Sailing an Open 50
What is it like to sail an open 50?
FAST! Definitely the first word that comes to mind. Everything this boat does is fast, from upwind, downwind, light wind, etc. Even sitting at the dock she seems FAST! When reefed down or her main luffing a little, she still wants to scream along, asking only for more as she steps on plane and produces that silky smooth surf behind her transom. It’s a completely addicting experience. I only want MORE.
What is an Open 50?
It’s a class of boat established by the ISAF, or sometimes referred to as an IMOCA 50. Basically, its a racing sailboat with a ‘box’ ruleset which governs the length, width, and draft, among many other factors. The boats were designed primarily to race single or short-handed around the world races. There are not too many Open 50’s out there as class popularity didn’t find it’s stride as compared to the bigger sister ruleset of the IMOCA 60’s.
The boat
We had the pleasure of sailing an Open 50 that was built in 1994 in Australia, designed by David Lyons. Her design brief was set for the BOC ‘Around the World Race’ 1994 edition. She has had many owners and names since, but was initially skippered by Australian Alan Nebauer for the 94’ race, followed by American Brad Van Liew in 98’.
She has some impressive specifications, when coming from more cruising oriented sailboats:
Length: 15.2m (50ft)
Beam: 4.4m (14.5ft)
Draft: 3.8m (12.5ft) - Fixed Keel
Displacement: 8.2t (18,000lbs)
Sail Area: 148m2 (1600ft2)
Sail Area to Displacement (SA/D): Upwind 39 / Downwind 66
Out on the water
Leaving the dock in Newport, we set out in a fresh southwesterly breeze, maybe in the low 20kt range. Ronnie Simpson, the skipper of Sparrow, opted for a reef in the main, and to use the Jib once out of the harbor on a long reach. With many guests onboard, including the legendary Herb McCormick and David Reed, and a boat which Ronnie was still sorting (as any race campaign goes), it was a good simple choice to handle the main alone. As Sparrow caught the wind, we quickly accelerated, even on a reefed main alone, barely even trimmed properly. All crew were in awe as the Open 50 punched through the Newport chop, passing every sailing machine on her way out of the harbor.
Once clear of Schuyler Ledge buoy, Ronnie cracked off the wind and unfurled her fractional, yet slightly overlapping jib. The feeling of effortless acceleration struck the crew as we looked back to find our wake clearly separating from the transom. This is what this boat was meant for - a powerful rig, deep keel, and a wide flat beam to create that smooth planning surface to accelerate well past hull speed.
Sparrow did have a bit of heel, as expected in any racing boat, but what astounded me came from adding water ballast. Sparrow is equipped with two massive water ballast tanks which scoop in sea water and store that weight central and to windward inside the cabin. I was completely shocked at how much the boat settled down, came back on her feet, and maintained her speed.
Major takeaways from my experience:
Fast is Fun! Watching that smooth flat water glide past the transom is ADDICTING.
Water ballast not only increases righting moment, but adds extra momentum to punch through chop upwind.
The ride was more comfortable than I imagined, though we were not in any significant sea-state.
Tiller-steering brings a sensation of sailing a dinghy, quickly forgetting your on a 50ft boat!
Ronnie Simpson is a bad-ass and the REAL DEAL for taking on this challenge.
Who is Ronnie Simpson and what is he doing with sparrow?
Ronnie Simpson is an extremely accomplished, well established, and super enthusiastic solo sailor. He has aspirations to compete in the Vendée Globe race, of which this campaign with Sparrow is yet another step-up in his career. What is the campaign? Well, just a solo, unassisted, non-stop around the entire world race, is all! Ronnie will be taking place in the inaugural Global Solo Challenge, where sailors using all sorts of boats can compete in a race around the world. Sparrow is the exact pedigree of racing boat needed for the event, sailing in the toughest conditions typically seen in the southern ocean.
Ronnie can use your support, however you can give it. Please consider donating to his incredible campaign. I can’t stress this enough: he is the REAL DEAL!
Thank you Ronnie Simpson!
We at Outer Passage want to thank you so much for inviting us out on an unforgettable sail aboard Sparrow. It is an experience we will never forget and wish you only the best of luck, wishes, fair wind and seas, and so many toasts to your future accomplishments!
Darren Seltzer