Gday,
Obviously ive borrowed the title from last years posts from cisco etc on various yacht designs....

I currently own a Top Hat 25 MkIII, built about 1984, its a modified junk rig, essentially its a chinese junk gaff rig, anyway im a big TH fan, my last TH was NightCap another MkIII.
You can get yourself into a good Top Hat for well under $15k, GRP construction, lead ballast(48 or 55% ballast ratio?) long keel(cut-away forefoot), easily set up to be able to single-hand sail, designed by Illingworth & Primrose.
Has any one got any experiences of Top Hats?, I havent found anyone yet that has a bad word to say about them!!, If you do have anything bad to say, I would love to hear it & maybe I could address the issues with my Top Hat to make it better.

Hopefully I can encourage some discussion.

BTW is it possible to change my user name?, or do i just start up another one?
cheers
NC

I don't know the boats that well. Mainly it is by reputation but they certainly have a lot going for them.

Many praise the virtues of junk rigs. To me they make anything but a Chinese boat look ugly.

Also I don't think a junk rig would sail to windward nearly as well as a sloop rig.

Here are a few links to discussions on junk rigs:-


www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f47/opinions-please-junk-rig-1292.html

forum.woodenboat.com/archive/index.php/t-12730.html

www.kastenmarine.com/junk_rig.htm

The last one looks to have some good info.

Nice.Junk rig looks good.But v berth looks shiat.lucky that quater berth is massive.

Cheers, the middle link cisco provided mentions some very valid drawbcks to junk rigs, this particular rig is modified to address the poor windward sailing performance, its also possible to fly a small jib on the forestay (which is the only stay), there is masses & masses of lines tho', with numerous mainsheets (2) & gaff halyard & main throat halyard, there is hundreds of feet of line, but a good point is with so many lines the stresses of the rig is spread over so many lines.
chafe is a problem....mainsail against halyards & spare halyards (no internal halyards).
your right sleek the big pole in the middle of the V-berth is a pain, my lady wont dance with it, so the V-berth is just a storage area.
Thanks Michael for saving those articles, its great reading of what sailing was like in the 70's & 80's & a lot can be learnt for sailers keen to get back to the basics.
The Top Hat group also has Regattas that are held once or twice a year, great fun!.

C'mon hasnt anybody got anything bad to say about the Top Hat 25?
cheers

But a S&S 34 isnt a Beneteau 57.

could go on forever