COLGATE 26 CUSTOMER REVIEWS
300th Boat purchaser gets Gold Block Award from Harken
Jim Excell — proud owner of Hull #300 shown above — receives the Harken Gold Block award from Jeff Penny, Harken representative, on the shores of Lake Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia where his boat is moored. We're approaching Hull 350 — yours if you order soon. You'll get a beautiful half-model when you do. Go to Specials to learn more.
Meet online to discuss and find out more about the remarkable Colgate 26 – the most affordable trainer, racer, and family daysailing keelboat you’ll find. As a Colgate 26 sailor, you may post questions, comments or tips about sailing, racing, or maintaining the Colgate 26. The forum is not limited to owners; all sailors are welcome. Please use your real name (no phony stuff please) and sign your posts.
Comments received from owners
“The Colgate 26 has exceeded my expectations, as I was looking for an affordable daysailer that I could competitively race. What stands out after sailing the boat for the past several seasons is the large user-friendly cockpit. The boat has all the lines to shape the sails to make the Colgate go fast and lines are easily accessible, which makes it easy to sail when I am just out sailing (Speedway Boogie) with a few friends who are not sailors.”
Chris Brady – Manhasset, NY (hull #165)
“I raced my Colgate (#284, shoal draft) last night in a sunset sail series with my Dad as crew. The boat went to weather like crazy, and downwind I think I could have taken a nap the helm was so balanced. My Dad, who has been on far more boats than I, sings the Colgate's praises every time he's on board. This boat is just a joy to sail. I remain a faithful fan.”
Andrew Kraus – Yardley, PA (hull #284)
“It’s unusual for a customer to tell a vendor his advertising is absolutely true. That’s what I’m telling you. The Colgate 26 is a joy to sail! It handles well in all wind and wave conditions, and on all points of sail. It’s a comfortable, stable, easy to sail daysailer and a fast, sophisticated racer. A Colgate 26, #56 owned by Jerry Ebert, took just about every PHRF cup on Lake Mendota this past summer. I must confess, he usually beats me. He often beats J80s boat-for-boat. I sometimes beat J80s boat-for-boat. On top of all this, the Colgate 26 is a great sailing value.”
Joe Silverberg – Madison, WI (hull #15)
“The Colgate 26 is a very good, all purpose boat that can be used for training, cruising, racing, night sailing or camping on the island. It is most impressive that the Colgate 26 participates in many national and international regattas, and can tolerate heavy weather. With your boat, we prepare many skippers from around the world.”
Muhammad Ayaz, Sailing Instructor, Doha Sailing Club with 10 Colgate 26s, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
“The Colgate 26 is easy to rig and lets you get underway in minutes, saving valuable practice time. New York Maritime sailors particularly enjoy having the opportunity to not only improve their boat handling and boat speed, but also hone their tactics while match racing during practice.”
Chris Price, senior and Co-Captain of the New York Maritime College Sailing Team
“I really do love my boat. It has very little weather helm and is great in the big seas that you can get on Lake Michigan. I feel very safe knowing that it has positive flotation and will not sink. We predominantly day sail, and the cockpit is great. You can really spread out. The solid railings around the cockpit are also a very nice feature that you just don’t see on many other boats.”
Rob Hall – Shorewood, WI (hull #105)
“Why did I buy the Colgate 26? She’s a safe, stable, fast fun learning platform. Before the Colgate, I’ve sailed and raced Sunfish, Hobies, a Flying Scot and a Beneteau 21.0. I LOVE this boat!”
David Stittsworth – Lincoln, IL (hull #178)
“The C26 is a unique boat – it is a great platform for teaching sailing while still providing solid racing and daysailing performance. As such, it attracts a lot of new sailors or racers.”
Jay Blass – Arlington, TX (hull #6)
“I run a sailing program just north of Chicago. Our program owns a Colgate 26 and we love it. It is in use 6-7 days a week from April through September. I think the Colgate 26 is an excellent boat and look forward to racing it.”
Brian Hill – Lake Forest, IL (hull #117)
“I am the proud owner of hull #161 based out of Monroe Harbor in downtown Chicago. My girls spent the night camping on the boat and had a great time.”
Dave Wilsman – Wheaton, IL (hull #161)
“Bottom line is, it’s a very versatile turn-key fun boat. You’ll have a blast from day one.”
John Drover – Haverhill, MA (hull #126)
“I cannot tell you how many boats I looked at prior to my decision. There is truly nothing in the marketplace today which compares to the C26. I found what I was looking for in this boat. And I get the added bonus of a stable good looking vessel at a price that screams VALUE!”
Bob Jensen – Nokomis, FL (hull #190)
“The boat sails itself. I have no fear in this boat (Zig Zag) at all. I like going fast now!”
Mrs. Stew Hibbins – Burnt Hills, NY (hull #134)
“Have you ever tried to do a 360 while moving along at a good clip? The boat (The Nancy Anne) will spin like a top! You feel like a kid in an icy parking lot with your dad's car.”
Pat Nowak – Holland, MI, (hull #137)
“The cockpit is rock solid. The rails make me comfortable when the kids want to dangle their feet on the windward side to see the sights and leeward to wet the toes. A small outboard gives me enough power to get home without the wind. She tracks well and is great for single-handing or managing with an inexperienced crew. My 10 year old daughter can handle the tiller. I have never had a bad outing on my boat (Perfect Game) and would heartily recommend it for any day sailor.”
Chris Rousseau – Oyster Bay, NY (hull #123)
“One of the reasons I chose the C26 was as a training platform for my young daughters, ages 7 and 9. The boat is responsive enough to let them get a real feel for sail trim, but with sufficient room that novice crews aren’t clamoring over each other. From a father’s perspective, the solid hull lay-up and positive flotation add to my sense of security. And I love the boat’s versatility. I can sail (Quid Pro Quo) alone, comfortably all day in a wide variety of conditions. Yet I can bring aboard a crew in the evening and compete in PHRF events.”
Steve Thomas – Branford, CT (hull #177)
“Before we placed our order for a C26 (Koru), my wife and I took the (Offshore Sailing School) Performance Sailing course. This gave us a week of what turned out to be very informative, individual lessons while we were deciding on a purchase. The pressure to buy was nonexistent! We highly recommend this option to prospective C26 owners”
Jerry Manock – Burlington, VT (hull #171)
"I am so pleased with this boat. My crew was amazed at how she ghosts along, even close-hauled with a 100% jib in a 5-7 knot breeze. The boat is spectacular. Perfect balance, no weather helm, speedy and dry."
Cole Palmer – Westport, CT, (hull #77)
Excerpts from letters and emails from Colgate 26 owners and racers
From Ted Squire – Marblehead, MA (hull #152) - second from right with winning cr
ew and Steve Colgate Iin red shirt) at Marblehead NOODS 2006
Since a child, I’ve raced, cruised, daysailed and done deliveries. Even been convinced that power boats are cool. When cruising and daysailing, I’m very often single-handed. My bride, Hannah, is a farm girl. She ‘likes to be sailed.’ In my world, watching sunsets is just as important as winning races. The only thing that makes a GREAT SAILBOAT is sailing ability, defined as ‘does it all, in all conditions,’ which means:
- Single-handed
- Overloaded with non-sailing friends on an afternoon frolic
- Great in light air with or without a racing crew and racing sails
- Easy to handle when it’s blowing 35 TWS
- When reefed, or double reefed, sails well and comfortably without frightening the farm girl or our friends
- Coming home the 50 miles from Cape Cod and the wind howls
- Easy to get really good speed
- Rewarding when trimmed very carefully
- Has great “feel” at the helm
- Has balance up wind and down
- Friends friendly
By these standards the Colgate 26 is a GREAT SAILBOAT! Every Sonar and small J owner who has sailed mine has remarked on how great the helm feels.
But it doesn’t stop there.
While it has a very nice overnight cabin, it doesn’t add things pretending to be a week long cruising machine. I sleep on my boat at regular intervals. I’m 6’ and 200 pounds. The quarter berths are very large. On Sunday mornings, before the wind arrives, the cockpit is a great place to daydream or nap.
Every costly piece of gear is from the best brands. The lines are an exception, but I’m a rigging nut and knew I would be making changes anyway. Having said that, I sailed and raced the boat for 3 months without touching a thing.” (Note from Steve Colgate: Since Ted's boat was delivered, we have upgraded the running rigging.)
From Dave Perry, racing in the 2006 Knickerbocker Cup on Colgate 26s in Manhasset Bay, NY; Dave also raced and nearly won the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup, also held on Colgate 26s. He's shown here at the helm in that series.
We entered the starting box at four minutes to go before the start – just as our opponent did at the other end of the starting line. Reaching at each other at top speed, neither of us blinked - until the last second when I, as the port-tack boat, was required to turn to avoid him on starboard. And so the brawling began, each of us turning quickly at the other as the forward-positioned rudder of the Colgate 26 gave us maximum control over our boats.
Turning in our own wakes, the two boats never more than a length apart, and often within inches, the two perfectly equal Colgates went at it like the foils of two expert swordsmen, slashing and retreating, looking for any kind of small advantage. And then it stopped, and the race began, and the two boats were off, side by side, neither faster nor slower than the other, up the race track, with the outcome of the race a complete unknown to both teams.
Match racing is best when done in equally matched keel boats that handle well, are not over-powered and have symmetrical spinnakers. The Colgate 26 fits that description perfectly. Most races in the 2006 Knickerbocker Cup were neck and neck around the course, a testament not only to the caliber of the teams but to the equality of the boats as well.
In 5 knots and in 25 knots, the boats handled superbly, allowing the teams to maneuver within feet of each other on the spinnaker legs, one trying to block the wind of the other, the other trying to find enough air to breathe. And rarely a spinnaker came down more than ten seconds from the leeward mark due to the ease of handling the big colorful sail.
I was very impressed with the boats, as was my foredeck crew who has sailed with me for years. She found that she could tack by stepping in front of the mast or by crossing the cockpit, depending on the tactical needs of the situation. And she did it all on the fore deck: raise the spinnaker, furl the jib, gybe the pole and pull the spinnaker down.
I look forward to my next sail in a Colgate 26, and I am certainly thankful Steve arranged for the boats to be used in the 2006 Knickerbocker Cup.”
(Note from Steve Colgate: Since 2006, Colgate 26s have been donated by Offshore Sailing School and private owners for each year’s Cup competition, including the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup held by the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club.)
From Eric Jergenson, Sailing Master – Maine Maritime, Castine, ME written to a potential buyer from Odense, Denmark in 2005
I understand you are interested in the Colgate 26 as a potential vessel for your sailing fleet. We at Maine Maritime were in a similar situation a few years ago. Facing the challenge of replacing our aged Shields fleet was a daunting task. Finding a boat that could function as a training vessel for college level sailing courses, deliver spirited performance on the race course, and still be used for some coastal cruising in home waters was a tough order to fill. To add to the challenge, we needed the boats to be extremely safe in all these scenarios.
We now own five Colgate 26s and are campaigning for five more. We are entering our second full season with the boats and the students are very excited. Spring sailing in Maine is not for the timid, but despite the near freezing temperatures, cold blustery winds, and the short evening practices, our sailing team students are out on the water. There is no doubt the C26s are an important reason for this. The students love to sail them. More importantly, as a sailing professional, I am comfortable that the boat will safely perform in these extreme situations.
I have no reservations in recommending the Colgate 26 as a great all around program boat. We use the boats daily to instruct beginning to advanced sailing to our students. It not uncommon for a sailing class to step off the boat just as the racing team steps on board. Whether for racing, instruction, or recreation, our students are waiting in line to sail them. We are not alone in our love of the C26. The number of private boats in our area is increasing. This offers a great potential for one-design sailing in the future. We already enjoy the chance to race C26s at the Coast Guard and Naval Academy. It is a growing fleet in the college sailing arena. I look forward to increasing the number of boats in our program very soon.
I think we have a winning combination in the Colgate 26. We have a stable, roomy platform for instruction at all levels, a sporty racer that appeals to college-aged sailor, and a boat that meets the high safety expectations of the Waterfront Staff at Maine Maritime Academy.”
(Note from Steve Colgate: In 2009, Maine Maritime’s fleet numbered eight Colgate 26s with two more to be added before long.)
From Patrick Nowak – Holland, MI (hull #137) in an email sent August 2006 to a sailor considering purchase of a Colgate 26
I'm happy to give you some thoughts on the Colgate 26. First though, I must tell you I sold the boat about a year ago and bought an Alerion Express 28, in a fit of temporary prosperity. The AE 28 is a wonderful boat and it has some similarities to the Colgate 26.
Both are spirited, highly maneuverable, fast boats. You can get three Colgates for the price of the AE 28 so on a grins per dollar basis, the Colgate 26 is the clear winner. It pains me to tell you that we have not had the racing success with the AE 28 that we had with the Colgate 26.
I liked the Colgate 26 a lot, raced it for four years and would highly recommend as single handed day sailor, One Design fleet racer, school boat, and Wednesday night PHRF racer. We won the 2005 Fall Series at Bayshore Yacht Club in one of the spinnaker divisions against well sailed J-29's and C & C 32s. We also won the 2005 Anchorage Cup Silver Course Race. It is a very competitive boat in PHRF racing with a rating of 168.
I also sailed it single handed on Lake Michigan, logging on average 750 miles per summer, hunting down and passing almost any sailboat up to 36 feet. I ruined a lot of sailors' Sunday afternoon sailing who had their wives and bosses out in the new boat and were quickly overhauled by the Colgate 26.
In 2003 and 2004 I was invited to Marblehead, MA to participate in the NOODs (National Offshore One Design) where Colgates had their own class. I sailed on others folks' boats, and found that racing Colgates in the One Design environment is great competitive fun. Unfortunately we did not have enough Colgates on Lake Michigan for the Chicago NOODs so I have not done that. There is one other Colgate 26 here, owned by a fellow from Lansing, who I could put you in touch with if you like.
I believe the Colgate 26 would make a wonderful One Design boat for your club. They're tough boats, designed by Jim Taylor of Sabre fame for a school and family day sailor environment, built by Precision Boatworks, down in Palmetto, FL. We bought ours new and picked it up at the factory and hauled it back to MI. I rigged it myself and have found it a very easy boat to maintain, just repainted the bottom annually with Pettit's SR-21 or Interlux's VC-17 and kept it clean.
If you race it as a One Design, the small jib works just fine and the Colgate 26 OD rules forbid genoas. If you're going to race it PHRF, you absolutely need to have a 155 on it to be competitive in light air, up to 16 knots. Over 16 knots, the small jib is fine.
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