Considering a Hunter Impala
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Keelboat classes
Forum Name: Keelboat news and development
Forum Discription: All the latest developments for yachts
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7139
Printed Date: 26 Jun 25 at 3:02am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Considering a Hunter Impala
Posted By: Eben
Subject: Considering a Hunter Impala
Date Posted: 13 Sep 10 at 6:10pm
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I am considering purchase of a Hunter Impala 28 OOD, but am concerned that the class may be in decline.
I cannot find results for the Impala Championships which were to take place at Abersoch Keel Boat Week 2010, but there appears to have been only one Impala which competed, ... ... and then won IRC 2, beating a Corby 25 and an Archambault A31! Unfortunately those newer boats are outside my budget
 I have also seen postings on other sites referring to Impalas left on the hard, rotting away. Is the class now dissapearing? Are all Impalas now better off in retirement, after all the average age must now be 30?
Should I even be considering an Impala, now in 2010?
Any advice would be appreciated,
Thanks
E
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Replies:
Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 13 Sep 10 at 9:57pm
| We have one at our club which is doing rather well. They seem to be great boats, just not white shiny and fashionable. I think you'll struggle to find Impala class racing though. |
Posted By: Oli
Date Posted: 14 Sep 10 at 9:09am
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all the impalas i know of sail extremely well under irc, class racing i think is a no go. ------------- https://skiff-media.teemill.com/" rel="nofollow - T-SHIRTS https://www.photo4me.com/profile/23908/" rel="nofollow - PRINTS |
Posted By: Eben
Date Posted: 14 Sep 10 at 9:12am
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Hi Craiggo & Slop-Idol,
Thanks for your replies & advice. That is as I thought.
E
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Posted By: garth weaver
Date Posted: 14 Sep 10 at 9:23pm
| Have a look at the results for Dartmouth Week. Peanut (an impala) won IRC 4 ahead of three half-tonners, two of which I race against regularly and know are very well sailed. |
Posted By: Jamesd
Date Posted: 15 Sep 10 at 12:03am
| without doubt a bandit on IRC |
Posted By: garth weaver
Date Posted: 16 Sep 10 at 9:12pm
| Give the guys who sail Peanut some credit as I've seen plenty of Impala's sailed less well. |
Posted By: Juggs
Date Posted: 17 Sep 10 at 2:55pm
| It's still a bandit but I'll agree it's well sailed. How you get a 28 foot boat to rate below .900 I have no idea! |
Posted By: yotboy
Date Posted: 29 Sep 10 at 10:14pm
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Not to mention box stock Impalas 1st & 2nd in IRC 5 at Tarbert this year too. 'Works' Corby 25 that got done over in Abersoch didn't fare well up North either. Highly recommended, and much cheapness (if yacht racing could ever be considered cheap).
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Posted By: jonrib
Date Posted: 05 Oct 10 at 9:01pm
Having competed in the Abersoch regatta I can tell you the Impala was very well sailed,but the irc number makes it a robber,quite a few sailers left the regatta all looking for impalas ,today its difficult to locate any on the market ------------- jonrib |
Posted By: Beeste
Date Posted: 31 Dec 10 at 5:36pm
I own Impala GBR 9522 Beeste that competed at Abersoch.  The IRC rating is not a necesserily a bandit. It is however competitive under most conditions. If you want a bandit look towards the Sonata's. I find the problem with the Impala is that different owners have optimised their boats to acheive better IRC ratings as most of their club racing is done under IRC. I have left Beeste in class and the IRC rating is the standard rating for the Impala. If I had the boat measured I know it would have an even better rating as the sails are undersized as the previous owner had optimised its IRC rating. If you look at past Impala events like Ramsgate different boats win in one design to IRC in the same race, this makes one design pointless. You don't get this in other one design boats. Even in Tarbert the two boats had different ratings?????? The Impala class is aware the class is struggling and have contacted members to encourage a turn out for a one design event next year. The problem is the boats are spread around the country and not easy to tow. A class is only as strong as its members. I raced Impalas in the mid 90's and have since sailed many sports boats and cruiser racers to a good standard but I have returned back to the Impala and still think they are the ideal club racer. |
Posted By: RS400atC
Date Posted: 26 Jun 11 at 8:45pm
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I used to own an Impala, about 10 years ago. As others have said, there has been drift away from one design. For instance Celerity and Burhou have different keels. Some boats have inboards, some an outboard in a well. (This was allowed under one design, with some correctors IIRC). It's not the only class with different IRC numbers and smaller genoas for IRC, X-99's were a prime example at the time. It was a great boat, although we did not race it much apart from local club stuff and the inevitable RTIR. I felt that it needed a lot of fat blokes on board to be competitive for a small boat, although it was very capable as a cruiser and took us to Cornwall and France two up very happily. I think a lot of the boats moved west to cheaper moorings like Falmouth and Ireland. A great boat, if a bit basic below, goes upwind much better than most 28ft cruisers. Our diesel was very noisy so we sailed as much as possible! |
Posted By: Eben
Date Posted: 27 Jun 11 at 10:10am
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Thanks everyone,
I'm currently sailing a Sonata, and acknowledge that it is more (much more) of an IRC bandit!
 Fair sailing
 EBEN
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