Peter Johnstone, owner of Alerion Yachts, is working on the AE28 one design configuration. To that end, he drafted the following email which asked for input from AE28 sailors. Please read the email and help if you can. Apologies that some formatting didn’t carry through from the original email.
October 7, 2019
To the core of the Alerion 28 Fleet & Class activity:
First, please update this email list with any new contacts that should be included in an Alerion 28 Class business.
We’ve learned a lot since purchasing the Alerion brand in late 2017. The Alerion 20, 30 and 33 are selling nicely and with clear positioning. The Alerion 28 benefits from recent engineering improvements and engineering, but it feels positioned as too top end. We’d like to reposition the Alerion 28 to be better suited for the one design activity. We believe this can lead to some excitement for the fleets and the class. We’d like your input in our process, and when we are ready, we’d like each fleet’s support and approval for this edition. Many of these ideas have come directly from avid Alerion 28 sailors, so much of these items you may already enjoy on your own Alerion 28’s. Below are the refinements being considered for a new ‘one design’ edition:
5400 lbs Displacement Goal: Based on the SF Fleet’s weights, it appears that a typical Alerion 28 weight range is 5400-5700 lbs. If anyone has further information on actual measured weights, it would be appreciated.
Deck equipment layout:Helmsman led controls:Low windage 1:1 Traveller with 4:1 below deck led to opposite of helmDual led backstay adjuster led to opposite of helm.Port cabin top rigging:Halyard winchMain halyardJib sheet – Fine tune 4:1 purchaseFurling linesStbd cabin top rigging:Jib sheet – Coarse tune 2:1 purchaseJib sheet – Fine tune 4:1 purchaseJib halyardBoom mounted ratchet/headknocker – no cockpit post.Self-tacking jib sheet track and sheet. Optional jib boom. Improve jib sheet trim upwind.
Updates to Keep the Alerion 28 more currentFacnor low profile continuous structural fuller with rod between units. Allows lower tack and foot. Eliminates extruded luff foil.An updated rudder shape and construction. Construction method will be less likely to gain moisture.Specification Changes:Vinylester resin- better adhesion, Reduces risk of moisture in laminate. Corecell foam core for all molded parts. Reduces risk of moisture in the laminate. Anodized spars as standard. Optional paint or powder coat finish.Make Toilet, plumbing, tank, pump-out, and sea cocks optionalMake Galley sink, plumbing, tank, and fill optionalMake Interior lights optionalMake Corian counter tops optionalDelete wooden box for 12V breakers on port side.Delete Plumbing trim boxes forward of bulkheadMinimize electrical wiringWhite extruded plastic toe rail replaces finished teakSS cabin hand rails replace teakLow profile hatchesOptional Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 FP 9kw propulsion in lieu of Volvo D1-10
Can you and your fleets please provide further input and ideas before October 25 for us to consider? We’d like this to be a collaborative and class-wide process.
Take Care,
Peter
Peter Johnstone, Owner
ALERION YACHTS
Charleston, SC
Mobile +1 252 599 0223
www.alerionyachts.com
Proudly Built in Rhode Island, USA!