is still the best optionLegend http://www.marinesalesuk.co.uk/searchbo ... 76867&url=
The similarity to the Mac is unmistakeable, but the boat is a lot fatter and the stern seems to be better thought out than the Mac, with a proper integrated bathing platform and a very convincing/sturdy lifting single rudder, mounted inboard and easily accessible from underneath the helmsman's seat. The mast steps through to the keel and has two extra steel braces on the deck, but no backstays and both running and standing rigging are essentially Mac standard. The mainsheet runs to the steering pedestal a la
and there is consequently no traveller, although the winches are a step up from the Mac. Below deck its roomy and open plan - and very fat - with a far better rear double berth than the . In particular, the rear bulkhead is a far tidier affair and the area under the cockpit sole feels far less like a coffin, despite having a very solid wooden heads compartment where the has an airy sliding galley. The cabin sole is plain white moulding, the headlining is the saggy type and all the wood is unfinished 3/8 marine ply. I sat in it for 20 minutes talking to the salesman, and although it felt more "grown up" than the , it somehow wasn't right, and I think it was the - stype open forepeak which did it for me. Call me superficial if you will, but I find the mirrored bulkhead in the to be an absolutely fantastic optical illusion, and the 's galley (although not as stylish) to be a far more practical proposition. This is a fairly ugly boat clearly pitched at the family weekend market, and although priced up, is built to the same budget constraints as a . I told the salesman I wouldn't be getting rid of Morwenna any time soon. 
S-850http://www.theyachtmarket.com/boatImage ... preview%3D
This boat wasn't on display at the show, but is reviewed in this month's Practical Boat Owner magazine. It's smaller sister the S-700 was on display and I hated it. OK, it's far smaller than a
, but I found it truly truly horrible in every respect. The smaller boat has no heads compartment and very little space below deck. Tiller steering and a mainsheet that comes down to a post in the middle of the cockpit convinced me this was not a boat for family cruising, and the finish looked nasty. From the magazine article the S-850 looks dog ugly, and the PBO article comments that "Whichever way you look at her, this is not a boat you buy if you want a responsive thoroughbred that's fun, fast and engaging to sail. You don't need to sail her to work that out - one glance is enough. That said, she's predictable, obedient and undemanding, at least in moderate conditions. I read that as "frumpy & boring".I wrote last year that the Mac dealership in the UK appeared to have changed hands and the new guy was not making any real kind of marketing initiative, and just as at the main-event Southampton Boat Show in Summer, no
was to be seen in London yesterday; in fact, they are no longer advertised in the sailing mags or included in any of the comparisons, but the last new price I saw had gone up to around £27k without options, which means kitted and engined we are realistically looking at £35k minimum. The Legend had a show price with no engine of £37k, so that makes £45k on the water, and the magazine article lists the S-850 at £49k, so call that £55k on the water.I have no idea how to do tables or embed spreadsheet data in this forum, so here goes with some fairly basic data -
LWL: Mac 23.17ft, Legend 24.2, S-850 23.33
DLR: Mac 180, Legend 175, S-850 229 (confirming that the latter is likely to be stiffer and more sluggish)
SAD: Mac 20.8, Legend 17.25, S-850 15.23 - suggesting that the
is probably better in light winds, but will reef earlier than the others I estimated the on-the water displacements at 5,000lbs, 5540 and 6500 respectively, based on dry weights, 2 crew and likely engine/kit configuration
Overall, deeply flawed as it is, I consequently still think the
is the best compromise out there, the best value and the boat I want right now. I have started to have serious thoughts about the rear berth area and let's face it, the narrow stern on the Mac is not ideal. And there isn't one of us who doesn't believe that both the rigging and the interior can be improved upon over and above the factory standard. On the water,the is tender and due to its (intentionally) narrow beam nowhere near as stiff as the other two. All are RCD "C" rated and I wouldnt want to get caught out offshore in any of them, but for shorthanded coastal cruising I don't think the has a serious rival (the more so as the Odin/ Imexus series http://www.odin-marine.com/index.php?dz=27were also not represented at either recent UK show, and are also premium priced). Does anyone have stability curve data or a polar chart for the
or ?
so yes I am a very happy boater 
the brass hardware inside the cabin just makes her look real salty !
J
