I'm totally with the notion of a better-performing boat for this venture. If I could have afforded the divorce, I even considered a tradewinds circumnavigation on Ragtime! Hells bells, a Moore 24 is doing it! But like Two Guys (Cochise), Ragtime! was a very open, exposed boat to sail. I don't know how Webb does it on the Moore. That dude is special.

The 1D35 has a big-roach main (lots of roach up high) so that's why no backstay. I'm sure you could get a normal (pinhead) main but it would affect the performance somewhat.

On another point, the blue and silver 1D35 at RYC has some big cracks in the deck. That was a problem with these (Carroll Marine) boats.