No raccoon stripes

[Russ]

I found this Mac X without the stripes. Looks nice. I wonder what the M would look like with them painted out.

[Berber Boy]

Hi Russ, Your post on stripes reminds me of one fateful trip when I packed up the boat and tied the detached furler on to of the flattened mast. Upon arrival home I discovered a bolt end had perforated my furled genoa all the way through with a string of wholes getting progressively smaller.

My local sailmaker put a dacron strip to cover either side and fortunately it was a diagonal rather than horizontal . He told me that when asked I should reply. "Its a Racing Stripe". I have done so a couple of times and everyone is quite impressed.

The white hull without the stripes looks better in my opinion but I prefer white stripes and BB (Beatiful Blue)

[DaveC426913]

Not for me man.

The raccoon stripe is the best feature of the boat. Makes it look like a racecar or an airplane.

[seahouse]

I'm with you Dave. The lack of stripes gives the predictable visual result. But it is a different and unique look. From other Macs.

Because the Mac has high freeboard (gives more interior headroom etc) it has a “chunky” proportion (of height relative to length) as sailboats go. The required dimensional constraints dictate sizes and shapes that would likely not be considered pleasing to many people's eye. It's a “stubby” boat.

The Mac needs the stripe(s) for esthetic reasons to make the eye move horizontally, making it appear to be longer and narrower to the eye than it really is. Other manufacturers use the same technique, though not always in a complete “wrap around” to the extent of a Mac. In that regard, it's the presence of the stripes that gives a different and unique result.

It's one more thing that Roger did that is exactly the way I would have done it .

-B.

[Tumbleweed]

Presenting a piece of esoteric information ?

[seahouse]

Presenting a piece of esoteric information ?

Shhh!

[Ixneigh]

I like the stripes on the M and with my current hull paint it looks even longer. Eventually I will awl grip those stripes. No more fading.
Ix

[Ormonddude]

Its just WRONG! Hurts my eyes with all the glare.