The C355 vs the C350

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Whitehook
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:53 am
Location: Keyport, New Jersey

The C355 vs the C350

Post by Whitehook »

The recent Catalina East-coast rendezvous was fun and I met a few new friends and an old co-officer for the first time face to face.

Gerry and Frank did a slide show on the new 355 and talked about a number of boats from the 320 to the 455.

Regarding the 355, Gerry talked about putting the emphasis on aesthetics and performance instead of interiors and volume as was the focus of our boat. He mentioned that over 500 C350s have been sold to date and that it currently could still be ordered from the factory. A lot of people still like the idea of the C350 but in his words, the sincerest form of flattery is a check. The beautiful 455 was on display and is an example of the latest design direction. While I don’t remember the exact numbers, approximately 4 of the 16 built have been sold in Italy which is a testament to the aesthetics side of that design equation.

Clearly the C355 is a smaller boat in freeboard, beam, and length on waterline than the C350 but it has similar design ratios to the 455 and it should look very nice on the water and at the dock. It will have an adjustable bowsprit for flying a big asymmetrical and it should perform very well in all wind conditions.

I still think that the C350 will go down as the largest 35 foot sailboat ever, and it was designed and built to a high level of quality which I believe will make it a very sought after boat in the used boat market.

Frank recalled that the three smallest boats built in the early days of Catalina sold over 30,000 combined hulls; but that these are different times and Catalina will respond to the demands of the marketplace. They are in it for the long haul.

Greg Klocek
s/v WhiteHook #199
Golden Handcuffs
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:46 pm

Re: The C355 vs the C350

Post by Golden Handcuffs »

"A lot of people still like the idea of the 350"? You sort of suggest that the "market" wants the 355 more than the 350. I don't understand what you mean by that. Have tastes changed or something? In my opinion, they really haven't as far as mid-sized cruisers go.
Whitehook
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:53 am
Location: Keyport, New Jersey

Re: The C355 vs the C350

Post by Whitehook »

I didn’t mean to imply anything about what the market is looking for but price is a big factor in people’s purchase decisions and my guess is that Catalina is adjusting their product line in response to their competition. Gerry Douglas did say that Catalina would build the C350 as long as there were orders.

Greg Klocek
s/v WhiteHook #199
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