Hi. It's not a dumb question at all. The simple fact is that racing boats are made tough. They are subject to extraordinary stresses and need to be designed to cope. The need to carefully check a boat which has been campaigned becomes more important with each passing season. The boat may look great, but it may be on the market because it needs a major overhaul following years of hard racing.
Comfort in a racing boat is not a major consideration. They are designed to go fast in the waters they were designed to race in, and usually they are designed to be sailed by a larger crew than a cruising boat. So, in many cases a lot of extra gear needs to be added to make them safe for short handing.
The great strengths of racing boats are in their bulkheads, at attachment points (backstays, forestays and chain plates, rudder and keel), but other areas may be much lighter than on a cruising boat. Consequently, installing portlights to liven up the living space below, may catastrophically weaken a thin structure which is dependent upon solid panels for structural strength and stiffness.
For day sailing and overnighters, the motion of a racing boat may be of no concern. However if you are sailing, particularly in poor weather, for a prolonged period, the motion of a race boat may make the crew (probably 2 or 3 people, rather than 6 or 7) extremely tired. Tired crew are not good crew. Have a look at this link:
Motion Comfort Ratio It is concerned with the great Ted Brewer's Motion Comfort Ratio. If you correctly enter critical values in the fields provided, it will give you a number. The higher the number the more comfortable the boat will be on a passage. For a detailed explanation have a look also here:
Ted Brewer Yacht Design This is where Mr Brewer explains his philosophy regarding boat design.
While it is not necessarily a great comparison, think about going on a drive in a Toyota Camry as opposed to a fully kitted out rally or race car. Fast, uncomfortable and twitchy requiring a high level of skill versus a nice family outing in a good, safe, predictable vehicle.
Second hand race boats can be excellent value, but they need a very careful survey and knowledge of just what level of comfort you are buying into.
Having said all that though, my current boat is a Breeon class racing boat designed and campaigned in the Fastnet and Santander races and a veteran of more than 10 Middle Sea Races in the Mediterranean. It was built in steel in 1963 and, with the benefit of a full refit, is now an excellent cruising boat which this year, will take me across the Pacific.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
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