was born with pretty hull lines drawn by Carl Schumacher. The era of the big, comfy daysailer had begun. I say "big" because at that time my own idea of a daysailer was a Thistle class or any number of small dinghy one-designs. Schacter's idea was that these new daysailers would be big enough to be keelboats with near the level of comfort found on the majority of production cruiser/racer types.

The look of the new daysailer would be traditional, with low freeboard, some overhangs, a svelte cabintrunk that gave slightly less than full standing headroom and a long cockpit. But below the DWL this traditional appearing boat would be modern with flat rocker, a moderate aspect ratio fin keel and a partially balanced spade rudder. The D/L of the Alerion Express 28 is 168 and the L/B is 3.46, putting it on the narrow side of "medium."

The focus on this design was the cockpit and the laying out of the running rigging so that one person could easily sail the boat. There is nothing revolutionary here except the fact that most cruiser/racer types put more emphasis on interior comfort and this resulted usually in tight, cramped cockpits. The Alerion would be tiller steered with the mainsheet led to a barney post in the center of the cockpit.

The rig is fractional with swept spreaders and a self-tacking jib. In 1994 Garry Hoyt became involved with the project at the invitation of Everett Pearson, president of TPI. Hoyt worked to refine the boat, adding his Hoyt jib boom. I really like the Hoyt boom. It is a huge improvement over the self-tacking track just so long as you don't mind this big pipe living on your foredeck. I could live with it. The SA/D is 20.97 and that's enough to keep you ghosting along in the light stuff. Hoyt also changed the keel to a fin and bulb.

I couldn't begin to tell you the boats that this design inspired. In fact, I think the Alerion Express gave birth to a type-daysailers-that today is well established and does not mean what it meant 30 years ago.

Read the original review at: http://www.sailingmagazine.net/component/content/article/3-perry-on-design/1097-alerion-express?directory=138

LOA 28'3"; LWL 22'10"; Beam 8'2"; Drat 4'6"; Ballast 2,000 lbs.; Sail area 352 sq. ft.

Original sailaway price $60,000

Also in Perry on Design

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Also from Robert H. Perry

Published on December 18th, 2019 | by Editor

Carl Schumacher: His legacy lives on

Published on December 18th, 2019 by Editor -->

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News My wife had been doing what she does well, which is to investigate online whatever was in her sights. She’s an engineer, so everything tends to be well thought out, which is handy when married to someone who is less so.

The latest target was a keelboat and the Alerion Express 28 had gotten on the radar. There were a few in our harbor, though we’d never been on one, and my familiarity with the brand was largely due to them being a client.

One morning we went paddleboarding, and unbeknownst to me, though I contend to this day it was her plan, our route went alongside an Alerion that had been listed. She made a comment about the boat, and I fell in love at first glance.

It was perfect. Enough interior for the two of us, easy to sail shorthanded, sporty enough for the race course but with classic lines. We never in our lives had daysailed, and now we go all the time. I’m still not sure if we’ve ever taken it out without someone complimenting her looks.

Anyway, it’s been three years and we remain a fan, and are exceedingly pleased the brand is in good hands . On how it all began, here’s the story by Sutter Schumacher:

The Alerion Express 28 was designed by my father, Carl Schumacher.

It was initially designed in the late 80s as a custom boat for Ralph Schacter, who sailed primarily on Long Island Sound. Ralph was the kind of client every naval architect dreams of — actually Dad had a number of those! — and it was Ralph who foresaw the market for a production version of the boat. With Ralph’s support and blessing, molds were made and the AE28 took wings, so to speak.

Dad passed back in 2002 suddenly and far too young, but thanks to the wonders of modern boat building and well-designed boats (not that he’d ever have said that publicly about his own work), his legacy lives on.

Although the change of builders over the years — I’ve lost count how many — means my family no longer receives design royalties, it’s heart-warming to read and hear the lovely comments from admirers and owners near and far.

Tags: Alerion , Alerion Express 28 , Carl Schumacher , Ralph Schacter , Sutter Schumacher

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ALERION EXPRESS 28 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of ALERION EXPRESS 28. Built by Holby Marine and designed by Carl Schumacher, the boat was first built in 1990. It has a hull type of Fin w/spade rudder and LOA is 8.61. Its sail area/displacement ratio 21.03. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Volvo Penta, runs on Diesel; Saildrive.

ALERION EXPRESS 28 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about ALERION EXPRESS 28 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, auxillary power tank, accomodations, contributions, who designed the alerion express 28.

ALERION EXPRESS 28 was designed by Carl Schumacher.

Who builds ALERION EXPRESS 28?

ALERION EXPRESS 28 is built by Holby Marine.

When was ALERION EXPRESS 28 first built?

ALERION EXPRESS 28 was first built in 1990.

How long is ALERION EXPRESS 28?

ALERION EXPRESS 28 is 6.96 m in length.

What is mast height on ALERION EXPRESS 28?

ALERION EXPRESS 28 has a mast height of 10.06 m.

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Beauty & Speed

The Alerion 28 is consistently recognized as one of the prettiest boats on the water. That she also has a thoroughly modern underwater shape simply adds to her luster.

With more than 470 boats sailing worldwide, the Alerion 28 is by far the most popular of all the modern daysailers.

Explore the Alerion 28

Specifications

""I've owned my Alerion Express 28 for over 15 years and I still enjoy sailing her as much as I did when I first purchased her. Despite this boats' popularity in recent years, I still receive compliments on her beauty, style and grace each time I sail her! I've owned several boats of all shapes and size but this boat will hold it's place in our family for years to come." "

–Owner of hull #47, Edgartown, MA

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Alerion 28 in the news

40 Best Sailboats

Jun. 28, 2019

Nominees > Technical

Deceased , Modern

1951 - 2002.

Carl Schumacher is the designer of over 50 production and custom sailboat designs. The production boats included the popular Express line (27, 34, 37), the Alerion-Express line (20, 28, 38), and the Capo 30 (which later became the Olson 911-S) and 26.

Four of his designs have won Sailing World’s Boat of the Year awards, most recently the Synergy 1000, which won ‘Sport Boat’ honors in 1999. Among Carl’s best-known custom designs are Summertime Dream, Wall Street Duck, National Biscuit, Heart of Gold, Swiftsure II, Recidivist, Surprise, and Q .

The following is excerpted from Sailing World Magazine, after Carl Schumacher passed away:

Carl Schumacher, 1951-2002, Racing Designer, Competitor, and, for Sailing World, a Frequent Boat of the Year Judge

By John Burnham And Peter D’anjou, Posted February 7, 2002

The sailing world lost a talented naval architect and gentle, competitive sailor when Carl Schumacher died of a heart attack on February 5, 2002, at home in Alameda, California. He was 52 and is survived by his wife, Marilyn, daughter, Sutter, and son, Evan.

Schumacher grew up in Newport Beach, California, sailing Sabots before moving to Northern California during his teen years. He apprenticed as a designer with Gary Mull – and later collaborated with him and others as part of the Golden Gate Challenge design team that produced National Sailing Hallf of Famer Tom Blackaller’s radical forward-rudder 12-meter in 1987.

Schumacher hung out his own shingle in Alameda 25 years ago and produced 50 performance-oriented designs, which individually and as a group had a far-reaching influence on sailboat design and sailboat racing. His production designs included the Express 27, 34, and 37, the Olson 911S, Capo 26, Synergy 1000, and Alerion Express 20, 28, and 38. Winning custom Schumacher designs included Quarter Ton champion Summertime Dream , 38-footer Wall Street Duck , the fast 50-foot racer/cruiser Heart of Gold , and IMS racers such as the 54-foot Swiftsure II and the 39-foot Recidivist .

Schumacher loved to race, whether to Hawaii in a lightweight flyer or around San Francisco Bay in his Mercury. When combined with his knowledge about boat design and construction – both in the custom and production arenas – Schumacher’s strong sailing skills made him a well-rounded judge and boat tester for Sailing World . Last fall [2001], while pushing a small catamaran as hard as he could, he inadvertently pitch-poled it and came up grinning.

Schumacher served for eight years (non-consecutive) as a judge for Sailing World’s Boat of the Year awards and typically was the quiet voice that brought focus to any discussion that needed it. In years he didn’t judge, he often had designs entered in the competition, and several times his boats emerged as winners.

Those of us who got to sail and work with Carl Schumacher are feeling a great and untimely loss. His passion for the sport and insight into what makes a sailboat good or not will be missed, as will his contributions to Sailing World. But even more so, we’ll miss his keen intellect, his gentle, competitive nature, and the way he always listened, giving you his undivided attention.

Accomplishments and Honors

• Four-time Sailing World Boat of the Year Award recipient
• Eight-time member of Sailing World’s Boat of the Year Judging Panel (during years in which he did not win the award)

Boats Designed by Carl Schumacher

Summertime Dream         1979

Choate 30                          1981

Pyramid 660                      1982

Pyramid 30                        1982

Sonoma 30                        1982

Capo 26                             1982

Express 27                         1982

Capo 30                             1984

Express 37                         1984

Olson 911 S                       1985

Express 34                         1986

Olson 911 S (Ericson)        1987

Oyster 48 Lightwave         1987

Express 37-2                      1987

Oyster 395 Lightwave       1988

Alerion Express 28             1990

Alerion Express 20             1996

Alerion Express 38            1997

Synergy 1000                    1999

Outbound 44/46               2001

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Schumacher 28

2000 Schumacher 28 by Schooner Creek Boat Works; carbon fiber construction; Pacific Cup and Bermuda vet; B&G electronics with Pelagic autopilot plus tiller pilot; new outboard, chart plotter and head; keel retracts for transport; emergency rudder; three bilge pumps; lots of sails and extras; great short-hand boat; $35K

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• Sailboat Guide

Carl Schumacher

Designer of over 50 production and custom sailboat designs. The production boats included the popular Express line (27, 34, 37), the Alerion-Express line (20, 28, 38), and the Capo 30 (which later became the Olson 911-S) and 26. Carl worked for Gary Mull for a few years before opening his own firm in 1976. Four of his designs have won Sailing World’s prestigious Boat of the Year awards, most recently the Synergy 1000, which won ‘sport boat’ honors in ‘99. Among Carl’s best-known custom designs are Summertime Dream, Wall Street Duck, National Biscuit, Heart of Gold, Swiftsure II, Recidivist, Surprise, and Q.

20 Sailboats designed by Carl Schumacher

Alerion Express 28

Outbound 44/46

Alerion Express 20

Oyster 395 lightwave.

Synergy 1000

Express 37-2, alerion express 38.

Pyramid 660

Summertime Dream (1/4 Ton)

Olson 911 S

Oyster 48 Lightwave

Ericson olson 911 s.

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Spadefoot (boat)

Live life like a story worth reading.

Spadefoot is one-off custom Schumacher 28, designed by Carl Schumacher in 1999 and built by Schooner Creek Boatworks in 2000. The boat was designed and built for Dick Horn a friend of Carl’s living in San Francisco Bay Area. The hull is klegecell closed-cell foam with carbon skins. The keel is a lifting centerboard with a bulb. Originally the boat, named After Math, sported a free-standing carbon rig and Hoyt boom for the jib. Sometime in the mid 2000’s she was converted a standard aluminum rig and later the Hoyt boom was removed, making the sail configuration quite normal. After Math was sold sometime around 2010 to a couple living in Eastern Washington and renamed Silver Lining. After racing Pacific Cup in 2014, Chris & I started looking for a trailerable boat we could sail regularly in Texas and also race to Hawaii. In August 2014 we found Silver Lining for sale in Portland, OR. After a quick visit to see the boat, a call to Steve Rander, the builder, and an email exchange with Dick Horn, Silver Lining was ours. Renamed Spadefoot (after the toad), the boat now lives at Austin Yacht Club on Lake Travis, near Austin, TX. Soon after bringing Spadefoot to Texas we repurposed the carbon Hoyt boom to make an on-deck retractable, 4 foot sprit to fly asymmetrical spinnakers. We now race regularly on Lake Travis against J/80’s, J/70’s, J/29’s, a Tripp 26, and a Melges 24.

Specifications

• Length Overall (LOA) = 28 ft
• Length Waterline (LWL) = 24 ft 8 in
• Beam = 8 ft 6 in
• Draft = 6 ft 6 in (keel down), 3 ft 8 in (keel up)
• Displacement = 3220 lbs
• Ballast = 902 lbs
• 100% Sail Area = 412 ft²
• Spinnaker Area = 648 ft²

Random Spadefoot Details

The Schumacher 28 is an evolution of the Express 27 that Carl designed in 1982. The design is a similar, smaller version of the Synergy 1000 that Carl designed in 1999. Carl also designed the Sonoma 30 around 1984. The Sonoma 30 was the boat that Chris and I sailed together in 1995. Back then we had visions of racing “The Edge” to Hawaii. Spadefoot is actually the result of searching for a boat like a Sonoma 30 with a lifting keel.

The rudder was built by Larry Tuttle at Waterat Sailing Equipment. The engine is an inboard gas saildrive (Saildrive 280) with a 4-stroke Honda 9.9hp motor and a flex-o-fold folding propeller. The mast was built by Ballenger Spars. The spinnaker hoist is fractional, about 2′ above the forestay and 2.5′ below the tip. We asked Buzz Ballenger about flying a masthead spinnaker and he didn’t recommend it without adding jumpers.

When we bought the boat all the sails were from Santa Cruz sails. The new A2, A4, and A0 spinnakers are from Quantum.

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10 New Cruising Sailboats Under 35 Feet

• By Cruising World Staff
• Updated: November 3, 2020

It wasn’t so long ago that 30- to 35-foot cruising sailboats were likely to be the largest yachts found in many a harbor. And while 40-something and even 50-something footers are all the rage at boat shows today, there’s a lot to be said for setting sail on a boat big enough to carry family and friends, but still small enough to be easily maintained and handled alone from time to time. Small cruising sailboats are simple to dock or tie up to a mooring, and finding long-term marina space is easier as well.

Choosing a cruising sailboat, no matter the size, is a big decision. And it helps to have a trusted list of boats to get started. Here, then, is a look at 10 of the best daysailers , weekenders and coastal cruising sailboats under 35 feet that are all in production and can be purchased new.

Alerion Sport 30

A quarter-century ago, Garry Hoyt launched what would come to be known as the daysailer genre with the introduction of the Alerion Express 28, a boat designed by the late Carl Schumacher that featured a minimal interior and a large cockpit where an owner and guests could enjoy the simple joy of sailing. Traditional and lovely looking—but with a quite modern underbody and a powerful sail plan—Hoyt, ever the marketer, proclaimed the boat to be “the prettiest girl at the dance.”

Since then, a number of siblings ranging from 20 to 41 feet have been added to the Alerion family, including the Alerion Sport 30, which retains the graceful sheer line, oval ports and stylish overhangs of the original Schumacher design. Yet with input from naval architect Langan Design Partners, it also embraces a solid measure of performance-oriented DNA.

Read more about the Alerion Sport 30 »

Bavaria Cruiser 34

In every Boat of the Year contest, it seems, a boat rises up after sea trials to make a lasting impression on the judges. For 2018, that boat was the Bavaria Cruiser 34.

Says Boat of the Year Judge Tim Murphy, “The Bavaria was a lovely boat to sail. It has a single rudder, and she answered her helm just beautifully in the conditions we had today. We started off with around 10 knots of breeze that built to 13 to 15 knots. As a sailboat, it was just a pleasurable sailing experience, among the best we had during our judging. It was among the boats that felt like a really happy sailing experience.

Read more about the Bavaria Cruiser 34 »

Beneteau Oceanis 30.1

Sailed as part of the 2020 Boat of the Year sea trials, the 31-foot-3-inch Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 was the compact yacht best-equipped and spec’d out as a dedicated cruising boat, and not coincidentally, it was also awarded the title of Best Performance Cruiser for 2020. But don’t let her cozy interior accommodations fool you; this is also one peppy little vessel.

Read more about the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 »

The 2017 Boat of the Year (BOTY) contest featured a stellar crop of crossover cruiser/racers; however, when all the testing was said and done, our independent panel of judges was sold on the Dehler 34, naming it the year’s Best Performance Cruiser. Designed by the highly regarded Judel/Vrolijk naval-architecture consortium, whose reputation was fostered by longtime success in international yacht-racing circles, the 34-footer combined contemporary good looks and a sweet turn of speed with better-than-average comfort and accommodations below. It didn’t hurt that the boat, nicely equipped at $215,000, was the least-expensive entry in the entire 2017 fleet. All in all, it proved to be a winning formula.

Read more about the Dehler 34 »

Dufour Grand Large 360

Dufour Yachts introduced its new 360 Grand Large model to CW’s Boat of the Year team in 2018 as a coastal cruiser intended for a couple or perhaps a small family. With that in mind, judge Alvah Simon found numerous clever elements to praise within the boat’s 35-foot-2-inch hull—a relatively modest LOA compared to the many 40-, 50- and 60-footers on display at the U.S. Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland.

Read more about the Dufour Grand Large 360 »

After a roughly 10-year hiatus from the U.S. marketplace, the Slovenian builder Elan is back in a big way. For the 2017 Boat of the Year contest, the company launched a pair of new boats in the States, including the Elan E4, a 34-foot-9-inch performance cruiser with an emphasis on performing, designed by renowned British naval architect Rob Humphreys. The brand has been in business for seven decades and lately is perhaps even better known in America for its skis. Not surprisingly, given its complementary product lines—lots of sailors are fine skiers—its boats are as sleek and sporty as its boards.

Read more about the Elan E4 »

Grand Soleil 34

Way back in the 1970s, when the well-known Italian boatyard Grand Soleil was just getting started, its first model was a Finot-designed 34-footer. With over 300 units sold, it was an instant success, and launched the company on an upward trajectory that spanned the intervening decades, mostly with an ongoing series of much larger, more complex racer/cruisers. For 2020, the builder decided to return to its roots with a completely revamped Grand Soleil 34, and it’s a terrific boat.

Read more about the Grand Soleil 34 »

Value. How does one determine it? Price is most certainly a factor. In the case of new boats, and our Boat of the Year competition, it means something more. As sailors, we wish to recognize good boats that not only are affordable but offer other, tangible rewards. The ability to get couples and families out on the water, to have a weekend escape, to take them on coastal vacations and even maybe a sabbatical to the islands, all without breaking the bank. For 2019, the judging panel determined that one boat had the potential to do these things better than the rest, which is why they awarded the Best Value prize to the Hanse 348.

With a price tag under $200,000, during sea trials the Hanse 348 wowed the judging team from the get-go. “In only about 8 knots of breeze, we were seeing 5.7 knots upwind and pointing very nicely, and even registered 6.5 knots once we cracked off,” said Tim Murphy. “It’s a pretty sweet little boat.”

Read more about the Hanse 348 »

Italia 9.98

Of the performance cruisers that made their North American debut in 2020, in terms of sheer appearance, the futuristic 34-foot Italia 9.98 was easily the most distinctive. There are actually two versions of the boat: the 34 Club—which is the cruising alternative, the primary features of which are its twin wheels—and the 34 Fuoriserie—the racing model, and the one we tested, with its tiller steering being the identifying characteristic.

Read more about the Italia 9.98 »

Beginning with the popular little J/24 way back in 1977, J/Boats has become famous for its steady introduction of terrific racing and cruising boats, almost all of which shared one main characteristic: They sailed like a witch. More than four decades later, having built more than 50 separate, mind-boggling models, the Johnstone family that designs, markets and sells the brand shows no signs of slowing down. Their latest offering, for 2020, was another fast and fun racer/cruiser: the 32-foot-7-inch J/99.

Read more about the J/99 »

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A boat both of and ahead of its time, the Express 27 is one of the legendary combinations of Carl Schumacher design and Terry Alsberg construction�and proof that quality keeps its value.

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Construction, performance, conclusions.