For those with deep pockets who want to race at the front of the Greenwich Flying Squadron Black fleet on the Wednesday night social race they can do little better than look at the Ker 40+ Invictus that is now up for sale at GB Pounds 575.000.00. Google translates that to AUD 1,006,700 but you might be able to haggle the seller down to under a million as you will need another $25 grand to get it to Aus.
My guess is that it will rate 1.3 and do well in the super 12 regatta at Port Stephens if they go there again.
Our Passion X rates around the 1.1 for which I am very crooked on the handicappers but be that as it is, it cost around AUD200,000.00 For five times the cost we could go 18% faster. My quick calculation is that this is A$44.000 per percent of boat speed.
Since Invictus was launched she has has a foam filled bow added and a keel modification and the designer has more go fast ideas in mind.
We all want to go faster and on Sunday at Middle Harbour Yacht Club I had a look at Show Time a 2011 Ker 40 that rates 1.2. Since launch, from the ORC rating certificates, it appears she has shed half a tonne of weight and grown a deeper keel. Also the mainsail has gone up 5 m2 and all this has increased the rating from 1.13 to 1.2. Regardless of results they seem happy sailing in the Super twelve fleet.
There is a demo MC 38 for sale at A$375,000 and that rates around 1.2. The draft at 2.8 metres would also be an issue but in terms of bang for buck it would seem cheaper speed than Invictus. On a dollar per percent increase in speed (compared to Passion X) it is a more realistic $19444.00.
Now there are practical limits to keel depth if you want to finish the GFS Twilight race without running aground. We draw 2.45 metres and have already touched the soft muddy bottom up the Lane Cove River and we are nervous sailing the Drummoyne shore.
We are not at a draft disadvantage compared to Dump Truck, the Ker 11.3 that draws 2.4 metres but they have less in the carbon hull and rig and more in the keel for a massive increase in righting moment compared to our epoxy ply hull and alloy rig. This shows up in the ORC speed guides where the Ker 11.3 is quite a bit quicker to windward than Passion X and we are supposed to catch them off the wind with with frequent sail changes. (Yeah! Right!)
On the plus side we have 600 litres of water storage if we want to fill it up. hot and cold running water with inside and transom showers and a big powerful fridge to get the beer cold during the twilight race.
With that in mind it must be time to take Passion X up to Pittwater relaxing along the way as the autopilot looks after the steering.