This boat really appeals to me, I believe it would still make a very competitive boat for offshore racing, I wouldn't be surprised if $15,000 would buy it,
either a syndicate of like minded competitive sailors or a skipper who has the means to refit it , a boat that can easily do over 20kts sounds like one heck of fun.
yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/dubois-43-ior-racer/318982

Kankama said..
craising a race boat that can't get it on downwind would not make sense to me.

Concur

It's in the category of "pay someone to take it away". That boat will be costing > 10 grand a year in marina fees.

Also, it's got Kevlar in it (the most absorbent material ever) with a gaping hole in the stern....

Glad you replied - I am not that sure but I remember thinking we needed lots of fat people up the back. When the rudder went we had awful trouble getting her to Eden. I would rather a boat with more directional stability for if the rudder ever does go - or make a proper jury rudder before you go offshore. There was a bloke who had to leave his nice fat bummed Beneteu thing a few year ago because the rudder failed and he just couldn't get it to go without a rudder. Lost steering on a bar on a Cav 32 - sailed her back out the bar with no rudder and then took her back in with the emergency tiller - I liked that the older style underbody had some directional stability.

But I sail cats now - so I am out of the game.

I would fit a centre board just in front of the spade rudder for better directional stability. I saw that done once with remarkable results for easy downwind sailing.

I sailed on a similar era Peterson 42 that is fingertip steered upwind but the tiller loads up horrifically down wind especially with a kite up