Yachting World 5 tonner

[alwchester]

I'm contemplating - verb chosen to reflect how tentative I am at this point! - acquiring a neglected YM 5 tonner and having her professionally re-fitted. I should be grateful for any information about the class, including experiences of anyone who has owned or sailed one.

I've seen the information on http://www.ybw.com/cb/tonner.html
and the description in Dayton's.

AW

[Forbsie]

I don't know the boat at all but are those measurements right?

[alwchester]

Dayton's and the Classic Boat Class Notes give more or less the same, Dayton's gives her an extra 1" beam (7'10") and waterline length of 20'11."

I've been on board a couple of examples, tho' not sailed in one. They certainly have the 6' headroom and feel bigger inside than they look outside!

AW

[alwchester]

For a picture: Woodenships have just sold one, a bermudan cutter - http://woodenships.free.fr/fiches%20.../bb-zania.html

[joliette]

Joliette is also a Robert Clark design. She's a fast, seaworthy and very well balanced design. I don't know the YW 5 Tonner, but I'm sure that you could expect similar attributes from this designer. So, certainly worth contemplating if you can acquire your project at the right price, as a professional refit will probably not be cheap / economic given market values.

[PARSONSHEATH]

I remember doing the Yachtmaster theory course some 14 years or so ago at the Nottage at Wivenhoe, and during one tea break the youngest member was talking about a channel crossing, comments were made about his boat laying on its ear the moment the wind started, but that once you got used to that she was fine, one of the others then commented that he had had a YM 5 tonner which was identical to that, turned out the same boat and owners many years apart.

On the positive side it transpired she had served many sea miles, and ridden out more gales and storms that I would like to think of, all agreed a superb sea boat.

[alwchester]

Thanks for this confirmation that she sails on her ear, the slackness of the bilges certainly suggested it. 40+ years ago I owned a "tender" yacht, a 20,' long keel yawl on the Humber which went through the waves rather than over and and liked to lean a long way away from the wind; on balance I think that's what I prefer, a softer if wetter ride.

How's Joliette in this respect?

I came across this account of a circumnavigation in a YW 5 Tonner: http://www.mcallen.lib.tx.us/books/circumna/ci_35.htm

[joliette]

Joliette will hold her sail up well in a good blow and will clock over 9 knots to windward if I let her have her head, which I don't often to avoid the stresses and the resulting breakages / expense! (The genoa once ripped a section of genoa car track right out of the deck in a F5/6). So, I know try to reef early, particularly as I like to sail alone / short-handed, and avoid too much green stuff coming down the deck.

[alwchester]

When you asked about the measurements I didn't think to re-check the Classic Boat page, didn't realise they'd jumbled them!

[Jeremy_W]

Robert Clark designs had an unparalleled record in the old OSTAR.

First 1960
Second 1964
First 1968
Fourth 1972

It does suggest a designer whose yachts went to windward rather well.