Link to Album of images
March 26, 2011 - Westsail Rendezvous with 3 W-39 in attendance.
Special thanks to Kurt Lorenz and Dennis Rose for the images of the event. Several other Westsailors were there also including Steve and Lulu Yoder -W28 Siempro Sabado and
Doug and Jody of W32 El Gitano.
Westsails in attendance: W39 Raven - Kurt and Nancy Lorenz, W39 Westerly - Steve Wilson and W39 Whitecap - Harry and Mora Thompson.
Steve Wilson has owned Westerly for 21 years and ran her in the singlehanded TransPac race of 2002 and in 2006 as number 88. He would like to do it again but may not be back in SFO in time.
He repowered with a 50 hp Yanmar a few years ago and the repower required changing the prop and transmission as his original engine by Peugot was the opposite rotation.
Westerly has fuel tankage under the floor and over the keel lead, like the other boats, but she also has fuel tankage under the starboard side quarter berth. Westerly has a tall rig, roughly 4 feet taller than Raven or Whitecap. That makes Westerly's total mast from the mast step to the cap, 60 feet. The other two are 56 feet. Note double forward hull ports on Westerly. That is what Bob Perry drew originally.
He had to reenforce the shroud chainplate main bulkhead and he made a few other furniture changes to the interior, which is spartan and light in a Herreshoff kind of way. The WS 39 interior had a cut out starboard bulkhead with a tile covered shelf arrangement to starboard. This proved to be weak and apparently several boats have reenforced it.
The Fair Weather Mariner 39s all have a heavy bulkhead with only a cut out doorway, which has proved to be very solid. That makes for more closet space, but does not feel as open as the original boats. Note no forward hull ports on the Fair Weather. The FWM boats seem to have more spring in the sheer line, as if their nose is up a bit. It is hard to quantify, but shows in photos.
The original WS 39 boats pulled in Costa Mesa appear to be a bit flatter, or straighter when viewed in profile. Same mold so hard to see how this would be done, but it is noticeable. The FWM boats have a 16 inch deep cockpit. The original WS hulls have a cockpit that is 19 inches deep. Perhaps the FWM folks pulled another mold using a boat as a plug, and then modified it somewhat?
Whitecap is very similar to Westerly inside, except has more creature comfort type cabinet doors and so forth. She also has the tile shelf arrangement.
Harry and Mora Thompson have owned Whitecap for 15 years at this point, and have made numerous additions over the years. She has particularly nice canvas and stainless deck work. Note single forward hull ports.
Kurt Lorenz -
