Twister as a first boat?|Forum|Twister Class Association

100% recommended as a first boat. A GRP or composite would be ideal. Bullet proof build, long keel, conservative, forgiving rig but not a dawdler. Decent internal volume, space for living comfortably. 

My first boat was a Stella, very similar to a Contessa 26, and I kept her for nearly 40 years, which tells you something of itself. My second boat was and still is a Twister. The main reason for making the change was I had 'done wood', all that prep and painting and varnishing, year in year out, and an all GRP boat, which Offcutt is, removes that (but that doesn't mean maintenance free, just less of it, and of a different kind). 

The Stella was slightly non-standard, masthead rig and slightly higher scantlings, possibly on account of the original owner wanting a boat better suited to offshore cruising. Whatever the reason, she was a superb boat. I cruised extensively on the South Coast, and got as far as the West Coast of Ireland and St Nazaire in the Bay of Biscay. The Twister, which I have only had for four seasons, has so far taken me to Helford in the west, to Lowestoft in the east, and south to the Channel Islands. I have sailed both in gales more than once (usually not out of choice, but because the forecast was wrong), and I never ever felt that the boats could not handle it (whether I could was another matter!). Both Twisters and Contessa 25s have proved themselves time and again as being very capable boats. 

The Stella is of course the older but slightly smaller sister of the Twister. Despite the Twister having a slightly longer waterline length, their average cruising speed was/is about the same, possibly because the Stella (and maybe the Contessa 26) has finer, more easily driven lines. She could certainly keep up with Twisters, and even Rustler 31s, and has been known to show a Rustler 36 her transom. She was as dry if not drier than a Twister, because of her clinker hull, but that won't apply to a Contessa 26, which I guess may be wetter. Both the Twister and the Contessa 26 have the same rugged and easy to manage deck stepped masthead rig with relatively large genoas and relatively small mainsails. 

When I was younger and more supple, the Stella never felt small, though I should mention I am not that tall at 5ft 7in. She could (just) manage four on board for a weekend, and worked very well with two on board, despite having only sitting headroom below. I always used to say you don't go below to go for a walk. Now, older and slightly less supple, I welcome the standing headroom on Offcutt. The other very noticeable thing is how much extra storage space there is. The volume goes up as the cube of the increase in length, and it really does make a difference, more space for gear and provisions, bigger tanks, and so greater range.

Peter is right about apparent solidity. Twisters feel like they are built to be driven through brick walls, whereas a Contessa 26 does feel relatively flimsy eg the foredeck will often flex under your weight, but Contessa 26s do not have a reputation for cracking up under load, indeed a little bit of flexibility just might be a good thing. Both boats have proved themselves more than capable of going round the world, with all that that entails.

The Stella and the Twister and indeed the Contessa 26 are all extremely pretty boats. You can and will spend hours over a lifetime just admiring their lines. The Twister is by far the heavier boat, around four and a half tons displacement compared to around two and a half tons for the Stella/Contessa 26, slower to get going, but more momentum once she has got going. The motion of a Stella and a Twister are very similar, and I would guess a Contessa 26 is also very similar. All three are fun but also well behaved boats to sail, which is very important if you like sailing. If I had to choose between the Stella and the Twister, which is difficult because they are both excellent, personally (I'm very wary of saying this on a Twister forum!) I just preferred the Stella, because she was more agile and responsive, and the same may apply to a Contessa 26. 

The Twister does have one vice, and don't let any Smart Alec tell you otherwise (unless they can prove what they say): they are impossible to control going astern. Sure they will go astern, but where they end up is in the hands of fate. It you don't want to believe this, read Tom Cunliffe's article on the matter. They are also not very good at tight 180 degree turns, eg getting out of Death Alley in a marina. The solution to the problem is to ruthlessly minimise the occasions on which you need to go astern. Warp the boat round in the berth so you are pointing the right way to get out, tell the marina in advance that you do not have a bow thruster,  that sort of thing. The Stella, on the other hand, and I am guessing the Contessa 26 too, can be controlled to some extent going astern. For a first boat, you can look at this in two opposite ways. The first is to say the Twister will teach you fast how to manage your boat in tight spaces, avoid them, and arguably that is a good thing. The other opposite view is that you will not learn how to control a boat going astern, because you can't control a Twister going astern, and you can't learn to control something which can't be controlled, which is not such a good thing, because you will learn only one thing, don't go astern! Technical note: there are a number of reasons why a Twister can't be controlled going astern, but often the deciding factor is the wind. On a calm day with no tide, you might be lucky, but how often do those conditions occur? They certainly cannot be relied on to any useful extent.

All other things being equal, a Contessa 26 will cost a little bit less to run, because so many things on a boat are charged by the foot. It's not just mooring fees, it the amount of antifouling you need, the amount of fuel you burn, how much it costs to get your sails cleaned, what the new engine costs if you need to get one etc etc etc. But the difference won't be huge, and in the greater scheme of things is probably not enough to matter.

Again all other things being equal, I lean to the view that a smaller and lighter boat is on balance, but only just, the better first (and by implication, the better to learn on) boat, simply because she is easier to handle, particularly when it comes to boat handling. But it is a moot point, and I doubt whether too much weight should be put on the point.

The often mentioned general point that it 'all depends on the type of sailing you intend to do' is of less importance here, I suggest, because in general concept both boats are effectively the same, capable enjoyable seagoing boats. Neither is necessarily and obviously the better boat under this criteria. If all you want to do is occasional short haul marina hops, then neither boat is right, get a modern AWB (average white boat) instead, and forget the romance of a proper yacht, but I suspect you want a proper yacht, and that is why you have narrowed your choice down to a Twister or a Contessa 26. That said, it would be wrong of me not to mention there are other proper classic yachts in the 26 to 28ft range, but few are as well known as the Twister and the Contessa 26, and it has to be said that having a long shortlist is not without its own problems, eg too much choice, how on earth do I choose?    

For me, choosing a boat should be done first with the heart, then with the gut, and only then with the head. You won't go wrong with either a Contessa 26 or a Twister as your first boat. If it was me in your position, I would keep an open mind, view examples of both, and find the boat, be she a Contessa 26 or a Twister,  that my heart says to me 'this is the one for me'. You will be starting out on a long term love affair, so you may as well be guided by your heart.

I am still rebuilding my Twister down here in NZ, but the short sail on had on her before haul out and starting the rebuild, showed me how incredibly stiff and solid she felt compared to my previous boat, a Contessa 26 which you also mention.  Night and day. Not decrying Contessa 26, great boat for a younger person, but Twister on a different level, albeit as I say, just a short comparison. Mind you at double the displacement of a Contessa and only two feet longer, it is no wonder she felt so much more solid to me. 

Powering astern, as Chris says, of course can be hairy.  That is part of the reason I eschew diesel inboards and go for outboards - not practical for a lot of people, but worked for me on the Contessa and no reason it won't on the Twister either.

Well I can’t think of any reason not to recommend a Twister as a first boat. Simplistic in design and well built.  A very capable boat at sea and will look after you in a blow.   Comfortable below deck.  A wooden top just adds to the appeal for me,  

stephen