Sorry for being late....
The 36 RH is a really great racer/cruiser, with a very good interior layout for offshore sailing.
In light air it is a rocket under any rule (of course you need a good bottom, good sails, no cruising gear and good boat prep-like any boat), and on all points of sail.
For Great Lakes and Mac racing, a well prepared 36 will do extremely well-of that I am sure.
In terms of habits, you should have no fear when in cruising mode. Any good IOR boat will behave fairly well offshore on any point of sail in a variety of conditions when in CRUISE mode-meaning you are reducing sail at the appropriate times.
It is only when these boats are pressed (big kite in big breeze) that they can get hard to control downwind (they are always good upwind). These habits are due a combination of a tall-ish, but definitely high aspect sailplan, short WL for the LOA, and a hull shape which does not allow a very clean exit of water past the stern section (due to rating considerations). IOR boats are also heavy by today's standards, which inhibits surfing. So when they are pressed, instead of "busting a move" and surfing, they tend to just settle a little deeper in the water, which increases drag, and overall loading, which hurts controllability. The short (ish) waterline also limits speed potential, so all of the energy from big breeze gets translated (again) to loading the boat up.. Also the tall skinny sails (spinnakers in this case) can really oscillate when running downwind, and create forces back and forth which lead to the roly-poly stuff.
Now that you know why the typical 80's IOR boats can be handful downwind in big breeze, remember everything is relative. The point of reference is newer designs with lower aspect sailplans, lighter displacement, and undistorted stern sections. Naturally they will be easier to control in these conditions, but it does not mean the IOR boats are "bad" boats. There are MANY old IOR boats cruising the world today bringing their owners swiftly and safely through all kinds of weather.
As for Transpac-I would suggest Pac Cup instead of the LA-Transpac. You will get a fleet with similar boats which have similar characteristics, and you will have fun. True, if you want to push the boat to its limit downwind in big breeze you will need some very good drivers, but frankly this will be true of any boat-just a little more so with an IOR type boat. The only bummer would be trying to sail a RH36 downwind against something like a Mumm 36, which would surf away from you in those conditions (but with a much faster rating).
In fairness, if a Transpac-type race is the top priority I would consider a more downwind oriented boat. But if cruising, Mac races, and general PHRF are equal considerations you will be happy.
If you are in a fleet of racer/cruisers in a similar rating band you will be in fine shape. If it gets too hairy, take the kite down and pole out a jib, and the boat will be tame as a pussycatThe 36 RH is a really great racer/cruiser, with a very good interior layout for offshore sailing.
In light air it is a rocket under any rule (of course you need a good bottom, good sails, no cruising gear and good boat prep-like any boat), and on all points of sail.
For Great Lakes and Mac racing, a well prepared 36 will do extremely well-of that I am sure.
In terms of habits, you should have no fear when in cruising mode. Any good IOR boat will behave fairly well offshore on any point of sail in a variety of conditions when in CRUISE mode-meaning you are reducing sail at the appropriate times.
It is only when these boats are pressed (big kite in big breeze) that they can get hard to control downwind (they are always good upwind). These habits are due a combination of a tall-ish, but definitely high aspect sailplan, short WL for the LOA, and a hull shape which does not allow a very clean exit of water past the stern section (due to rating considerations). IOR boats are also heavy by today's standards, which inhibits surfing. So when they are pressed, instead of "busting a move" and surfing, they tend to just settle a little deeper in the water, which increases drag, and overall loading, which hurts controllability. The short (ish) waterline also limits speed potential, so all of the energy from big breeze gets translated (again) to loading the boat up.. Also the tall skinny sails (spinnakers in this case) can really oscillate when running downwind, and create forces back and forth which lead to the roly-poly stuff.
Now that you know why the typical 80's IOR boats can be handful downwind in big breeze, remember everything is relative. The point of reference is newer designs with lower aspect sailplans, lighter displacement, and undistorted stern sections. Naturally they will be easier to control in these conditions, but it does not mean the IOR boats are "bad" boats. There are MANY old IOR boats cruising the world today bringing their owners swiftly and safely through all kinds of weather.
As for Transpac-I would suggest Pac Cup instead of the LA-Transpac. You will get a fleet with similar boats which have similar characteristics, and you will have fun. True, if you want to push the boat to its limit downwind in big breeze you will need some very good drivers, but frankly this will be true of any boat-just a little more so with an IOR type boat. The only bummer would be trying to sail a RH36 downwind against something like a Mumm 36, which would surf away from you in those conditions (but with a much faster rating).
In fairness, if a Transpac-type race is the top priority I would consider a more downwind oriented boat. But if cruising, Mac races, and general PHRF are equal considerations you will be happy.
If you are in a fleet of racer/cruisers in a similar rating band you will be in fine shape. If it gets too hairy, take the kite down and pole out a jib, and the boat will be tame as a pussycat.
Sorry to be so long-winded :nerd:, but there was a lot of ground to cover. The 36 is one of the better boats of its breed. It is strong, fast, and quick for the rating when prepared correctly. If you like the boat and the price is right you could do a lot worse.
Happy Trails,
S