Good Old Boat Magazine Nov/Dec issue article on Venture 25
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:08 am
The November/December issue of Good Old Boat Magazine has a nice feature article on the Venture 25. Some interesting points:
Roger MacGregor:
In 1967, as a final requirement for earing his MBA at Stanford Business School, Roger wrote his thesis on automating sailboat manufacturing. Roger and his wife started MacGregor Yacht Corporation in their garage. In 1968, they introduced the Venture 1.
Venture 25:
Debuted in 1973 in their Costa Masa facility. After 7,000 boats, production ended in 1987 with the introduction of the water-ballasted MacGregor 26.
Summing up:
The Venture 25 is a good first big boat. Keep in mind that its overall construction and rigging are on the light side. The swing keel offers shallow-water sailing; and the boat is best sailed in protected waters. Some of the best support and information is available from independent sources, such as http://www.macgregorowners.com. Availability of Venture 25 is good. And on the used-boat market, typical pricing for a Venture 25 in sail-away condition is in the range of 4,000 to 6,000, with condition and upgrades being everything.
Much more in actual article....
Roger MacGregor:
In 1967, as a final requirement for earing his MBA at Stanford Business School, Roger wrote his thesis on automating sailboat manufacturing. Roger and his wife started MacGregor Yacht Corporation in their garage. In 1968, they introduced the Venture 1.
Venture 25:
Debuted in 1973 in their Costa Masa facility. After 7,000 boats, production ended in 1987 with the introduction of the water-ballasted MacGregor 26.
Summing up:
The Venture 25 is a good first big boat. Keep in mind that its overall construction and rigging are on the light side. The swing keel offers shallow-water sailing; and the boat is best sailed in protected waters. Some of the best support and information is available from independent sources, such as http://www.macgregorowners.com. Availability of Venture 25 is good. And on the used-boat market, typical pricing for a Venture 25 in sail-away condition is in the range of 4,000 to 6,000, with condition and upgrades being everything.
Much more in actual article....
Don't tell anyone, but I would really like to try a Mac 26S because IMHO it would be better for the California "Delta" region, and for the Sea of Cortz than the "D" model. I have a Mac 26D owner nearby, but I haven't been able to talk him into a sail to Catalina Island (So CAl) for two years now 
Come to think of it, I've never sailed on a water ballast boat. And, I have a good friend who has a Mac26M - *maybe* I need a personality makeover 