NiceAft wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2026 4:52 am
Maybe maybe not I just posted what he claimed. Seems feasible. Mac’s are so slow, that they they wouldn’t win the race, they would just not loose the race as poorly. Who would notice that the motor was down, not up They’d probably just think, “look at that poor fool in a Mac; he’d probably go a knot or two faster if the motor was up.”
I don't doubt that he was doing it. My surprise was that no one noticed.
The only local race I have any personal knowledge of is the annual "Mug Race" on the St Johns river between Palatka and Green Cove Springs. MacGregors regularly enter the 38 mile race but I've never known one to be competitive. There is a 12 hour time limit for the 38 (statute) mile race. That's just a bit over 3 MPH average. It's a lot harder than it sounds. The most common result for a MacGregor is "DNF" although in 2019 a Mac25 named Mikula Mali managed to come in dead last.
Bill
2001 26X Simple Interest
Honda BF40D
"If I were in a hurry I would not have bought a sailboat." Me
If I liked to mostly motor, I would have bought a powerboat. My first option is usually sailing, but, if the wind is not present, I motor. Motoring is the second best thing you can do in the sea, sailing is the first.
Honestly it’s a mix. Sailing when conditions are good, but switching to motor when the wind drops or timing matters. That flexibility is kind of the whole appeal of the MacGregor. I'll use it more like a hybrid than a pure sailboat.
maybe not
Who would notice that the motor was down, not up
They’d probably just think, “look at that poor fool in a Mac; he’d probably go a knot or two faster if the motor was up.”