Sail Characteristics CP 27?

[petersm]

Could somebody who owns a CP27 please describe some of the sailing characteristics.  Speed of the boat in different conditions?  How does it handle waves?  What kinds of conditions would you be comfortable in?  I am just trying to narrow my boat choice down and the 27 seems to be the right size for a young family but I have know Idea how they sail. Thank you!

[spaul]

Petersm, the 27 sails very well. She's a little tender in light air but most boats near this displacement are. I enjoy sailing into some light weather, she handles it quite well and reaches hull speed very quickly. Some will tell you its a slow boat, well it is sorta but those wouldn't be CP owners now, would they?
If you can arrange it, try to arrange a sail in some light air and some good sailing air so you can feel how this well designed boat handles. She points pretty well for me and holds course with no problem. A very comfortable boat.
Steve Paul
cp27/2
Nashville, IN

[Steve W.]

Steve
Tender is not a term I would think of when describing my CP-27, stable is a word I would use.  I agree with your other commits.

Pete
When I did a first sail on the boat, I was surprise when it sailed much better then I expected.
See if you can get a test sail on one, I think you will like the boat.

[spaul]

Steve W. , I'm lol, yes, tender is the wrong word. In light air she moves slowly but steadily for me. I have sailed many boats over the years (I'm not telling how many years) and the CP27 sails as well or weller (or is that more well?) than any boat I've sailed.
By tender I mean she needs a little coaxing but with good company who cares.

I suggest a test sail before buying any boat. The more time on the water the  better.

[thedavo]

Hmm, interesting reading the posts up to now. The one thing I thought about the 27 having sailed it since January is that she was tender. Although maybe tender is not the right word. She is extremely responsive in my opinion considering she looks like she would be a slug. I find the rail hitting the water in fifteen knots apparent with a full main and 135% genoa and have found myself beginning to "feather" her in that breeze. But, on the other hand, the helm does not feel unmanageable at all when she is heeling at that angle even in twenty-plus knots across the deck with the same sail configuration. The one thing that truly impresses me about this boat is how well behaved she is coming into the dock under power. You have steerage even going as slow as quarter on a knot. Blows me away every time I bring her back to land. One thing I will caution you about these things is how easy it is to forget about the anchor roller on the bowsprit.  The last time I brought her home just happen to be a beautiful day where all the neighbors were outside enjoying the day. Living on the the end of a canal, I have neighbors all around me and on this particular day I was feeling pretty good about the day, the boat, everything. I putted in real slow, made this magnificent pass by the neighbors boat (which, since he put his new dock in, really has made docking a challenge), begun to swing her parallel to the dock and just caught the last piling with the anchor roller.  Instant stop,....a little reverse, back into  forward gear, and finally made my landing to the jeering of all four homes of neighbors. Sure glad I was going at a crawl. But the fact that the boat responds at all at such a slow speed still amazes me. I have had the fortune on sailing on many a boat in my thirty-some years of experience and I have to say that this boat does astound me at times........kicks-ass handling-wise and accomodation-wise on Catalinas, Hunters, ......and anything else in its class that may have a wheel for the helm from that time period. Dave. 
By the way, if you are still looking after Labor Day, I will be able to give you a true assessment of her sailing performance as I will be entering Mady Cai in her first regatta that weekend. Usually Fifty boats or so, which should give me a good idea of her speed comparisons with Catalinas, Hunters, Cape Dorys, O'Days  and the like.

[spaul]

That's exactly what I meant when I wrote she was a little tender. I find the boat is very responsive and answers well to the wheel. I have the worst slip in the marina and I always find my cp responsive to get in or out of the slip under all weather conditions.
My advice to anyone looking in the cp27 class is to just sail one.
Had a great sail today between 4 and 8pm ahead of a slow moving front with 15-20 mph winds, low humidity and singlehanding. In Indiana that's a win win for me.


Steve

[Steve W.]

I guess tender is a very subjective term, and depending where you are coming from.  Here in Colo, a CP-27 is a big boat ( so is more stable then most other boats in Colo) and being at a mile high the wind does not have the same strength as at sea level. I would say a boat that is burying the rail in 15 knots of wind is tender. Here it take a 150 and full main and 25 knots to put the rail in the water.  So in a big pond with a lot of big boats the small CP-27 would be called tender.
It seem that we all agree that the boat is a dream when it comes to handling.

[john walker]

I sailed mine(Rosebud) for 6 years on Green Bay, WI.   I only have good comments and  fond memories, she's gone now.  I sail a Suncat now.   Try to get a slip with a bow in/portside tie as there's quite a "prop walk " to port when you hit reverse.  Makes docking a breeze.    John Walker,  Cedar River State Harbor,  MI

[thedavo]

I know this thread has sat awhile, but I can offer some first hand experience I had in a Labor Day Regatta we entered. I have brand new North Sails on the stick now, A #2 roller furling genoa (135%) and a full-battened main. We were underpowered for the balance of the day and slipped well behind the fleet as the wind was onshore and choppy, but went through two squalls that dismasted two boats, blew out some clews on some other boat's genoas, and many boats opted to drop their genoas and sailed on a beam reach with main alone. I was pretty confident leaving the genoa out as it was a simple matter to roll up the genoa if it got too hairy. We slid the genoa leads as far aft as possible, set the boom vang to all the way loose, and sailed below the layline to keep her on a somewhat manageable heel (the rail was in the water most of the time). The main point I wanted to make was that the boat never, ever lost steerage. She was heeled over plenty in the puffs but control was never an issue. With the benefit of hindsight, I would have probably furled her to a 110% but with the eased sheets reaching off, she felt fast. As it turned out, we would have done better to reduce sail and make a course closer to the wind. In the end, when we emerged from the squall, all the boats were close to crossing the finish line. We were about a half mile (this was a 22 mile race) behind but the wind left with the squall and we were left to roll in light air in the washing-machine-like seas. Our handicap allowance expired, and we corrected out poorly. Bottom line, the 27 handles adverse conditions much better that I anticipated in spite of having previously stated that I guessed her to be a tender boat. Dave.

[spaul]

Guess I started this tender thing and should finish it. Thanks for posting your experiences, they sound like wonderful days on the water. I think what I meant was the cp27 is a very stable boat but that said, is very responsive for such a big boat. I absolutely love our 27 and wish more sailors could experience the sound design and workmanship that we owners have grown to expect and appreciate.
I do have a port side berth and have no issues when docking. She is very predictable and always responds when I need her to.
Thanks guys,
Steve Paul