[quote=Edchris177][quote]I was very surprised to see that the D-PN for the N5.0 is as low as it is.[/quote]
Jerome, I don't think the PN tells the entire story,the N5.0 is no slouch. It is an older design, & the skeg hulls means it's no lightweight, but when the wind gets honking, & the seas build, those big hulls are your friends.
We commonly run with a newer H17, a boat with a slightly lower PN than either the H16 or the N5.0. He has new sails, & when sailed solo, he beats our N5.0, & I have to work to keep up with the older 5.7.
Once the water gets rough things change dramatically. It is easy to hit 21mph on the 5.7, you have to work harder to get the 5.0 over 20, but you do it whether an offshore wind,(smooth water), or onshore,(big swell and/or steep faces). The rough water seems to really hurt the H17.
We also commonly sail with a duo of English Gentlemen, running an H16 & Dart 18. They competitively raced across the pond for 40 years, but had never helmed a Nacra. I gave them our boats one day in 20+ winds & stiff seas. They were astounded at how hard you could drive them,double trapped, the third sitting on the hull, full on into the steep faces,without eating it, while maintaining speed. The Dart owner knew his boat could handle the seas, but said he could never go as fast as they whipped the 5.7 that day.<!-- editby --><em>Edited by Edchris177 on Jul 30, 2013 - 05:54 PM.</em><!-- end editby --> [/quote]
