And a fully equipped galley. This pushed our weight up to just over 10,000 lbs. Yet in spite of this we were still able to tack through 85 degrees, and sail up wind in 8 to 10 knots of wind at 6.9 knots boatspeed. We timed the boats at the windward mark. Which would have put us in exactly the same performance bracket as the other boats.
Comments form other desingers.
To summarize the results, Merlin was definitely the fastest boat. The Osbourne 42 showed good speed, particularly off the wind. As time goes by and they sort her out, I suspect that she will prove to be faster than Merlin in some conditions, perhaps all. Given her sail area, sailing length, and weight, this is as it should be. The TRT will be faster in smooth water and with better sail selection.