88 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MARCH 2016
Key cruising features
The angled coaming
makes comfortable and
secure seatingThe Performance version has
a taller mast and lower boom
than the Cruising versionJib sheet tracks are well
inboard, which improves
her pointing abilityTwin rudders make her feel light and responsive
on the helm, even when heeling overThe coachroof winches
are used for lines coming
back from the mast, jib
and spinnaker sheets tooThe retractable bowsprit is optional
on the Cruising version, but standard
on the Performance versionNEW BOAT TEST
into a far more comfortable yacht.
The saloon table is attached to the
starboard seat base and can swing out of
the way to give better access to the forward
area, removed completely or transferred
into the cockpit for al fresco dining. It has
fi ddles but offers little in the way of bracing
while sailing. There’s not far to fall, though,
and the suede-covered single overhead
grabrail is within reach. A small, fi xed table
is possible but it’s a custom-made item. On
the white tongue-and-groove effect hull
sides were optional three-pocket stowage
bags, these are practical and look smart.
At the aft end of the saloon, headroom
is 1.79m (5ft 10in) but this decreases to
1.55m (5ft 1in) forward. To starboard, the
seat is 1.47m (4ft 10in) long, to port it’s
1.90m (6ft 3in) long, below the aft part is
the water tank. The rest, like the starboard
side, is unlined stowage. The details are
nice: contrasting stitching in the cushions,
solid teak fi ddles and so on. While a few
screw heads are visible she doesn’t feel
like a basic boat. In fact the only place she
does feel basic is the heads. A Porta Potti isstandard and there’s a 98cm (3ft
3in) rail outboard for hanging
stowage but little else. A sea
toilet and windows are options.
The aft cabin has 68cm (2ft
3in) seated headroom above
the 2.06m x 1.52m (6ft 9in x
5ft) berth. Without the optional
hatches it’s a bit cave-like, these
add both light and ventilation.
It would have been nicer if the
seat/berth had come 15cm (6in)
forward for head clearance from
the cockpit above.Chart table
There’s none really to speak of.
There is a fi ddled shelf, which
at 48cm x 22cm (1ft 9in x 9in)
is OK for tablets and most 13-inch laptops.
Above the internal moulding that makes
the shelf is a simple switch panel.Galley
The L-shaped galley is available with a
simple, single Whale hand-pump tap and
two-burner Dometic Origo spirit stove with
no fi ddles. However pressurised hot-and-
cold running water, a coolbox/fridge and a
Dometic two-burner gas stove with an oven
are all options. Stowage is limited more by
the size of boat than Winner’s ingenuity.
There are Perspex-fronted shelves outboard
of the galley and a small cupboard.Maintenance
The house battery is tucked under the
cupboard in the aft cabin. The bilge in the
middle of the saloon is shallow, at just 8cm
(3in) deep. Aft of that is the ‘wet’ area,
at the base of the companionway, where
the inner tray mouding follows the curve
of hull. Being white, it shows up any dirt
effortlessly. Engine access is good, via the
companionway steps.pointing ability, helped on the
day by her laminate race sails.
The Performance version sports
a fat-headed mainsail, taller rig
and a lower boom; giving her
3m^2 more sail area.
Deck layout
Flanking the companionway sit
two Harken ST35 winches, these
handle the jib and asymmetric
sheets and the lines are led
back from the mast. It works
well, although it’s sometimes
easier for a crew member to be
in the companionway as the
mainsheet is on the bridgedeck
(aft of a handy rope bin in the
companionway) which can
infringe on the space the crew needs.
It’s possible to lie on the 1.55m (5ft 1in)
cockpit seats, but with an open transom
she might not the most child-friendly of
boats. However, it wouldn’t take a genius
to order a mesh barrier to enclose the
cockpit area. There’s a decent size 86cm
(2ft 10in) deep cockpit locker that will take
fenders and a dinghy. At the aft end of the
locker is a line of rope-tidy hooks.
Living aboard
Although only around 26ft long, she has
fi ve full-length berths: two forward in an
area with a 2.03m (7ft) long V-berth and
optional insert – but no door; two aft in a
cabin that is as one might expect in a small
boat; and one in the saloon. It’s also worth
remembering that choosing items like
the fi xed saloon table, aft cabin door and
twin-burner hob do add to the price, but
also improve the feel of the boat.
While I was at the factory I was able to
see other variations of the 8 in production,
so while this Winner 8 Performance
was basic, she really can be transformed
The light saloon is smart and simple with many attractive details