© Walter Cooper

BOTY-Seaquest36

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Even before boarding the Seaquest 36 for a test sail, the Sailing World
judges could tell this boat is a racer first and foremost. The tall,
tapered, runner-less fractional rig with swept spreaders and
non-overlapping jibs, large cockpit, and tiller steering all pointed to
performance as the first priority while the cockpit seats, galley, and
interior showed the boat could be cruised. After sailing, the judges
agreed that the Seaquest's performance combined with efficient deck and
interior arrangements, clean styling, appropriate systems and
construction features rank this Reichel/Pugh-designed English import as
the Best Raceboat in the 2005 Boat of the Year contest.

The near vertical stem and short stern overhang contribute to a long
waterline for fast sailing when in the "hull speed" regime. Beam is
moderate at 10.83 feet (3.3 meters) but carried well aft so the weight
of crew hiking in a breeze is effective. The entry angles of the bow
are sharp, again confirming this as a racer compared to many
cruiser/racers where rounder bows add fore cabin interior volume but
detract from performance. While the draft of 7.17 feet (2.18 meters)
might have seemed deep a decade ago, it is shallow for a racer in this
era of 12-foot (3.6 meter) 50-footers. To keep ballast low, all the
lead is in a bulb at the bottom, and the fin is kept thin yet strong by
casting it from iron.  The Seaquest 36 races IRC in the UK with a
reported rating of 1.078. With many U.S. East Coast races being held
under IRC this year, IRC optimized designs will be favored. The
Seaquest 36's racing design and English origins suggest this could be a
boat to consider.

Boarding from our chase boat, we immediately noticed easy access from
the side decks to the large cockpit, access that promotes the quick and
fluid crew movements that lead to good maneuvers. In our light air test
sail the Seaquest 36 moved quickly upwind, sailing at just under 7
knots in 7 knots of wind. In this condition we sailed with the crew
well forward, near the shrouds, and the boat seemed to like a bit of
heel for best helm balance. The tiller steering provided quick response
and great visibility with the helmsman seated well outboard. The
Seaquest tacked quickly, accelerating up to speed shortly after
tacking. Tacking angles looked good, but were difficult to judge
accurately with shifty winds and in the absence of other boats.

Sail handling was simple in the large cockpit with two crew on the jib
forward and another on the mainsheet and traveler, aft of the helm.
This arrangement, with two headsail sheet winches in the cockpit and
two halyard/spinnaker sheet winches on the cabin top, has become
standard for this size boat. But the cockpit size and hardware
placement allowed the crew to function without bumping into each other
as is common with many boats this size. The cockpit area around the
companionway also worked particularly well. Here a centerline step at
the same height as the cockpit seats means the crew sprinting across
the boat in mid-tack doesn't have to step down to cockpit sole level
and then back up again. At other times this step provides a good
grinding platform for the pit crew to work halyard and spinnaker sheet
winches. Two other deck details are particularly worthy of note.
Recessed foot chocks are molded into the edge of the cockpit seats to
help keep the crew on the weather side but still keep the seat top
horizontal at the dock. All stanchions have braces to reduce their
chance of bending when either three beefy crew are pulling themselves
up to the weather rail after a quick tack, or crew are thrown against
them by a wave.

The mainsail is the powerhouse in this boat, and it is trimmed by
purchase with the coarse tune from the end of the boom to traveler. Our
test boat had a fine-tune purchase alongside the coarse, but Seaquest
reports future boats will have the fine-tune tackle inside the
boom.  Mainsail power is adjusted with the outhaul and by
controlling the bend of the aluminum Hall Spars mast with shroud set-up
before the race and backstay tension after the start. The traveler,
easily adjusted while sitting outboard, is above the rudderpost on top
of the cockpit seats. While this aft location makes it easy for the
main trimmer to whisper in helmsman's ear, the helm's comments can be
difficult to hear without him turning aft and taking eyes off sails and
waves. Assuming communications issues are solved, this location works
well with the rudder in the best location, under the boat as opposed to
aft and ventilated when heeled, and with the main trimmer out of range
of the jib trimmers' elbows. Jib lead position is adjusted by
traditional fore-and-aft tracks and, as is common in most
non-overlapping jib boats, the Seaquest 36 uses jib in-pullers to bring
the lead angle inboard in light air to 7 or 8 degrees and yet still
have the tracks and cabin house sides outboard for increased interior
volume. The standard jib tracks are short without much room for extra
adjustment. The sailmaker for this boat hit the track well with the No.
1 jib we used on our test sail, but a small number 4 would have to have
a high clew to still hit the front of the track.  
.
When it came time to set the spinnaker, all went smoothly with
well-placed gear. As with most boats this size, in heavy air the crew
will need to think ahead in choosing which halyard to use to avoid the
spinnaker sheet and halyard needing the same winch. We used an
asymmetrical spinnaker in the light air knowing this boat's speed pulls
the apparent wind well forward downwind, particularly in light air.
Boatspeed and jibe angles felt fine, but the judges couldn't help but
speculate how masthead spinnakers might improve the performance in
light air. Our test boat carried both asymmetrical and symmetrical
fractional spinnakers since IRC and now some PHRF fleets measure
spinnaker area but don't differentiate between symmetrical or
asymmetrical.

In addition to sailing performance, the Seaquest 36's interior also
impresses with a clean, sophisticated yet uncluttered look and not a
sharp corner in sight. The combination of varnished wood furniture with
molded, radiused corners, chrome and stainless hardware, and white
overhead are striking when first stepping below.

Immediately below the companionway to port is a chart table and
navigator's seat. Within reach just outboard is the switch panel and
mounting area for radios and instruments. Opposite to starboard, the
galley includes a 2-burner stove, icebox, sink and cabinets for
utensils. This boat is at that difficult size, larger than the
no-galley day racers yet smaller than the transoceanic racers that feed
large crews for a week. The solution here is well laid out while not
consuming too much space in what is primarily a race boat.  The
only quibble would be the relatively small size of the icebox and lack
of refrigeration, probably in keeping with English vs. U.S. weather and
customs for the favorite beverage temperature.

Centered in the cabin is a fold-down table that serves settees on each
side that are capable of seating most of the crew for a below deck
meal. With the table removed, its hefty stainless steel base becomes a
central grab rail and also serves to organize the racing sails stowed
below decks.

Seaquest makes a point of being able to sleep the full racing crew
aboard, and the 36 is no exception. For use in port, there are two aft
double quarter berths, a double v-berth forward and then a pair of
settee berths in the main cabin whose seat backs flip up to become
another pair of pilot berths. Under way, there are three usable sea
berths each side of the boat counting the settee, pilot berth, and the
aft double where the cushion is split with a lee canvas to keep the off
watch well to weather.

To starboard, between the main cabin and the v-berth, is a fully
enclosed head, including sink, overhead solar vent and adequate space.
Access is through a rigid door in the mast bulkhead and is tough when
the starboard side of the table is up, which could cramp after-race
celebrations. To port is a hanging locker and there are additional
lockers outboard the forward ends of the aft berths. Light and
ventilation come primarily from the three hatches. An optional pair of
opening ports in the cockpit sides can be installed to better light and
ventilate the aft berths.

The Seaquest 36's mechanical and plumbing systems are simple as befits
a racer/cruiser where the goal is to sail and not spend time
maintaining complex systems. A Yanmar 2GM20 diesel powers the boat
through a sail drive. Under power engine noise was much less than some
boats we tested but not silent by any means. In the flat water and
light wind available for our powering test the boat accelerated well,
and was easy to maneuver.

Engine access for service takes a back seat in many racing boats but
becomes important when the engine quits on the way to the starting line
or in the middle of that multi-day race. Here the engine is under
companionway steps with adequate access for service. On the boat we
sailed, engine cooling water was strained only by the screen on the
sail drive and not by a separate raw water strainer raising the
possibility of small debris entering the heat exchanger. Removing four
screws accessed the fuel filter fairly quickly, but not as easily as
the tool-less systems of other boats we saw. These systems may change
as Seaquest noted our test boat was one of the first off the production
line and some systems have been undergoing evolutionary revisions.

The electrical system includes two 12-volt batteries located midway
between the panel and alternator, under the navigator's seat.
Power-saving LED interior lights are also an available option. Other
systems included hot-and-cold pressure water drawing from 44-gallon
tankage and a gas stove with gas bottle well in the cockpit.

Construction of the Seaquest 36 is similar to some other European
racer/cruisers with a solid fiberglass bottom but balsa cored topsides
and deck, all hand laminated with polyester resin. Although fully cored
hull shells save considerable weight and have been race proven for
decades, the solid fiberglass bottom is a conservative choice that
allows easier repairs should they ever be necessary. Inside the hull a
massive fiberglass longitudinal and transverse beam structure spans the
keel and maststep area with three transverse keel floors transferring
the bending loads of the keel out to the hull sides and the
longitudinal beam carrying both the rig loads induced by
forestay/backstay tension and keel grounding loads. Atop this structure
are molded fiberglass liners that locate the bulkheads and serve as a
base for the furniture. Bulkheads and furniture are marine plywood
finished either with wood veneer or attractive laminates such as the
counter tops and faux teak-and-holly cabin sole. Many interior pieces
such as the head enclosure are laminated of wood in curved shapes.
Overhead, a molded fiberglass headliner facilitates a clean and
consistent finish. Hardware is bolted through the headliner by molding
solid inserts in way of fasteners and backing plates.

With factors that contribute to top sailing performance including a
tall rig, precise tiller steering, low-center-of-gravity keel, easy
deck for sail handling, and a $198,000 price, the Seaquest 36 rates as
our Best Raceboat. If you race predominately in light air, masthead
spinnakers would be a plus and if you frequently sail in chop, a carbon
rig is worth considering. Regardless, this IRC-influenced boat should
both bring home some silver and when not on the racecourse, prove to be
a racer that can be cruised.