Macgregor Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Macgregor 65 by David Kory

Year built	1987
Location of boat	San Francisco Bay
The boat is sailed on	Open ocean
How the boat is used	Racing
Normal wind strength	16-22 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2003
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes
Gear that's been added	Carbon mainsail, kevlar jibs, variey of spinnakers.
Structural or complex improvements	Replaced original rod rigging with wire.
The boat's best features	Speed, stability of ride, head-turning looks. No matter what marina we pull into, we're treated like celebrities, and everyone wants to know what kind of boat it is. Many folks familiar with pilothouse model don't recognize this one. Common sentiment is "It looks really fast just sitting there".
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.
Sailing characterisitcs	This is one of the early race versions, with a 75' tall, 3-spreader mast. Sailing is always quick, although the main can be overpowering in a breeze (over 15 knots upwind, over 25 knots downwind) if not reefed. Top speed so far is 25.3 knots boatspeed. Steady surfing in the high teens with 25-30 knots wind, surging into the low 20's down the California coast. In light air on San Francisco Bay, we have hit 6 knots boatspeed in 2-3 knots true wind. Everyone else was standing still as we weaved through the fleet.
Motoring characterisitcs	Replaced the 6-cyl Pathfinder (Volkswagen) diesel with a 4-cyl Yanmar. No worries now, easy 8 knots cruising at 1.4 GPH, max about 10, at 1.6 GPH.
Liveability	Big comfy cushions, large V-berth for 2 (or several kids), 4 singles bunk along the sides of the open interior, 2 in the quarter berth. Refrigeration, CNG stove, generator, air conditioning, plenty of comfort, and still a competitive racer.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	Check photo's for 2 of this boat, with the dark blue hull.

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